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4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, June 22,1994 Section Two Council Supports Concept Of Permanent Voters' List Last week at Queen's Park, we started sitting until midnight. This ritual ritual is standard procedure just before the summer break and again at Christmas. It's a time when everyone seems bent on getting all the legislation legislation passed quickly. Hence the need to sit longer each day. The tone of these late night sittings was evident on Wednesday evening, when Liberal Elinor Caplin carried on a debate for twenty minutes or so, on a bill that had already been passed. The fact that her error wasn't picked up by any other member present says more about these late night sittings than I can ever convey in this column. It's always puzzled me why we can't move along all the time in an orderly fashion, with each day ending at 6 p.m. instead of the need to stay until midnight, as the frenzy builds to fin- "Last week, I sat on the committee considering guns, ammunition and community policing. " ish things. Why do we have to be threatened with being roasted in buildings with poor air-conditioning come July, or the threat of spending Christmas holidays at work, to get things done? But, politics are strange, and it isn't possible to compare such happenings with any other form of employment. It takes time to get used to, and then, like others in the past, you too become entrapped in the system! system! I'm hopeful that the Session will come to an end at month's end. Last year, we were told the same thing, however, it was the 4th of August before before we all left. Last week, I sat on the committee considering guns, ammunition and community policing, for the Solicitor General. This subject was placed before before the all-party committee as a government response to the drive-by shooting death in Ottawa recently, and the Just Desserts shooting incident incident where a young women was shot to death. We have heard testimony from expert witnesses along with poignant pleading that something be done to curb the illegal use of firearms, firearms, from parents and relatives of shooting victims. By the time you read this column our committee will have written the report. I have no doubt at all that criticism will follow, as one Liberal member has already said, "the government has decided their strategy, they will low-bridge it, and not do anything." The truth of this delicate matter is, that while some constitutional law experts say the province can limit the sale of ammunition in Ontario, there isn't any doubt that the curbing of firearms sales is within the federal jurisdiction. jurisdiction. I'm confident that the federal federal government will act very soon on the sale of guns. On Wednesday morning, I sat on the Private Bills and Regulations Committee, as we dealt with a bill presented , by the City of Toronto, • which asked for the authority to lower lower speed limits on certain residential streets to 30 km/h. This debate lasted almost a couple of hours and had been the subject of considerable com-, ment in The Toronto Star prior to the committee hearing. In committee, my comments centred centred upon the right of those who live on residential streets to be safe from those who drive automobiles on such streets, without caring for the safety of the residents. Statistics also show that accidents occurring at a lower speed result in less violent injuries. Children living in residential areas also have the right to enjoy their surroundings surroundings free from fear that comes from fast moving traffic. I was pleased that my position was supported supported by every member of the committee. committee. Hopefully, residential streets in Toronto will now be that much safer. Most of you who are regular readers readers of this column, know how often I have written about the kind of treatment treatment I/we have received since our election in 1990. There have been forces bent upon making me/us feel very uncomfortable, from simple slight right up to downright ignorant behaviour. I have everything that has happened to me stored away in my memory book. All of this has come about through some people never being being able to accept that the NDP is the Government of Ontario. Some could never manage the fact, and some continue continue to have difficulty with it. All of this leads me to comment about the recent acquittal of my colleague, colleague, Will Ferguson, in charges relating relating to the 1973 escape of Ms. Judi Harris from Grandview School for Girls. Just in case you think I'm being real partisan over this, it was Conservative Conservative Norm Sterling who has asked the Speaker of the Ontario Legislature Legislature to conduct an inquiry into this matter. I, and many of my colleagues from all three parties support the suggestion suggestion put to the Speaker for such an inquiry to take place. In Ferguson's case, we had an incident that took place in 1973, we had a woman who didn't want her relationship with Will Ferguson to be included in any charges, charges, after all both were teenagers at the time, and perhaps pivotal in this case, the police had never been in possession of a shred of evidence that Ferguson was in fact employed in Grandview at the time of his alleged help, in facilitating the escape from the institution, by Ms. Harris. In spite of the lack of evidence and the wishes of Ms. Harris, that her private life be left out, a decision was made by some person(s) to go ahead with charges and a trial, that has for? ever stained Will Ferguson's reputation reputation as a politician and even as an individual. individual. I want to know just who was behind the motivation to make our government look bad. We all deserve deserve to have the answers. "I have seen gross intolerance shown in Last week, a local resident and student, Leah Houtson, organized a protest and petition over the St. Marys Marys Cement Company's plan to excavate excavate in the area of the; West ;Side Marsh in Bowmanville. Just in case some folks believe i have been asleiep at the switch over this issue, they are dead wrong. I have had meetings many months back with the residents in the area. I arranged for some of them to meet with the Minister of Natural Resources. The issue is current current in my discussions with the Mini- ister. I have met a Director of St. Marys Cement. Options continue to be explored to assist in evaluating the environmental concerns. Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said, "I have seen gross intolerance shown in support of tolerance." See you next week! by Laura J. Richards The City of Vaughan council wants all Ontario municipalities to back up its request that the federal government begin a permanent voters'list. voters'list. Clarington Councillors voted Monday night to endorse that recommendation. recommendation. The permanent list or registry would eliminate duplication of costs for all three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. A resolution from the City of Vaughan Council was accompanied by background information which states: "It has been found that Canadian Canadian provinces presently conduct an enumeration to produce a voters' list for provincial elections, with the exception exception of British Columbia. In British British Columbia, a register of voters is maintained on a constant basis. In Ontario, the Ministry of Revenue maintains a voters' register for municipal municipal and school board elections." In 1988, the combined voter population population in B.C. and Ontario accounted accounted for 47 per cent of eligible voters. The permanent registry could be compiled gradually, suggests the report report from the Vaughan officials. "The first step would be for the Canada Elections Commission to contract with Ontario and B.C. to produce the preliminary voters' lists for those provinces for the next federal federal general election. This move could save as much a $5.5 million in enumeration costs." Clarington Councillor Mary Novak Novak told the council: "It makes me want to cry, the amount of money being swept under the table." Councillor John O'Toole noted he was in support of saving money by eliminating duplicated services. The Royal Commission on Electoral Electoral Reform and Party Financing found the "Ontario Ministry of Revenues Revenues register (to be) reliable enough for Elections Canada or Elections Ontario to use it to produce produce a good quality voters' list." It is noted in the report that "the eventual objective would be to ac quire or develop the computer software software to enable Elections Canada to generate the voter information it needs from voters' lists from recent elections and data bases compiled for provincial and municipal purposes." purposes." The main goals for the permanent permanent list would be to eliminate duplication, duplication, reduce costs to the taxpayer/voter taxpayer/voter and reduce the amount of time it takes to run an election. Clarington councillors decided to endorse the resolution and send it along to the Association of Municipalities Municipalities of Ontario for further study. Canada Post Turns Over a New Leaf For Canada Day Canada Post Corporation will celebrate celebrate Canada Day by issuing a stamp pane featuring Maple Trees on June 30, 1994. This unique miniature pane consists of 12 colourful 43-cent stamps, depicting maple trees from different regions of Canada. The maple leaf has a longstanding longstanding tradition as a symbol of Canadian Canadian unity and identity. When the Prince of Wales visited Canada in 1860, members of the welcoming party wore the maple leaf as a "symbol "symbol of the land of their birth". The ultimate ultimate confirmation of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol came on February February 15, 1965 when it was proclaimed proclaimed as the central element of our national flag. There are approximately 160 species species of maple trees found worldwide, worldwide, however only 10 varieties are indigenous to Canada. For the miniature miniature : stamp pane, illustrator Dennis Noble has chosen the following 12 native and imported maple trees: Mountain Maple; Manitoba Maple, Douglas Maple, Striped Maple; Sugar Sugar Maple; Vine Maple; Big Leaf Maple; Maple; Silver Maple; Red Maple; Hedge Maple; Norway Maple; and, die Black Maple. ' - . The stamps are illustrated in a folk art style with the top portion of the pane showing a panorama of Canada from coast to coast. The stamps are the first printed by Canada Post using using a random dot technique. This means that when magnified, no regular regular pattern of dots is visible. The province is providing Durham East with $170,000 in supplementary funding for special road projects during during 1994, Gord Mills MPP for Durham Durham East announced last week. "Our government is committed to getting Ontario back to work," said From Page 3 My dad is far from perfect. Just last week he called to wish me a happy happy birthday -- a month early. As we both mature, we have been finding that it is easier to talk about topics. It also helps that we are far enough away from each other, that we can be closer than we were when I was growing up and he didn't really know what to do with a daughter. Things are different for us now. Perhaps, one day, I will even be able to call him "friend." It is the one thing I was not able to accomplish with my mother and is something I truly regret. I hope all the old and new fathers in Clarington were treated lovingly on Sunday -- Father's Day 1994. Mr. Mills. "We have maintained the funding available this year for specific specific supplementary projects at last year's level in recognition of the importance importance of this commitment." Supplementary funds are earmarked earmarked for specific or one-time projects projects and equipment purchases that cannot be accommodated under a municipality's base road allocation. "The funds are designated for work that has been identified by the local municipality as significant projects projects that can get under way immediately immediately and create jobs now," Mr. Mills said. The supplementary funding is part of the province's commitment of $704.5 million to maintain and improve improve the roads in the province's 863 municipalities and first Nations. In addition, the government is investing $722 million during the next two years through the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Infrastructure Works Program to help municipalities make local infrastructure infrastructure improvements. The $2.1 billion program will create up to 25,000 jobs province wide. "When we invest in projects such as providing Manvcrs Township with a new six ton tandem plow truck, we ensure our municipalities can meet their special transportation needs and that is good news for all of us." Honesty, integrity, openness, and no frills, that's how I plan to earn the trust of people in Durham. And that is how Prime Minister John Chretien plans on earning the trust of Canadians. Last Friday afternoon, MPs asked me to give a speech in the House of Commons supporting legislation John Cretien introduced on lobbying. The goal of this legislation is to make a relationship between lobby groups and government more accountable accountable to Canadians and to earn - back peoples trust in government. Lobby groups, are hired guns so to speak, who approach government on behalf of clients to influence legislation legislation to benefit the people, business or organization they are hired to represent. represent. Cigarette manufacturers, drug companies, the gun lobby, Canadian Manufacturers Association are examples examples of groups who lobby government. government. Although I see these well organized organized and well financed groups as legitimate legitimate players in the system it is important to keep them in check. They are not more important than you the constituent. And they have no right to have any more access to me than you, the people who have sent me to Ottawa, and pay my salary- salary- Take drug manufacturers as an example. example. Why I ask you, should they, making millions of dollars in profits, have the ear of government any more than you who has to pay for the drugs. Canadians spent $5.5 billion on drugs last year. More importantly, why should you, if you had a problem with the government you couldn't solve on your own, go out and have to pay a lobbyist to talk to me. You already pay me to work for you on problems you have with government. government. It's no secret that Ottawa, because the federal government is centred there, is pretty well recession proof unlike most other communities in this country. But it just astounds me that lobbying lobbying the Government of Canada was the largest growth industry in the capital last year. That's ridiculous, it's like something something out of a fantasy land. How did it become such a growth industry? The last government believed that was the way to do business. Now we see where the last government, government, and their party, is today. And that's nowhere. I see it as my job to try and restore the integrity people have lost for government, government, just as the prime minister sees it as his number one task. And I'm proud he has so quickly made the move. Under the new guidelines an ethics ethics counsellor, from the civil service, will be appointed to insure, MPs, civil servants, and cabinet ministers do not compromise government integrity integrity be getting into a conflict of interest interest when they deal with lobbyists. He will report to the government annually on lobby organizations and lobbyists will be bound to give the counsellor more information on what they have done in trying to influence government. If you have any questions or comments comments please write my office, no postage is necessary, or phone 721- 7570 or 1-800-5654105. I would be glad to discuss this issue with you. Also my staff will be pleased to send you any further information you may want on this subject.