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W )JT Y ~EPE% WEDMLYRXCH 2% ,1M9, PAGE7 PÀGE SEVEN a I LET [THE PEOPLE DECIDE Constitutions are fundamental to the eistence of nations. They define -the powers of the government, the freedoms of the people and the manner in wbich they are supposed to interact. Ail govermnents, even dictatorships, derive their power from the people, even if it is only blind acquiescence. Therefore, it has been puzzling, frustrating and deeply disturbing that in a democratic country like ours that public involvemnent was not invited followingt he Meech Lake accord thr-ee years ago. Meech was the prouct of eleven men, none of whom had any mandate for the radical restructuring that the accord proposed. No women*pa.tcipated, no natives -were represented and no constitutiona experts were present. Therefore the most significant deveiopment of the lest week Was the belated willingness te finaily allow public hearings acroos the country. That the accord was submitted for approval te, democra- tically elected assemblies is a sbam since no changes could be made - the assemblies simply rubber-starnped what Mul- roney and the ten premiers liad decided. Stulins Poitburo ran the Soviet Union that way for thirty years. Significantly, the orily premiers who did have a mandate were thoe elected after the accord was saged. AUl three, Filmon, McKenna and Wels, oppose it. n two of these provinces, thir opposition was supported by public hearings. I arn a poulist and my principal objection te the Meech Lake accor je the totally anti-democratic manner in which it was drafted and was supposd te be approved. The public bas been tetally and specificalyiîglnored. Quebec's unwiiiingness ta even discuse any further changes until Meech Lake is approved remains by fer the strongest reason for national uneasiness. As a resuit the impiied blackmail of separatism bas baclcfired - English Canadians would rather have noisy neighbours than be prionrers in their own bouse. However, if Quebec were allowed te, secede fromCada would it not ha logical te, allow Montreai te secede fa Quebec, or perhaps the Eastern townships. Canada's problem is that its language and culturel diversity can not ha neatly defined hy geographical boundaries. And while Canada is one-third French, nine out of ten provinces have English majorities. Quebec's quest for epecial'etatus creates far more problemis than it solves. Mulroieyes recognition at long last that the public sbould ha consulte is encouraging, but since there is only a littie over a month for such hearings, and since Quebec is stili unwilling teaccept chngsthey'ill be asham. Besicles, there bas aleady ben a ponderous anxount of p ublic input - wbat was missi*ng was a wiflingness to listen. very newspaper, and every radio and television station in Canada bas devoted hue amouints of time and space te, this issue. Thousands of letters to the ecitor have been published. Thousands of hours of phone-in talk shows have been logged. Dozens of poils by the goverrnment and others have found us opposed. Instead of public hearings they simply need te, look at the preponderance of inaterial they have been ignoring for the last two years. The conclusions are obvious - Meecb Lake is a poor compromise between divergent opinions. Regardiese of any menit it may have had, Meecb Lake would etili have bad te weatber our general cynicism tewards anytbing political. If this constitutional impasse is to, ha resoIved, it must corne from the people and not from the politiciens. In a democracy, the people croate the râies under whicb the poiticians operate, not the other way around. The trouble witb politiciens writing constitutions is that tbey have a vested interest in preservingr a fair bit of the status quo. Tbey are higbly unlikely ta dicker tbemselves out of ajob or tovoluntarily reduce their power. For instance, a possible solution te the current stalemnate would ha to give ail "cultural and lingLuistic' powers toaa separate, distinct level ofgoen nt(eeabfrElsh Frenh ad ntiv) wichwoùld be responsible for educatio and culture for its particular group wherever tbey lived rogardiesa cf provincial boundaries. But sucb a solution would neyer be accepted by the provincial premiers because tbey would loue almost ha]f their current spending power. Quebec, in particular, would loue most cf its national clout. As a geographical entity, Quebe wouid certainly not ha a distinct society, yet the French language and culture would have farsner protection than it bas at present - a status equal to Englial. What Canada needs is a constitutional aSeemblIy elected for the sole purpose of rewriting its- constitution. 'Ihe Americns did itmi 1793 and the document they croated has w .1 RAIL BR(Y'ERSP GARAGE AMD TA=I8ERICEP .C. 1921 This frame garage was located on Dundas Street, east of the Whitby House Hote], now Boppers. Prom left to rigbt are Roy H[a], Ross Hall, Wbitwell Hall* and Sberwood (Dick).Hall. Whitby was known for its large number of garages in tbe 1920a. Whltby ArdalvS phoo 10 TZARS AGO from the Wednesday, March 26, 1980 edition cf the WHIBy FEE PRESS *A dinner theatre is proposed as a new use for the aid Faitb Baptist Church on Brock Street North. *A Kindergarten css will ha started at St. Ljeols Separate School in Brooklin. *John Nickson is president of Whitby Arts mnc. *The new Ash Creek enclSure prevented serious flooding in a storm last week. 25 TZARS AQO from the Thursday, Marh 25,1965 edition. cf the WHmIT EKLY NEWS *Warren Mowat wfll become Whitbys fret fuil-time mayor on May 1. *Dr. Joaeph 0. Ruddy and Gardon ichards are chairmaen of the Wbitby Canerai Hospital fund-raiing campaign. *AUl Saints' Anglican Chuith bonored Russell Bell for yearsof dedica±ed work for the church. * Lary Cond bas rosigned as Industrial Commissioner. Mayor Warren Mowat will take on bis duties. 125 TZARS AGO from the Thursday, March 23, 1865 edition of the WHTRmY CHRONICLE *Broollin rosidents want the volunteer militia review on Queen Victorialé birtbday, May 24, to be held in their village. " lhnothy Fieber bas purchased 65 acres of the Morraw ostate at Asbburn by auction for $3,060. " Snow is two te, four feet deep north of the seventh concession of Whitby Township, making it impossible to, travel in wheeled vehicles to Beach and Port Perry. " John Udeil, aged 15, bas been sentenced ta flive years in prison for larceny. 1 ý a