The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Page 8 The Clarington/Courtice Independent, Bowmanvillc, Saturday, October 3,1998 SOUTHERN EXPOSURE -- Rose Chamberlain and her daughter, Abrhi-Rose, check a map showing the exact location of Disney World in Florida. That was their destination last month, thanks to the generosity generosity of the Golden Griddle Children's Charities. The Golden Griddle, with help from its customers, sent Abrhi and her mom to Disney World. The trip is part of a program operated by the restaurant to make wishes come true for children facing physical challenges. challenges. Abrhi, who has retinitis pigmentosa and other eye-related conditions, wished for a trip to Disney World. She was especially looking forward to seeing cartoon friends such as Goofy and to enjoy attractions attractions including "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" or the dinosaurs in the Animal Kingdom. Her mom says all those who made the trip possible deserve recognition. recognition. "You hear mostly about the bad people. You don't hear about the good," she notes. Parliamentary Report by Alex Shepherd Question Period Has Become A Media Event When Parliament resumed last week it didn't take long for the silliness to begin. Question period, the media event of the day, has almost become a total waste of time. Originally, question period provided the opposition opposition with an opportunity to challenge the government on policy and administration. administration. Today, because it is the media's central focus, MPs jump up and down on cue to perform. Scenes of outrage, denial, accusations and innuendo, are scripts MPs read from. Because question period is the media's central focus, MPs jump up and down on cue to perform A casual glance at the morning papers tell Canadians what question period's theme will be. It appears nobody takes the time to do independent research anymore, which leads you to the inescapable conclusion that someone's budget ought to be cut. All opposition parties jumped on the APEC issue, concentrating on the students students who, eight months ago, were pepper sprayed by police. We're supposed to believe there is intrigue in all this. That there were cover-ups, secret instructions, instructions, foreign encounters and insurgencies. If you think back to that eight-month-old issue not one person was maimed although there were a lot of hurt feelings. Again, look at what the media is reporting from around the world. It confirms confirms just how lucky we arc. People are slaughtered, thrown in jail and never heard from again, or executed executed without a trial. And here in Canada the opposition will spend a whole week debating student student demonstrators at the APEC meeting. I am not saying Canadians, or the political parties they send to Ottawa to represent their views, shouldn't have the right to free speech, assembly or protest, they should. And they do. I see it every day as I walk from my office to the House of Commons. But, when the official opposition used their first whole opposition day, strangely called, "supply day" to debate the gun control control issue I question the relevance. relevance. Now I know there are some hard feelings about this in Durham, and îfôught the good fight at the : time the House was dealing with the gun issue. The reality is the majority want it and it is now the law of the land. Debating something already debated and decided three years ago seems absurd. The opposition leader couldn't wait to get his picture with the protesters protesters on TV. But what effect on public policy did it all have? Canadian voters can simply wonder, with justification, justification, on what the cost of running this whole "show" is to them. And what it is they are getting in return. It seems strange the real opposition is within the Liberal Party itself within the caucuses we have set up. Last week I chaired two meetings dealing with the economy and the federal budget, tax and bank mergers. mergers. And I attended a third with the chairman of. Canada Post. In all of those meetings there was dissent, conflict and honest opposition among members of the governing governing party. For example, the Minister of Finance, Paul Martin, is suggesting he should take the employment insurance account and reallocate reallocate a portion of those funds for programs which have nothing to do with employment or training. There is dissension among government members on this issue. The opposition, however, however, half-heartedly asked a couple of questions about this issue that would see your employment insurance premiums turned into tax dollars and spent anywhere. Imagine, for a moment, paying car insurance and the insurance company says they're lowering your benefit benefit level on the last accident because your premiums were allocated to another division of the company! As good intentioned as that may have been, that's not what the premium was paid for. It wasn't the original original deal and someone ought to talk about the fiduciary responsibility and mist. All of this alludes the opposition parties and the media of our country. It's too bad. I think people like you and me thought this was one of the fundamentals fundamentals of the word "responsible" "responsible" in the term "responsible "responsible government", $ 150 Million Committed for Community Safety Partners in Community Safety is a five year, $25 million program where the province in partnership with the municipality shares the cost of improving improving community policing and enhancing enforcement enforcement in high risk areas. On behalf of ..our Solicitor General arid ..Minister of Correctional Services,- the Hon. Bob Runciman,-I was pleased to present a cheque in the amount of $75,496.00 as the first installment of the $150,992.00 grant to the Durham Regional Police Service Board. Our government has committed to $150 million over the next five years to enhance community safety. safety. These initiatives include: • Community Policing Partnerships which will put 1,000 new police officers officers in communities in Ontario. • OPP Cadet Program where up to 120 new cadets will perform rion- operational tasks currently handled by front line police officers. • Anti-Biker Gang Squad funding is a joint forces operation of the RCMP, the OPP and 6 local police services ( who will focus on large growing growing biker gangs in Ontario, • Rural Crime Prevention Strategy, which will target break and enters and organized crime. Safe communities are a central part of your government's government's agenda. You may have noticed the amount of improvements improvements beihg made this summer on our provincial highways right here in Durham. The concrete centre median and lane widening on Highway #401 east will soon be completed through my riding.A.-public riding.A.-public information session was held this past week to address a proposed proposed noise barrier through Newcastle. I am continuing to engage our Minister of Transportation, The Hon. Tony Clement, to address the noise problems problems on Hwy 35/115 through Orono. Your tax bill is in the mail. I am advised that our Finance Minister, the Hon. Ernie Eves, will introduce legislation this fall to refund the $20 fee for those who appealed their assessment and requested a reconsideration. The legislation legislation will extend the assessment reconsideration reconsideration or appeal to October 30, 1998. I admit that this provincial provincial reassessment exercise had been difficult and complex. Most admit that the process was long over due. At the same time, I always remember the old saying, "the only way to avoid making a mistake is Report from Queen's Park by John O'Toole to avoid doing anything"., What is encouraging is that our Minister is willing to correct those problems that unintentionally occur. Please examine your assessment and decide if the actual value is what you believe to be the current current value of youV proper- ' ty. **..■ Last week, I 1 visited several high schools in my riding and spoke to many teachers, both on the picket picket line and on the telephone. telephone. I also spoke to a number of students and parents. Overwhelmingly, the students and parents and many teachers expressed their desire to be in the classroom. My purpose purpose in visiting the school sites was to listen to teach ers' concerns and advise them that I was anxious to bring their concerns to the attention of the Minister of Education. I was not there to interfere in any way but I personally feel that at the top of the respective organizations, organizations, government, 'School boards and teacher unions, there, is very little give and take. I am concerned that the big issue of money ' anti power has left students and' parents out of the loop. Our publicly funded educational educational system is supposed supposed to be about students and their futures. I can tell you that I was surprised when I heard last Thursday, that the government government is introducing legislation legislation this week. Up to this point, our response has been to cncoirage the teachers and tie school boards to try and reach an agreement and dlow the students back in sihool. The Back to Sciool Act 1998 will be introduced this week. This till has two parts. Part 1 dcjls with the labour dispute n certain certain school board; and calls for the end of strikes and lockouts. It also establishes establishes a mechanisti to make up the lost instructional instructional time. Part; 2 of the bill clearly' • defines "instructional time" fo: the purpose of section 170.2 of the Act. I: I thank everyone (for their patience and encourage encourage everyone to give'the process a chance. . j A Unique, Effective and Fun Approach to Modern Stress Management 1,000's Have Already > ^ Benefited - Now You Canl oq<\X ^ .» ^5> "Excellentpresentation. I _ .a gained more practical help in i)0"Y / q()Y- this 3-hour seminar than in a recent 2-day stress management workshop." Terry Fagrie, RCMP, Regina SK Cost Only $20.00 Per Person 2 or more register only $15,00 per person. Tuesday, October 6, 6:30 p.m. at Bowmanville SDA Church « (East of Zoo at Corner of Hwy. 2 and Lambs Rd.) ; ; For Additional Information or to Register Phone 623-6031 ÂinÊÉm Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday Monday, the deadline for Classified Advertising in The Canadian Statesman will be Friday, October 9th at 4:00 p.m. The deadline for Display Advertising will remain Tuesday,; at 12:00 noon. %\it Canabtatt Statesman Clartngton/Courttce Mettent 62 King St. West Bowmanville Telephone (905) 623-3303 1 ASTRO/SAFARI 1997 Safari Blue, air, running boards, 32,000 km. TRANSPORT 1995 Astro Maroon, loaded, *-- -- 7 pass., 64,500 km. 1 5|Tt5 1993 Astro Ext. loaded, 129,000 km. 1 1 ,995 1997 Transport Ext. While, 4 door, power * Æ m door, loaded, 31,200 km. CHEVROLET Okdsmobile IMMU • WARRANTY • INSPECTION & Œ • EXCHAim 'Program and warranties backed by Genera REGULAR CAB 2x4 "optimum mm J.E. Hwy, #2 EAST END OF PORT HOPE 1997 Chev Work Truck SPECIAL *1 5,995 Green, 5 spd, 36,000 km. 1997 Chev Work Truck Teal, V6, aula, air, | 42,000 km. 18,995 1995 Chev Work Truck Blue, V6, aula, air, £ 49,000 km. 1988 GMC Sierra 15,995 2ooioookm. AS is *2,500 S-IO 2x4 EXT. & REG CAB ::V, 1993 S-10 Ext. Blue, cap, 5 spd., 127,000 km. 1991 S-10 Ext. Red, V6, aulo, bucket 4 ■ seals, 122,000 km. *8,995 m REGULAR CAB 4x4 1996 S-10 Reg. Cab Tan, auto, 4 cyl,, cap, Extended Warranty, $14 AQK 78,300 km. U , yy ® 1993 Chev Silverado 4x4 6.5Urr. DI...I, SPECIAL loaded, 154,000 km, *16 200 WSmMMttÊÊÊMm u,,.* EXTENDED CAB 2X4 Ü egg* ■6 mmFHB 1994 GMC Sierra Maroon, 350, ... . -, loaded, trailer pkg., * 1 8,965". 74,400 km. ' < j m . -T'vti '"""'"iïdif 1lj, _ul L.. xi :U