HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-10-5, Page 41
Page 4 Times -Advocate, October 5, 1994
Publisher: Jim Beckett
News Editor: Adrian Harte
Business Manager: Don Smith
Composition Manager: Deb Lord
Adve� -rtisiing: Barb Consitt, Theresa Redmond
News; Fred Groves, Catherine O'Brien, Ross Haugh
Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson
Robert Nicol, Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber,
Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn
Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert
front Office & Accounting- Norma Jones, Elaine Pinder,
Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald
CCM.
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1919 — 1991
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inion
EI)ITORIAL
Playing into their hands
he Parti Quebecois have wast-
ed no time in putting full steam into
their campaign to divide this nation.
With the help of their compatriots in
Ottawa they are quickly raising bristles
on the necks of everyone who hates to
see the federal government deferring to
their rhetoric.
Last week's demand for $47 million to
pay back Quebec's part in the failed
Charlottetown Accord, and the reshltant
$34.5 miilion payoff, not only gave
most Canadians another reason to de-
spise Brian Mulroney, but also reason
to call for drastic measures against the
separatists.
Grumblings about using the military
to seal off the borders to Quebec, de-
porting Jacques Parizeau to join the ex-
iled Haitian dictators, and other less
drastic measures to spite the separatists
can be heard in coffee shops all over
the nation.
' "Don't let them separate...kick them
out" is becoming an all -too -common re-
frain.
Which, of course, is exactly the re-
sponse desired by the PQ.
They know the polls are against them.
Failing to gain half the popular vote in
the provincial election, the Parti Quebe-
cois know they face an uphill battle to
win a referendum. In fact, success is
most unlikely.
Since they can expect "no" votes from
nearly all who voted Liberal, and know
many PQ supporters will stop short of
voting "yes", the chances of winning the
referendum are slim.
What the PQ needs is some anti -
Quebec federal government reaction,
some anti -Quebec sentiment from other
provinces as proof that Quebec is better
off alone. They will be pushing hard to
be the most obnoxious, disagreeable, de-
manding, and annoying thorn in the side
of the federal government they can.
Chances are, their tactics will work.
Canadians outside Quebec will become
increasingly frustrated with both the sep-
aratists, and with the federal government
should they continue to "pay off' the PQ
to avoid confrontation - and throw fuel
on the fire.
T-shirts and billboards during the
Charlottetown Accord campaign read
"My Canada includes Quebec". If that
sentiment is to be kept alive today, may
be new shirts should read "My Canada
includes Quebec... not the PQ".
A.D.H.
Your Views
Letters to the editor
Apology for firefighters
"...this is no excuse for endanger-
ing the lives of children or adults,
or causing vehicular accidents on
the way..."
To the Citizens: Town of Exeter
It has recently been brought to my attention by a
number of concerned citizens unfortunate occur-
rences regarding the so-called erratic, dangerous,
careless, reckless driving practices (whichever cate-
gory one ch(ioses) taking place by some members of
your fire/rescue service when responding to the fire
station.
i do not feel this driving behaviour irresponsible
but I do find it undesirable and unwarranted even
though the intentions of a quick response is of high
priority for what could be life threatening situations.
We all know that the first five to eight minutes can
be critical for structural fires but this is no excuse
for endangering the lives of children or adults, or
causing vehicular accidents on the way to such re-
sponses, whether it be behind the wheel of our own
private vehicle or the fire/rescue emergency units.
All members of your volunteer fire/rescue service
are responsible to abide by our S.O.P. guidelines
and the Highway Traffic Act. With the assistance of
the Exeter O.P.P., a complete review of these regu-
lations will be conducted immediately. Hopefully
we can get to the root of these driving infractions so
as to curtail any serious incident.
1 apologize on behalf of the members of your fire/
rescue service for these driving habits and will do
my best to sec they never happen again.
Sincerely,
Gary T. Middleton, Chief
Exeter and Area Fire/Rescue Service
r�
A View From Queen's Park
By Erfc Dowd
The former Progressive Conservative pre-
mier, William Davis, has fired his first shot in
the coming election and it has been oddly at his
own party.
Davis, who retired in 1985, has accepted an
invitation by New Democrat Premier Bob Rae
to chair a new Ontario International Trade Cor-
poration that will help exports.
Davis can bring some strengths to the post,
because he has chaired a cabinet and knows
how government works and people in other
countries often are impressed by high rank.
If the government wanted to pick a successful
businessman, however,pavis would not be its
first choice. His business involvement has been
particularly with real estate companies that
have struggled, although to be fair, this has
been true recently of most in real estate.
The NDP's motives for appointing Davis are
more partisan. it has constantly been derided as
incompetent in managing the economy and this
has been the biggest strike against it.
Davis's image has tarnished a bit, as his mis-
takes in office have become more evident, but
he is still the most respected Tory of the past 25
years.
Having him on side gives the NDP some re-
spectability it did not have before. It can argue
that it cannot totally lack merit if Davis is will-
ing to lend a hand and ask how any government
can be called inept when it has Davis working
for it. Davis is a trophy.
The Tory leader since 1990, Mike Harris,
who has been slowly rebuilding support, has
been complaining that the NDP government is
a closed shop run by unionists, relentlessly
anti -business and bankrupt of ideas for improv-
ing the economy. He will have more difficulty
getting this message accepted when his former
leader is holding hands with the NDP govern-
ment.
Some former Davis supporters have been un-
willing to work for Hams, feeling he has
moved too far right of Davis's old policies by
his promises to slash spending and get tough
with beneficiaries.
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Letters to the editor
Unlocked cars easy pickings
"I have been a trusting person
and never locked my car, but
these boys have changed my
mind."
Dear Editor:
From my hack yard one day the end of the week, i
was amazed at what I saw. Two teenage hoys were
opening cars and checking inside them at a local
restaurant and the LCBO parking lot.
it looked as if they took something from a car at
the LCBO and then they ran towards Andrew
Street.
I didn't contact police as by the time the police
would get here, the boys would be in their class-
rooms.
I have been a trusting person and never locked my
car, but these boys have changed my mind.
I am very sorry hoys to write this note, but if you
read it, I hope you will think twice before repeating
your actions as I am sure you have been taught to
do what is right.
have always been ready to defend or be a friend
to young people until 1 saw what 1 did today.
Sincerely,
A very concerned citizen of Exeter
Editor's note: /1 is not our policy to publish anon-
ymous letters in the Times -Advocate. However, we
hope a couple of lessons might be learned from the
above note. One, always lock your car. As the
reader points out and police would agree. thefts
from cars are not isolated incidents. When doors
are left unlocked, thieves can go shopping from car
to car. Secondly, anyone witnessing a crime is best
advised to contact police and be prepared to give a
full description of the crime as it took place, and a
description of the culprits. Few criminals are
caught "red handed", but are tracked down by po-
lice investigation. Witnesses are most useful.
We doubt the thieves in this case will learn any-
thing from this letter - they have already learned
that unlocked cars make for easy pickings. and that
even when people see them steal. they don't even
bother to call the police.
Bill Davis a threat to Harris
Hams has not endeared himself to them by
saying the Tories in the past were run by polls,
not principles -- he could only have meant un-
der Davis.
This had already led the Liberals and NDP to
claim that Harris's party is not the party of Da-
vis, which they have found full of virtues when
it suits them. They will now use Davis's hand-
holding with Rae as further evidence that the
ex -premier has little in common with the cur-
rent Tory leader.
A party also inevitably gets a bit of the heart
kicked out of it any time a former leader trucks
with the enemy.
Davis could not be looking for money in
working for an NDP government after years of
fighting that party, because he will be paid only
expenses.
He may feel he can help business or be flat-
tered the NDP asked him, and some may argue
he is merely following a path well trodden re-
cently by former party leaders.
His successor and the last Tory premier brief-
ly in 1985, Frank Miller, took a Liberal gov-
ernment offer to chair what was then called the
Ontario international Corporation, but was
much the same job, from I987-92, mostly to
make himself feel more wanted after voters
rudely cast him out.
Andy Brandt, who led the Tories in the late
1980s and helped heal their wounds, got the
Liberals to promise him the job of chair of the
Liquor Control Board before retiring in 1990
and the incoming NDP liked him so much it
did not have the heart to refuse.
Robert Nixon who held the Liberal party to-
gether as leader for much of three decades,
sewed up the choicest plum, agent -general in
Britain; with the NDP before retiring from the
legislature in 1991, although it turned sour
when cost-cutting abolished the post.
All were former leaders ready to lend oppo-
nents a bit of their lustre in return for jobs, but
none had the stature of Davis -- he would be
well aware how much his helping the enemy
will harm his own party.