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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2000 - 29 a 1 "WEEKEND STAR" Straight Talk by ALEX SHEPHERD DURHAM M.P. The Unholy Alliance The Unholy Alliance is what Canadians saw last week when Stockwell Day's Canadian Alliance, formerly the Reform Party, climbed into bed with two former MPs who had represent- ed the Bloc Quebecois. Why is Stockwell Day allow- ing these men to run as candi- dates for the Bloc? I have some familiarity with one of them, Richard Belisle. He was chair of the Public Accounts Committee at the time | was vice-chair. Traditionally the official opposition is appointed chair of that committee. At that time the Reform Party tried to have him ejected because he is a sepa- ratist. Now the Alliance can't wait for him to run for them. That's the difference a few years make as the Alliance lusts for power. Every Wednesday at 2 p.m. when business starts in the House all MPs sing O'Canada. Belisle always walked out on this weekly tradition of singing our national anthem. - Here's a quote from Mr. Belisle when he was a member of the House of Commons, "Looking at this cynical and cen- tralizing budget, one stops won- dering why a majority of Quebecers long for a sovereign Quebec." Of course this is the rhetoric of the separatists. The reality is the majority of Quebecers have no use for sep- aration. How can the Canadian Alliance reconcile having these people in their party? The short answer is simple. They have such a decentralized view of Canada they see nothing unusu- al about transferring even more power from Ottawa to the provinces, with the risk of erod- ing, even further, Canadian unity. Canada is the most decen- tralized country in the world. More decentralization will rele- gate Ottawa to no more than a government handing over money on demand to the provinces. This isn't a vision of Canada that will see us last out the 21st century and | don't believe it is the vision of the majority of Canadians. Alberta, which is the province where the Canadian Alliance gets most of its support, is still miffed at the federal govern- ment's National Energy Policy. That policy sought a two-price system for oil, one for domestic consumption and the other for international. That province has always had the attitude that somehow the Government of Canada was rob- bing them even though, over the years, through transfer pay- ments Albertans had been allowed to share in Canada's wealth. Remember that it was Mulroney who gave Bouchard his stepping stone to become leader of the separatist move- ment in Quebec. People like Belisle and Bouchard march to only one drummer which is the one beating out the rhythm of the separatist cause. If the Alliance has room for such an agenda then it can attract separatists. Canada has a promising future but it is a future united not fragmented. It is one where different levels of government can be made more accountable to the public. People want less government generally and more accountabil- ity. They want government tak- ing less of their paycheque and leaving more for their own deci- sion making. These are all attainable objectives but we must never equate these goals with dismantling our country, its tradition, or institutions. Alberta's destiny is within Canada as is Quebec's and all the other provinces and territo- ries. The fact that the Alliance doesn't share this belief is a cause for concern among all Canadians who have worked so hard at building this country. We will be OPEN TIL 7:00 P.M. ERR VIL EIVART-T TOT (1 I (e) Friday. Sept. 8th and Saturday, Sept. 9th iC HW PRICE! SCI a pg <i } > 4 & 2 H 3 oS D, 6 SET is o BER "a i CUSTOMER g back (0 Sehool Needs ATTN PIZZA, SUBS © &WINGS 80 Wetter Sit, [Port Perry 985-8448 PORT PERRY \% VN LN n-Stock Showroom UPTO j Vi OFF® ALL IN-STOCK ACCESSORIES Ask about our exceptional pricing on end of season boats, motors or specially priced packages i 2 INNS eys ty Lakefront, Port Perry 985-3236 * Ag a PAN . 7YOUR VIAY* OR OUR "BRS FAMOUS DELUXE . 4 bo : FAR » --_-- ER,