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Scugog Citizen - i Tier December 20, 1994 -- 9 -- "VIEWPOINT by John B. McClelland QUEENS PARK REPORT Up until a week or so ago, I had never heard of Section 745 of the Canadian Criminal Code. And I suspect a lot of other Canadians had never-heard about it, either. convicted murderers who are sentenced to "life in prison" with no chance of parole for 25 years, to apply after 15 years for early parole in front of a judge and jury. Liberal MP John Nunziata doesn't like Section 745 and Police Associations all over the country, ificluding 'Durham Region, don't much like it, either. Nunziata, bucking his own party, was successful last week in getting approval for second reading of his private members bill which would scrap Section 745 and force convicted killers to serve at least 25 year before being eligible for parole. Here's a scarey thought. Up until May of this year, there had been 60 applications for early parole under Section 745. And 43 (or 73 per cent) were granted reductions. Here's another scarey thought. Over the next 15 years, more than 600 convicted killers will become eligible to apply for sentence reductions under Section 745. And one of those is Clifford Olsen, the man convicted of the savage murders of 11 children. Believe it or not, Mr. Olsen is eligible to apply in August, 1996. That's right, in less than two years. I agree completely with the opinion of the Durham Region Police Assoc. which stated in a recent letter to our local Scugog Township that "this is a mockery of justice and further waters down the term 'life imprisonment' until it appears to be no longer a deterrent. More and more we are faced with the spectre of repeat offenders." Right on. Section 745 has been around in this country since 1975 when Parliament voted to abolish capital punishment and impose a minimum 25 year life sentence with no parole for first degree murder. But Warren Almond, solicitor general at the time, watered that down with Section 745, and this bleeding heart is still doing his best to get first degree murder sentenced reduced. The fact that Nunziata's member Bill to do away w rivate this What this section does is allow' lunacy survived second reading is astounding. Usually, these Bills "die on the order paper" or go down in flames on first reading. Getting second reading, it will go to committee for study over the next few months. This will also allow ordinary citizens to join police forces and advocacy groups to put some political pressure on MPs to make sure the vote goes the right way on third and final reading. Incidently, our Justice Minister Allan Rock is opposed to Nunziata's bill. So too is Durham MP Alex Shepherd (who voted against second | reading last week) Rock did say he will review the issue and perhaps give the victims' families a chance to have their say when a murderer goes in front of a judge and jury for a reduction in the sentence. Hey, if a member of your family was murdered, what kind of "impact" statement would make to.a judge being asked to let the jerk out a few earlier? I know what I'd say. Nunziata's bill will go through the long, tedious committee review process, but at least it's still alive. Let's hope that when it finally does come in front of the Commons for a vote, there are enough MPs with enough guts to say yes. IN CLOSING: The edition of the Scugog Citizen you are reading right now is our last for 1994. We are not publishing on Tuesday, Dec. 27 to give our dedicated and very hard working staff a chance to take a week off and enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. Hard to believe this is the 4th Christmas for the Citizen. When we started back in June, 1991, there were some who said we would never see our first Christmas. Yours truly and co-publisher Valerie Ellis are grateful for the support from our advertisers. And we are truly astonished at the words of encouragement we have received from so any different people from so many different walks of life in every corner of this community. On behalf of myself, Valerie, and all thestaff at the Citizen, accept our sincerest best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Our next addition will be off the press January 4, 1995. "No Christmas cheer at the Ontario Legislature by Gord Mills, MPP Durham East The last day the Ontario Legislature is in session, prior to Christmas break is usually a day with an air of good will about it. Members sit together, very often on their "wrong side" of the House, while passing along the messages of Christmas, mixed with jokes and more than the odd invitation to share a toast in some bagk room. It's a trdBition that I enjoyed and looked forward to each year. Alas, all good will end abruptly on Thursday, the last day%ef this Christmas Session. The culprit or may I say the-"Grinch Who Spoiled Christmas®™was Conservative Leader Mike Harris. During Question Period, Mr. Harris rose and indicated that he was in possession of a message circulating on the Internet computer system, that was purported to have been written by Premier Bob Rae. The message had the Premier making tasteless remarks about the Attorney General along with comments on the trail of Karla Homolka. Mr. Harris sent a copy of the message to the Premier, and then directed a line of questioning to suggest that perhaps a serious security lapse had occurred in the Office of the Premier of Ontario. Perhaps even more despicable, Mr. Harris had sent copies of the message up to the members in the Press Gallery prior to giving the Premier a copy or even asking a question. The Conservatives also gleefully issued a press release describing the Premier as "road-kill on the Information Highway," and exulted, "Internet Bob: the hacker is hacked." What transcribed from this chain of events was the ugliest scene possible. The Speaker suspended the House for ten minutes, fearing as he said later, "That violence was about to erupt." What was so terribly awful about this whole affair was the original message on the Internet had contained a notice that "this message is not from the person listed in the front line." That notice had been removed from the copy which was handed to the Premier by a legislative page from the hands of Mr. Harris. It had also been removed from the copies distributed to the Press gallery. All of this is fresh on the heels of the Tories dinner-time entertainment at their recent convention, when they doctored a speech made by the Premier to give him a speech impediment. Is this a foretaste of the type of "dirty politics" we can expect in the next provincial election? So much for Christmas Good Will and Peace to all men. It all vanished so suddenly, and sadly, and with it, the traditional handshakes and warm greetings that I had gotten used to on the last day down at Queen's Park. The Tories stopped the passage of legislation at midnight on Thursday last that would have given adopted children the legal right to pursue the true identity of their birth parents. Many in the public gallery, who had been present all day to see the Bill pass, wept openly as this unfolded. It was indeed a very, very, sad day. All day last Tuesday, I sat on the committee that drafted the legislation to curb violence at after-hours clubs. This legislation combined efforts from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, and the Solicitor General. - The Parliamentary Assistants from all three ministries jointly "carried" the Bill through committee, and this was a first. The Bill was presented to the Legislature on the last sitting day, and it received First, Second, and Third Reading. Shortly after midnight on Thursday, the Bill was given Royal Assent by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and became law. This quick passage of legislation was welcomed by the Ontario Chief's of Police and the LCBO. It will give the required anthority to police officers and LCBO Inspectors to shut down after hours clubs that have become problematic in some urban areas. Much legislation was passed in the Session, and I will be commenting on some of this in my columns over the next few weeks. In particular Long- Term Care, and the reform of the WCB, along with some farm related legislation. You know when you are getting old. When you are faced with two temptations and you choose the one that gets you home by 9am. Until next week, be kind to everyone, even those people you don't really like. i Coming year one of big changes for Canada by Alex Shepherd MP Durham On behalf of staff, family and myself, I would like to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Nineteen ninety-five will be a pivotal year for Canada. Because we are spending $120 million more than what we are taking in each day, we have to ask whether or not Canada can maintain the confidence of the international financial community. We must change and I understand change is always difficult. And although many of us try to escape the consequences of change and feel government cuts will not have an effect, well you are about to get a wake-up call. The reality is that government spending cuts, in one form or another, impacts on u« all. We all well feel the pinch. For most of this country's history Ontario has been Canada's economic engine. It has sputtered from time to time, but this time it has not recovered from the battering it has taken quickly concludes we can no longer live beyond our means. Spending cuts are a must. I must sound like Scrooge, but I tell you now, UI will be cut along with funding to post-secondary education. Funding to special interest groups is going to be slashed as will MP's pensions, (and it's about time this fraud stopped.) With regard to small and medium-sized business, the federal government is moving to get rid of many regulations that impede the growth of this industry that supplies most of this country's jobs. We are also cutting back on' foreign aid and grain and transportation subsidies. Of course the hiring freeze in the civil service will remain. Having said that, what is it Alex Shepherd will be doing in Ottawa to serve Durham? I will continue to impress on ministers the importance of making spending cuts. As vice-chair of the Public Accounts Committee I will demand the civil service show how they are making Ives more ble to taxpayers and more efficient when spending taxpayers' money. Programs that privatize certain aspects of the civil service, like prisons, and introduce incentives for doing a good job are some of the ideas I will push. Making money available to small and medium-sized business through access to equity markets is an idea I have before the Industry Committee now. I will continue to push for this and assistance for business formation locally. Of course all of this will take place under the backdrop of a Quebec referendum. I will continue to make the Block Quebecois accountable for every negative utterance made against Canada. They are not only hurting themselves but all of us. Through all of this my New Year wish is that Canada will survive and be a stronger and healthier place for all of us to live.