HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1978-03-23, Page 4Page 4
Citizens News, March 23, 1978
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Electi�neering?
It's getting downright sickening. While
Solicitor -General Jean -Jacques Blais continues to
sound like a record stuck in a groove with his "no
comment" to each and every question in the House
regarding what has come to be known as The
Cossitt Affair, Prime Minister Trudeau continues
his election campaign across the country at the tax-
payer's expense.
Recently the seats behind Blais were minus
most of the bodies which ought to have been oc-
cupying them. The reason? On this latest campaign
jaunt the prime minister not only went himself but
took 27 of his Cabinet members with him on this
three-day trip to the west. The cost to the public
purse will be something in the neighbourhood of
$50,000.
This travelling by the pm at public expense is
cheap politics at its worst. To justify the taxpayers
picking up the tab, Trudeau said the trip was a
chance for the government to become closer to the
prairies. What he really meant was that it was a
chance for the federal Liberals to become closer to
the prairies which isn't quite the same thing.
It wasn't the only time during the trip that
Trudeau equated government with Liberal. In
Alberta he said the westerners could start taking
over the country if they elected more members to
"government". It makes one wonder just where all
of those politicians elected in Alberta since 1968
were working, if not in the Government of Canada.
Oddly enough, the people of Alberta really
don't appear to have suffered much from their lack
of representation on the Liberal side of the House.
If anything they are better off than the provinces
which have returned the Liberals to power — which
says something about the real amount of influence
the federal government actually exercises. When
you're hot, you're hot, and there's very little Ot-
tawa can do about it.
As for the reported crowds which turned out to
see the PM — the school children waving their little
flags and the 5,000 or so in Edmonton, well why
shouldn't they see this travelling curiosity show?
Thank god some taxpayers are getting something
out of it — even if it's only a laugh.
Listowel Banner
A reasonable offer
The failure of the negotiating team of the local
of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Associa-
tion to give the members of the local a chance to
examine the board's latest offer is positive
evidence that the teachers' bumper -sticker motto
"I'd rather be teaching" is stretching a point.
Spokesperson Shirley Weary's classification of
the board's latest offer as "insignificant" in settl-
ing the issues at hand, is an over -statement.
The explanation given by Mrs. Weary as to why
it took two days to reject an "insignificant" offer,
i.e. to allow for a cooling off period,.doesn't hold
water. While the 'board's offer had not been made
public at the time that this was written, the terms
of the board's proposal which this newspaper has
been made aware of, would not be classified as an
insult to the teachers' intelligence and in fact, con-
stituted a genuine attempt by the board to get the
teachers and the students back to school.
Considering the fact that the board's offer was
the first major occurrence to take place since the
breakdown in negotiations, why did the negotiating
team refuse to place the offer before the general
membership and at the very least, why was the ex-
ecutive of the local not included in this most impor-
tant decision?
As one of the largest groups of organized
professionals in the province, secondary school
teachers are among the most informed. It would be
folly to suggest that the general membership be
consulted constantly about every action that takes
place in this dispute but when a concrete proposal
is made, no matter by which side, they should be
allowed to decide for themselves what constitutes a
reasonable offer of settlement for a strike which
never should have been.
•
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FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS
Published Each Wednesday By J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd.
Member:
Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association
Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association
News Editor - Tom Creech
Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385
Subscription Rates: $7.00 per year in advance in Canada
$18.00 per year outside Canada Single copies -20d
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Miscellaneous
Rumblings
By
TOM CREECH
I've got these
two friends....
One of the things that is unique about Canadians is
the fact that they like to travel a heck of a lot with a
vast amount of this travel (to the chagrin of the folks
in Ottawa) taking place outside of the home of the
maple leaf.
People travel for a variety of reasons; to get away
from that boss who you can only take 50 weeks out of a
year, from weather conditions that some people think
are more appropriate for the Arctic and for the ul-
timate in late 60's pop culture reasons: "to do your
own thing." -
For some particular reason (which is completely
unexplainable) a large number of people in my ac-
quaintance have done travelling on a global basis with
five out of seven individuals having a connection with
Grand Bend.
The two individuals who have nothing to do with
Grand Bend, my sister and her roommate enjoyed
their tour of New Zealand, Australia, the south seas
and Hawaii in their excursion below the equator a few
years ago.
A person who we will call Elizabeth Kennedy
(since that's her name) could be termed somewhat of
a wanderer and an adventurer what with her solo tour
through India and south-east Asia a few years ago.
One has to admire Mr. and Mrs. Brian Carey of
London who a few years ago quit their respective jobs
as an accountant and lab technician to take a year off
and travel the globe.
All of the above individuals came back with glow-
ingreports of the country which has spawned Olivia
Newton -John and the Bee Gees; Australia.
The following is the saga of Ms. Brenda Taylor
and Ms. Carol McKenzie, pne a daughter of Grand
Bend and the other, a summer resident of that resort.
The story begins on a warm day, last summer in
the above resort when the author still unsure of his
future, mentions casually to one of the above persons
that a tour of southern Europe during the winter
months of 1978 would be a nice break from the norm.
Receiving an acknowledgement from the above
individual, the author began some constructive day-
dreaming as to how such a project should be under-
taken.
Two weeks later, I learn from a third party that
Brenda and Carol are going to Australia.
Shattered,like so many pieces of a ,broken ketchup
bottle, the author casts aside his sorrow and begins
rebuilding his life (stay tuned for the Harlequin
romance coming out next month).
Ms. Taylor and Ms. McKenzie are two people who
have a fair amount in common but at the same time
have glaring contrasts but both of them have the one
prerequisite that's necessary for such an undertaking
to be pulled off successfully: energy.
Brenda, a person who could still have a smile for
all her friends even though she just completed two
consecutive weeks of "all-nighters" in her quest for
her B.A. and Carol, the only person that I know who
could "boogie" four nights in a row and still put in a
productive eight or ten hour days.
One of the most telling things about their per-
sonalities (or financial state) happened just prior to
their departure. While Ms. Taylor has resigned from
her position a few days in advance so as to get things
in order, Ms. McKenzie worked the day before they
were scheduled to take off.
A few weeks after their arrival in New Zealand,
the writer received information through the grapevine
that Ms. Taylor was suffering from the rare affliction
known as sun burn on the bottom of one's feet.
Hearing such talk in January in the middle of a
blizzard, was almost too much to take.
Back in December, the readership of the Citizens'
News was exposed to some poetry authored by this
writer. In keeping with my intent of exposing new
talent (be it good or bad), I present the following
poem authored by Ms'. McKenzie and Taylor.
A TRIP
We thought a poem was an interesting way to tell you
all about our stay,
In the sun we are getting quite brown
And all the thick shakes are making us round,
We have seen the sights and seen the land
And now we are quite old hands
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