___________________________MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY A Metroland Comrnunity Newspaper Vol. 139 No. 96 Tuesday, February 9, 1999 40 Pages 75e <GsTicIuded) 35 (Senice PlusCuwmers) v- Taming the siopes Milton Height Racing Clubs Anna Dymlnski heads for the finish lin. durlng the Invitational Slalom Race et Gien Eden Ski Ares Sundsy. The il -year-oid won ber division. See the sports section forsa reisted photo. 'MM HeIp for farmers available Help is on the way for farmers. Worklng Harder In Iight of an unprecedented combination of extremely 10w to atay #e, commodity pnices and inclement weather, interim assistance cu1tPitMthm wilI be available under the $40 million Ontario Whole Farmn à, à Relief Program. Provided that farmers retum completed forms promptly, . cheques could be in the mail f0 eligible producers within a month. To receive aform, cali 1-(877) 838-5144. Reed angry over child porn ruling By KAREN SMITH The Champion Flooded with cails from citizens upset over a British Columbia judge's ruling in a child pomography case, Halton MP Julian Reed wants to set the record straight. The federal Liberals are joining forces with the BC government ta fight the judge's recent ruling that a man was within bis rights to possess child pomography. "People are very upset and rightly Sa," Mr. Reed said. "It will be rectified at some stage." While last Tuesday the Reform Party pushed a motion calling for the federal government ta use the Constitutiorn's 'notwithstanding clause' to overturn the ruling, Mr. Reed said fighting it in the courts is more efficient, as well as proper. 'There are those who fe that if we were ta invoke the 'notwithstanding clause' in the House of Commons it would somebow speed up the proceas and put an instant end ta the problem. Such is flot the case," he said. Mr. Reed said in the two instances in which the clause was used by two provin- cial govemments, it was only a last iesort after every available legal recourse had been exhausted. The judge's controversial ruling will be challenged in the BC Court of Appeal later this montb, Mr. Reed said. "Our legal people are witb their legal people." If the appeal fails, the case will go ta the Supreme Court of Canada, he added. M. Reed said using the 'notwithstand- ing clause' is an "extreme" measure because it actually undermines the Constitutio n and should only be con- sidered when ail else fails. process wiIl be faster than the 'notwîtb- standing clause"' he said. Like many o t h e r Julien Reed C a nadi ans, Mr. Reed said he can't understand wbat the judge was tbinking when be made Uic ruling. There was no dispute that the accused was in possession of cbild pomog- raphy. The ruling centred around bis right ta possesa it. "I have no ides how be could think about tbis individual's (the accused's) rights," M. Reed said. "Wbat be failed ta do was recognize tbe cbild. Every cbild has the right flot ta be abused or sexually exploited." M. Reed added that it's still a criminal offence ta posseas cbild pomnograpby in every Canadian province and territory, even in BC, wbere tbe appeal bas yet ta be beard. "I abare tbe outrage expressed by tbe many constituents wbo bave called oui office." Cops have almost $1 million left over By IRENE GENTLE The Champion Halton Regional Police coffers are spilling over by at least $975,000, tbe region's administration and finance comn- mittee beard recently. Savings in debt cbarges and delsys in tbe biring of new officers bave resulted in a surplus in tbe 1998 police budget, said Cbief Ean Algar. "Staffing; delays, maternity leaves and alarm system revenues bave raised more tban we anticipated," be explained. Cbief Algar appeared at tbe committee to endorse doling out tbe nest egg ta varn- ous police reserves. He was backing a Halton Region Police Services Board blueprint tbat rcommend- ed using nearly baîf tbe surplus, or about esee POLICE on page 19