6-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, November il, 1997 I ~ CMMENT [ ~ GRAMMA AND <RAMPAi THE ANADAN C AMPI N àý 11,i7 l ptE D1 EXTRA HUGS Box 248, 191 Main St. E. Miltan, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 876-2364 Classîfied: 875-3300 Publisher A.rsocroîe Pubtisher Geneal Manaoger Edfor Circulation Manager Office Manager Production Manauger The Canadian Champion. oubliShed twice weekly ai 191 Main St. t., Milton. Ont., 19T 4N9 (Box 248). is one of Tsi Metroiand Pninting. Puishing & Distributing Lnd. group or suburban corntt- nies w51ch includes: Ajaii / Pickering News Advrtiser: Alliston HeratdlCouoser. Bannie Adrance: Brampton Suardian; Burlinston Posn: CitY Patent, CntIingwood / Wasaga Correction, tatt York Minror. tosicoke Soardian; Georgetown ledependent/ Acton Free Press. Kingston This Week, tindsay This Week; Manksam Economist S Sun; Miittand / Penetanguissere Mirron. Mississaugi Nes; Newmarket / Aunora Ena Banner, Northumberland Nes;. North York Minnon. Qakville Beaven: Orîllia Today: Oshawa / Whilby / Claringlon / Pont Penny This Week; Peterborough This Week. Richmond Hill / T5ornsll I Vaughan Liberai: Scanborough Mirnon, Uxbrinige / Stouttnille Tribone; Today's Senions. Adoedtislng jr acceptent on the condition that, in thi eoenn t 01 tYPoSnuphIcal ernon. truc porto ofn the antuedîsirg space Occuplent by the onnoneous item, togethîn mits a reasonable alwance ton signatune, wiii ntrse chingeni tor, son the balance of the aituentisemini will Se paint ton an the applicable nate. The pubtîsser rîsînues the nîght to categorize adiertisemints on declini. Tories dropped the bal Teaching unions in Ontario got just about everything they could have reasonably hoped for out of the two-week long strike. It was astutely handled, for the most part, by the teacher groups, and poorly handled by the provincial government. The teaching unions succeeded in throwing the focus of debate froîn management of the nuts and boits of the education system. Instead they pointed to a sinister government scheme to gain enor- mous and unaccountable power through Bill 160. The government, for its part, failed to communicate what is at the core of its agenda - reforming the education system to make it more accountable and successful. Premier Mike Harris fell vic- tim to a better public relations campaîgn and machine. As well, in the end, perhaps Mr. Harris is a tad misguided for advancing legisiation that would give any education mînister sweeping new powers without many, in fact any, substantive checks and balances. 0 u E Wbile this may look good. fromn the corridors of power, it is an illusory and temporary gain. It fosters mistrust among people who fear tbey will be robbed of democratic input. Bill11160 ils too undemocratic On a purely practical level, one should flot set in legislative stone tools one would not like to yield to a political fée. Duar Editor: The Tories will not always be in office. What if one of the (Thefollowing Ieater was sent ta North Halton MPP Ted y Chudleigh and a copy wasfiled with The Champion,) spendthrift goverfiments Ontario has endured in the past iiaU After watching your Ieader's robot-like, state of the access t0 the powers Mr. Harris proposes for the education minis- union address on the current educatian crisis in Ontario, I ter? Could such a government not use them just as arbitrarily as could flot help but be amazed at just how dishonest a seem- some feal- the Tories may? ingly ever growing number of our politicians are becom- Whatthi whoe dbat wassupose to e aout andwha iting. We as Canadians have unfortunately corne to accepi isra at is accounebt ait fupor e oaot and maagmet f t edu that politicians will, on occas ion, massage the truth. is-rall abutis ccontailiy fo an maageentof he du-However. when the premier ofiaur province appears on TV cational system in Ontario to the post-secondary level. and autright lies ta ail Ontari*Àns 1 begin ta despair. The provincial government contends that in the past such mani- Harris dlaims that he caràs about aur children.Yet, in the agement has been sorely lacking. We would venture to say most last twa years he bas cuVday care, eliminated JK. reduced people would agree with that, or would have until the issue welfare payments ta ' fyothers and systematically endeav- became so muddled up and intertwined with something else. ored ta destroy a hq9pital systemn where our children are Lets pt i siply Inthepas bi teche neotited both bom and cark for. The $40 per day he offered is a Lets ut t imly:Inth pat igteah U tiotis ngta disgusting attemp tai purchase votes. Ibis amount would with little scbool boards and got what they wanted more often convert: to an nual salary of $222,000 for a teacher with than not. Under the provincial plan, big unions will negotiate with 30 kids in th ' 1aS. the big provincial govemnment - ail to the good. How Mr ftns could sit theoe. in his finely upholstered The saine restructuning that private industry faced in die early chair, an eIl us that hie woul not take any dollars out of 1990s needs to occur, in some meaningful sense anyway, within ed * whe hetisl uthv prvdVrn the duc tio al yst m. u 7 million out of this year's budget "n a further It still wili, but it is taking an enormous toil on the govern- million out of next year's. aatounds me. How many ment, one the Tories wouki not have been looking at if tbey bad your constituents are aware that they no longer have managed their affairs more effectively, and less arrogantly. cofitrol of wliei Hslto's tuX dollars are spefit, diii a car- Rob Kj' He faces changing tin}S' Pud I1A1 Congratulations to Mayor Gord Krantz, who bas/won yet AND *" rà another term at the expense of a tougb opponient, C9ln Best, in 1i1 m a~n N~cE what bas been Mr. Krantz' most serious challenge si e becoming I TM mayor. wil IlIbeGF The next tbree years willikely befull of change in Milton as the provincial government restructures the plcllandscape. It is to be boped Mr. Krantz' long experience in local govern-q ment will serve bim well as Ontario, and I4iton change. As usual, i the mayor handled bis campaign witb/iiplomacy and tact. Mr.A TÙ11111 Best did as well. ERS WRITE penter could he employed to teach in a woodworking shop or that a mechanie could have enough qualifications to teach an auto mechanica clasa? Are your constituents aware that most sections of Bill 160 end with the phrase "final and conclusive and flot open ta question in any court"? Excuse me! Is that very phrase flot somewhat undemocratic, but indicative of aur presenit provincial gov- erfiment? According ta Mr. Harris aur students are performing poorly *when we compare them internationally. How does the Conservative goveroment of this province accounit for the fluet that we have the highcst secondary school gradua- tion rate in Canada, and aur province leads the nation in college and university enrolîment. Harris doca nat mention that in international testing we finished ahead of Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, United States and Norway despite the fact that in 60 per cent of the homes of the students writing the test English is flot the mother tangue. That's flot ta, mention that upon investiga- tion into the test resuits, it was found that some of the countries were selecting the students that weoe allowed ta take these tests. 1 finnly believe that we in Ontario have and educationa systemn that we cia be proud of and il is my sincere hope that we can repair the damage the Conservative govemn- nient is currently intlicting on the systeni in the next elc- bion. Do». and Marg. Mloor a .. OUR READERS WRITE on page 7 by Steve Nease Ian Oliver Neil Oliver David Bs Rob Kelly Karen Huiaman Teri Cass Tlmn Cotes