Ontario Community Newspapers

Whitby Free Press, 29 May 1985, p. 23

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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY. MAY 29, 1985, PAGE 23 Report from Q ueenl's Park By THE HON. GEORGE ASHE, MPP (PC - Durham Wes4) Strange. times Our pariiamentary system of government is con- sidered to be one of the finest ln the world. One of the reasons is its simplicity. Foiiowing a generai election, the Lieutenant Gôvernor calis upon the party with the, greatest number of seats to form the government. The leader of that party is the Premier. Simple, right? Not so, it wouid appear. It's aimost impossible these days to pick up a paper or tune into a news broadcast without reading or hearing the current government - duly eiected by the people of Ontario on May 2 - wili not necessarily be the goverrument as selected by those Ontario voters. As strange as it sounds, it wouid appear the two parties holding fewer seats than the current gover- riment couid change the decision made by the peope of this province on May 2. And, It would also appear that their decision to do s0 wouid not be based on the substance of proposed legisiation, but on the basis of whether or flot the Liberais can court the New Democrats suc- cessfully. These are indeed strange times. At last counit, the Conservatives held 52 seats, the Liberals 48 and the NDP 25. The gang who won 25 gamnes are now teiiing the tournament winners they might not want to play anymore. They're saying they might hook up with the second place finishers and push the winners out of the rink. They are prepared to do it without regard to the fact the peopie of this province eiected 52 Progressive Conservative niembers to serve as their goverriment in the Legisiature. We know our system aliows opposition parties to move "non confidence" motions against gover- riments. But, one would assume those parties would want to see what that goverriment is planning to do before they indicate their iack of support. Not this ime? The leader of the New Democratic Party has in- dicated he may weli make a decision to support the second party in the Legislature to defeat the gover- nment before he has a dlue as to the legisiative program about to be put before the peopie of On- tario. I think we ail have to ask ourselves if this is truiy what the people of Ontario expect of their elected representatives. If the voters in Ontario wanted the New Demnocratic Party to hoid the power of legisiative programs, they wouid be holding the 52 seats, not 25. If they wanted the Liberal Party to form the government, they wouid have given them 52 seats, not 48. They did neither. They elected a Progressive Conservative Government, a Liberai officiai opposition and an NDP third party. And, they took 37 days to make that decision. Mr. Rae might weii decide to overturn that decision. These are, indeed, strange times. Corridor Capers By MARY MCEACHERN SCaîl 725"967 wlth Items for this column By MARION BUCHIANAN The Heart and Stroke Foundation wlll be having an appreciation night on Thursday, May 30 at the Whitby Public Library at 7:15 p.m. Everyone is welcome, especially those who volunteer. Westminster United welcomed Mary Elien and Keith Stevenson, and Rochelle and Cliff Hockings as new members and after the service there were ight refreshinents when al the congregation could weicome them personally. On Sunday, June 9 iL will be the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the Unitezd Church of Canada.

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