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=== Opinion/Letters Northerners and NDP have a lot in common NORTHERN INSIGHTS by Larry Sanders Ontario '*s New Democrats are finally getting the message from Ottawa. In a speech a few weeks ago at Queen's University, Premier Bob Rae said the historic assump- tion of Canadian federalism that "the national government would always be there to respond to the central economic needs and interests in Ontario" is no longer valid. "From Sir John A. Macdonald's national policy to the Auto Pact to Pierre Trudeau's national energy program, the common assumption was that Ontario's interest was synonymous with Canada's key policies," Rae said. He. argued that federal Conservative policies such as free trade with the United States, restric- tions on payments under cost-sharing programs, and "down-loading" of federal responsibilities such as legal aid, forest management, native affairs, culture, and training, are an indication to Rae that "the country, economically, is not an extension of Ontario any more." Rae admitted that "no doubt, there are many Canadians who rejoice in this," but he also warned that "we have now to determine our own future and destination in the new Canada, and we have to ensure that Ontario has the means to deal with its needs." More recently, Rae's distrust of Ottawa was exacerbated by Trade Minister Michael Wilson's tabling in the House of Commons of a letter Rae had sent the Prime Minister about the free trade negotiations with Mexico and the United States. In the letter, Rae suggested that the province was "happy with the attitude towards consulta- tion with the provinces federal officials had demonstrated" over the trade talks. Diplomatic courtesy Wilson tabled the letter to reply to Rae's public denunciation of Ottawa, made earlier in the week, that "the media knows more than the premiers do" about the substance of the Mexico-U.S. negotiations. A senior unnamed official in Rae's office told the Globe and Mail that Wilson, by releasing Rae's letter, had "broken basic rules of diplomatic courtesy to score a political point." This same official told the Globe and Mail that Ottawa is "totally untrustworthy. The feds are going to have to do a lot of work to convince us that they can be trusted ever again." Rae and his officials will no doubt be more cautious about what they say from now on in let- ters, faxes, and phone calls with federal officials. Everything they say can (and will) be used against them in the court of public opinion. In the high-strung talks ahead over the constitution, the economy, aboriginal self-government and North American Free Trade, the absence of "diplomatic courtesy" will make those negotia- tions all the more tense. Rae's realization that Ottawa no longer acts in the best interests of Ontario, combined with his vow to plan for a future where Ontario must always look after its own interests, qualifies him to be anhonorary northerner, : ; Residents of Northern Ontario have long been accustomed to senior governments implement- ing policies which are contrary to our best interests. Elected opposition MPs As a result, Northern Ontario has historically elected opposition MPs federally. Provincially, northern ridings have tried to send members of the governing party to Queen's Park--believing that, at least on provincial matters, having an MPP in the government caucus makes more sense than electing someone who can only yell and scream from the outside. - Rae now understands what that's like, on the national stage. If we are moving to a new "asym- metrically federalist' Canada, where provinces have dissimilar powers, Ontario will have to ensure that its self-government powers are not constrained by the whims of a remote, disinterest- ed government in Ottawa. Northemers have been doing that for years, with mixed success. We've convinced all three major parties at Queen's Park that northerners make northern poli- cies best suited to our own conditions. The Conservatives started that practice with the launching of the first Ministry of Northern Affairs. The Liberals continued it with their Northern Development Councils and the revitalization and renaming of the Ministry of Northern Development. The NDP government is inventing its own system of ad-hoc northern consultation task forces, but remains committed to the idea of northerners paddling our own canoes. . Northerners are thus accustomed to seeking that fine balance between parochialism and the national interest--more often opting for what's best for the north. We're also long accustomed to saying everything that has to be said to senior governments in public. Municipal politicians, business leaders and most northern interest groups long ago abandoned "quiet diplomacy" in favor of the opposite maxim that "squeaky wheels get grease." Rae would thus benefit from some crash courses in these realities of regional politics, taught by northerners, before he goes to another round of talks on the economic and constitutional future of Canada and Ontario. Page 5, News, Tuesday, April 28, 1992 Increasing our educator's awareness of violence can help them in our classrooms In the fall of 1991, five area school boards applied for Min- istry of Education funding to participate in a Family Vio- lence Prevention Initiative. As a result, Partners Against Family Violence came into being. The group consists of teachers and administrators from the following boards: Geraldton Board of Education, Geraldton RCSS Board, Nip- igon- Red Rock Board of Edu- cation, North of Superior RCSS Board and the Lake Superior Board of Education. When North of Superior Programs representative Karen Hihalik told the planning com- mittee that they had applied for funds to study family violence, the initiative became a co-oper- ative effort between the Min- istries of Education and Social Services The purposes of the initia- tive include developing a part- nership with community agen- cies that supply services to members of families where there has been violence; enhancing awareness of family violence; acquiring curriculum resources for schools; and pro- viding in-service programs to teachers and administrators so they may be better able to deal with behavior of children caused by violence in the home. Used case stories include violence toward teach ers and classmates, refusal t do homework, theft or destruc tion of school property, o. extreme withdrawal. One thing Kincaid stresse: was that there is a general lac of awareness of the seriousnes - of the issue. Seventy-five pe cent of the children on th streets come from violer homes. If the ratio of one t eight is used to estimate th number of families in whic violence occurs, there ar 200,000 children on Ontari schools who witness violenc in the home. And Dr. Kincai said that one in eight is a col servative estimate: the rati may be closer to one in fiv: She also said psychologic: and emotional abuse are just : damaging as physical abuse. Lack of _ understanding Lack of understanding « the issue of family violence evident in what we tolerate « a daily basis; seng lyrics, tel vision/movie/video violenc novelty items (like paddl inscribed "If you can't reas: with her, beat her'--a delu: model was padded to avo bruise!) These all desensiti society to abusive behavior Underlying all of this is t role sexism plays in the cyc of violence. Dr. Kincaid sa the whole issue in not just women's issue, but is one tl is universal in nature. As part of this initiative, Dr. Pat Kincaid gave a workshop on family violence in Nipigon April 14. She addressed a ' group of teachers and represen- tatives from local social service In closing, she advised continued on pag: INCOME TA agencies and gave them an Personal overview of wife assault and Business family violence. By using case stories, she discussed the Rental effects this violence has on children. Although not always D. Falzetta the case, signals that a child is living in a violent home 3 Norinemn Remember Mum on Mother's Day May 10th Get hera family ring from Northern. See our beautiful "Assortment of 10 kt Gold rings with genuine or 825-9471 synthetic birth stones. From only $99.00 Special order item. Please allow 3 weeks for delivery Birth stone rings make great graduation gifts Order Early. @Norihen aes Ez 'Customer Service Is Our First Priodity _