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PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS Fenneil saYs Ont. R 's mhi tobe By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff National defense bas become a local issue in the eyes of Progressive Con- serative candidate Scott Fennell. Fennell, who is seeking re- election to the Ontario Rlding seat that he won last May, said that militia units throughôut the country are in serlous financial problenis because there is no money left in the last Liberal defense budget. Fennell said that he had been told by the Department of National Defense that the Ontario Regiment, Durham Region's only miitia unit. doesn't have enough money to pay their niembers. 4"They have been operating under the defense budget which had been cut back by the last Liberal government," Fennell said. "It was Liberal policy to let the miitia fail by the way- side." Lt. Col. Michael Koster, the commanding officer of the Ontario Regiment told the Free Press that, "I'm not in financial trouble. We have monies to train the unit until the end of March." Koster did say, however, that "I'm putting my people on voluntary pay. " What this means, accor- ding to Koster, is that ail of- ficers and NCO's will receive on-haif day's pay per monith and that master corporals and below will receive two half-day's pay per morith. Koster said that he has assured miitia members that they wlll be paid the balance of t.heir pay "as soon as mornes are available. " He also indicated that the district commander has been to Ottawa and received more money for the reserves although Koster does not know "how much money each unit will get. " Koster said that he bas cancelled the winter in- docrination program for the regiment but it was primarily due to the weather and not financial con- siderations. Fenneli said that he had been talking to two Whitby members of the regiment "and they had just received their pink slips. Their first experience working and now they're out of a job. " Koster said that the pink slips were not notices of separation but were volun- tary pay slips. He said that no member of the regiment has been "let go" over this situation; that ail programs will be con- tinued and ail members wil be paid when the money becomes available. Koster has also said that he is on budget for the remaining months of the fiscal year which ends on March 31. Fenneil sald that "1they (the Departinent of National Defense) do not have the funds to continue the militia under the old budget."' "Due to the defeat of the government," Fenneil said, "the Conservatives were unable to implement their plan to increase defense spending by three per cent above the inflation rate. Twenty per cent of a planned increase ln the Summer Youth Employment Program was to have gone to the militia. This would have amounted to $12.6 million. " Fennell also said that he knew of cases where militia members bad not been paid since December 1.- "«I'm furjous," he said. -The militia and the Armned Forces are integral to the safety of the nation and are an excellent source of emn- ployment and training for our young people." There is one political par- ty that proposes that the proposed Ajax Liquîd In- dustrial Waste Treatment Plant be moved to the cafeteria of Queen's Park and that the rhinoceros should be Canada's next Prime Minister. Called the Rhinoceros Party, it attempts to make the political process humerous and tries to see politics on the brighter side. The party is fielding a candidate in Ontario Riding for the upcoming February 18 election. In a written statenient, party candidate J.C. Stranart said that, if elected, 'II promise to break ail of my promises and if elected I promise not to serve. " Stranart also bas positions on al of the issues facing the electorate during this cani- paign. On energy he said that the party "will achieve energy self-sufficieflcy by making it illegal to move in any direc- tion whatsoever." He also has a novel method of dealing with the problem of inflation. "IWe will cure inflation by assembling ahl politicians inside the Parliament Building and sealing off al exits.", Stanart also maintains that this will also deal with pollution. Foreign policy and in- vestment also corne under attact by Stanart and his party.( "Since there are no wor- thwhile countries outside Canada, there is no need for foreign policy," he said. "The only foreign invest- ments allowed are those originating within the "'Milky Way Federation of Planets" and are limited to 5,000 Groks. " On the subject of education he said that "we will close ail schools, universities and pool halls, as we believe that education only leads to embarrassing question." Also "we promise leader- ship in the field of unem- ployment by doing ab- solutely nothing. " "on the subject of local issues, I will have the Whit- by Psychiatric Hospital declared a "National Sanity Reservation" and, propose that the liquid waste treat- ment plant be moved to the Queen's Park cafeteria," he said. The party also bas a can- didate for the office of Prime Minister. "We believe that a real live rhinoceros is a viable alternative to the manure end of a horse or a retarded baboon." The Returning Officer for Ontario riding assured the Free Press that the Rhinoceros Party is recognized under the Canada Elections Act and that Stranart is a legally nominated candidate for this riding. New boawrd chairman Vie Stricland, loi Rib- blesdale, Whitby, has been elected Chairman 0f the Board of Trustees of the Central On- tario Regional Library System (C.O.R.L.S.) for 1980. Strickland, a retired em- ployee of a Toronto management consulting f irm, bas been a member of the Whitby Public Library Board since 1977, and is Chairman 0f the llbrary's Extension Ser- vices Committee. He joined the regional board in 1978 and serves on its Technical Ser- vices Advisory Coundil and its Task Force on Com- munications. He was elected Chairman at the regional library board meeting 0f January 19. Marion Young, a member and former Chairman of the Caledon Public' Library Board, was elected Vice Chairman of the regional board. Mrs. Young joined the C.O.R.L.S. board in 1976 and is Chairman of the Task Force on Communications. The Central Ontario Regional Library System coordinates a wide variety 0f services for public libraries in the regions of Peel, York, and Durham, with its headquar- ters in Richmond Hill. Other representatives to the C.O.R.L.S. board are: Louise Brui (Markham); Douglas Dodge (Ajax); James Lewis (Vaugham); Gary Milovick (Newcastle); Doreen Murphy (Richmond 11i1); Elsie Playter (Newmarket); Edna Sanders (Georgina); Mary Williams (Oshawa); and Alan Smith (Pickering). Brampton and Mississauga public libraries stili have to make appointments toe regional board. Th olities of humor m*vade eleiction asa rhiceros stands for parliament