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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-01-24, Page 6Page 6 January 24, 2007 • The Huron Expositor Opinion Original trial peppered with too many lies, cover-ups From Page 4 examined Harper's body did not have the evidence to support his finding that she died within a 45 - minute time frame on the night of June 9, 1959. Pollanen said she could have died the day after — a time when Truscott was in school all day. That provides for a very reasonable doubt FINE FURNITURE & Floors • IPS Yes Absolutely Everything Is On Sale *Sofas *Chairs *Recliners in Fabric and Leather - •Curios *Dining Rooms •Dinette: *Tablas •Box Springs & Mattresses *Lamps MANY ITEMS ONE OF A KIND, END OF LINES OR FLOOR MODELS. SHOP EARLY AND SAVE THEJAXES! Open 6 Days a week 9 - 5:30 Friday Evenings 'til 8 pm., Sat. 'til 5 pm. Bring it all Home For Less I *Equivalent of tax FINE FURNITURE & IgFloors' 1 \11,.•x•1 -i. 1 liiii ,, I'' '' -- 'ill5 by court standards. The court has been told evidence was ignored, a key witness lied and tried to persuade another witness to lie and the evidence that pinpointed the time of death was inadequate at best. The court has heard, in other words, that there was simply not enough evidence to convict Truscott for this crime. In 2004, we didn't need Cotler to order a hearing on the fresh evi- dence. We needed the federal justice minister to order the court to order a new trial or acquit Truscott based on the fact there wasn't enough evi- dence. We needed to bring back all the witnesses who are still alive and use everything modern forensic sci- ence could offer. Instead, the buck got passed on down the line. Now, on Jan. 29, the Ontario Court of Appeal will begin to hear oral arguments from both the Crown and defence teams on the new evidence presented at the hear- ings in 2006. In the next six months, the court will render its final verdict in this long saga. Steven Truscott deserves a real second chance at justice — not because we know who actually did the crime, but simply because his original trial was peppered with too many lies, cover-ups, botched inves- tigations and a complete lack of effort to uncover the truth about the murder of Lynne Harper. As a community, Clinton will never regain its innocence of the 1950s, but Steven Truscott deserves this chance to have his declared, once d for all. Oct. 4 referendum will give chance to create a fair voting system From Page 5 good measures that the previous party put into place. They are tired of the shenani- gans politicians play to order to make the opposition look bad or to oust them from power. They want politicians to roll up their shirt sleeves, look at the issues and, instead of wasting our tax dollars in an adversarial modus operandi, to get down to the important busi- ness of running our country and our province. Important issues such as energy production, the agricultural crisis and global warning will not wait. Our governments need to take the bull by the horns and address these issues. Most Canadians are unaware that almost every country in the world is run by a different form of fair voting system. Even within the United Kingdom which uses first -past -the -post, the national governments of Scotland and Wales have proportional voting. Of course, the United States does not have fair voting - and look how electing George Bush with a minority of votes and a majority of seats has turned out for them! I would urge members of all political parties who care about their province and their country to ptease find out more about the fair voting system. An internet search will allow you to make an online presenta- tion directly to the Ontario Citizen's Assembly on Electoral Reform. Fair Vote Canada's website has lots of information, too. And hope- fully the press will continue to educate Ontarians on this impor- tant process. When the Ontario Citizen's Assembly makes its recommenda- tion to either retain or change the electoral system, all Ontarians will get to vote on that recommen- dation. This will occur on Oct. 4 at the same time as the Ontario election. The results of the referendum don't go into effect until four years after that, so it is important to vote in this critical referendum. British Columbians tried this during their last election and just barely missed winning their refer- endum by a two per cent vote. So it's important to get the word out and to get everyone out to vote. Here's the irony. Over 60 per cent of voters will have to agree to the recommendation in the refer- endum to make it law. But you can elect the next government with a lot fewer votes than that! Wilhelmina Laurie RR 3 Clinton