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

Page 14 THE HERALD Wednesday November 1989 Berlin should make Canadians appreciate freedom MP says I know Berlin is a long ways from Bolton or Acton or Georgetown but all of us should take a moment and think about what s going on there With their hands Berliners are taking down The Wall All over eastern Communist Europe the people are forcing changes which just months ago seemed impossi Thousands every day flee ing to the West while others stay behind and fight for democracy What these nations want is what we already have the freedom to speak the freedom to travel freedom to choose their own leaders and the freedom to sue ceed or fail on their own merits without state control I remember the day in when the Berlin Wall went up JJy parents sat in horror watching the evening news on television The images of the cinder blocks being slapped together is still with me Now the image of Berliners danc ing on top of that wall and physically teanng away at it are also with me I know that some days we seem to have big problems GST or Meech Lake or VIA Rail But in the scope of things they don amount to much There are millions of people in the world who are willing to stake everything for a shot at the kind of life and the kind of system we take for granted In East Germany they are willing to drive to the border then leave everything behind in the struggle to get across In Beijing they stood in front of columns of tanks then died on the stones with their bicycles and banners We have got to put our lives context to stop being so internally focussed and to be thankful for all we have Last weekend Dorothy and I took part in Remembrance Day ceremonies in Georgetown and Alton and Glen Williams We would have liked to go to others in Bolton and and Acton but the schedule just won handle it Part of what we remembered is the sacrifice so many Canadians made so we could live in democratic freedom This country played a role in that struggle far greater than our population or wealth or resources would have suggested Canada is remembered all over the free world for the massive effort made both world wars then the Korean con fhet in the name of that freedom We fought being enslaved by a system which did not recognize personal rights We fought against intolerance and prejudice and bigotry fought against blind aggression and for the right to determine together our own futures Now we have all that and every time I walk into the House of Com mons or see the parliament buildings or represent that ment here in the tiding I am a pro ud Canadian There are lots of presures which would tear us apart Last week I debated the new sales tax for an hour on CBC radio for example with a Liberal and a New Democrat who were unrelenting in their attack Finance Minister Mike Wilson is facing the same kind of barrage and last week the provincial premiers were lined up to take a swing at him They even sioned a report from the Con ference Board of Canada to show that the GST would do everything but cause the leaves to fall off the trees No matter that this same board has made three major mistakes in its previous reports and had to apologize No matter that our free country is flirting with disaster as it goes into new debt at the rate of a second And no matter that neither the premiers nor the op position parties have a single alter native to try and turn the economy around It just seems to be enough to criticize To ignore realities and to attack those now running the coun try That s a far cry from our try s past During the last war politicians came together to work for a common goal Business peo ple donated their time for the cause Millions of Canadians bought millions of savings bonds to finance the building of tanks and airplanes We grew victory gardens and collected string and tin foil We put up with gas rations and food stamps There were no new cars to buy in the showrooms and there were thousands of lost sons to mourn What a difference now In Ot the government faces a shortfall of million every day while outside there are protestors blasting decisions to cut back government spending I see them every time I come out the door with their signs saying cuts to VIA Rail will destroy our way of life Ironically what threatens us the most is living beyond our means We spend billion a year more than we take in and already have a debt of about billion Those who think this matter are dreaming because already over a third of all taxes are flushed away just paying the interest on that debt If nothing changes soon half our taxes will be spent on interest leaving not enough to even fund the programs we have today What Hitler and Hiroshito could not do 45 years ago we could do to ourselves within the next two dozen months If we do not cut spending raise revenues sell assets and do the other things which must be done we will lose our freedom We risk being told what to do by our creditors Already the Interna tional Monetary Fund is warning us The Economic Council of Canada is saying the debt wolf is at the nation s door And anybody who looks at the books can see the clear threat The last few days have opened my eyes further Seeing the drive for freedom in Europe and remembering the effort to protect freedom made by Canadians in the Christmas ball The Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital is holding its annual Christmas ball on Friday Dec at the Holy Cross Auditorium on Maple Avenue in Georgetown The buffet dinner begins at 7 30 p m Black tie is optional Tickets are a couple They re available at the hospital gift shop or by calling 8555 or 877593 Music will be supplied by Dave Smallwood HEW EXTENDED CHRISTMAS SH0PPW6 HOURS Thurs Moti to Sat 96 4 20 30 OFF ENTIRE STOCK SAVE 30 OFF COATS Over new Ladles Winter Coats and Jackets from London Fog Luhta Stirling Stall Pizazz Adorable Junior Hilary Radlay and More Choose leathers suedes wools tweeds fun fur and allweather coats All At 3b OFF SAVE 20 OFF ALL FALL MERCHANDISE Party Dresses Day Dresses Blazers Skirts Pants Blouses Sweaters And More ALL AT 20 OFF to visit Casualty Your Sussman a Too for huge of from famous enactions by ESPRIT Tangton Gitano Almost NonFiction and mora ALL AT OFF1I SAVE 10 OFF ALL JEANS mm past has strengthened my resolve All of us have a role to play ft won t always be easy and there will be more sacrifices called for We II be asked to do with less and to offer more I guess just one thing i5 for sure If we do it together we will stay fret Personally I can t imagine any other kind of Canada Tabletop bazaar There will be a table top Christmas bazaar at Robert Lit tie School in Acton Siturday Nov 18 The bazaar will run from 10 am to3p m Santa Claus is scheduled to make an appearance in the gym nasium MM at hope OPEN 7 DAYSf 8732151 Saturday 9am Sunday 11am 5pm Your Dependable Home Cleaning Service Specializing in House Cleaning For Particular People regular CALL FREEEWMATE or WEIGHT LOSS BY THE SPECIALISTS OVER 1300 CENTRES WORLDWIDE weight loss centres OPENS 9n Sue Holden as featured in Chatelaine Magazine I lost 67 lbs I would never have- dreamed losing weight could be so easy We Succeed Where Diets Fall NOVEMBER 20th We Provide Satisfying and delicious meals without calorie counting Professional individual supervision Maintenance for continued success Guaranteed weight loss GRAND OPENING SPECIAL All The Weight OOO00 You Want To Lose ONLY CALL TODAY FOR A FREE NOOBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 8731900 290 Guelph St Georgetown In The Georgetown Marketplace