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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday October 20, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS A DIVISION OF METROLAND MEDIA GROUP WEST GROUP PUBLISHER IAN OLIVER NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Manager TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Turner too much for Tories The only surprise about this week's ouster of Garth Turner from the Conservative Party of Canada caucus is that it didn't come sooner. Signs that the Halton MP had worn out his welcome within his own party have been more plentiful than municipal election placards on a busy Oakville intersection. Turner has repeatedly challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper on everything from revisiting same-sex marriage legislation and the Cabinet appointments of floorcrossing Liberal David Emerson and unelected party official Michael Fortier, to climate change policies and the banning of media from military funeral services for Canada's Afghanistan casualties. Apparently one can only thumb their nose at the party line for so long before those with power start fashioning a noose. In the summer, the outspoken Halton MP raised the ire of fellow MP Omar Alghabra by questioning whether Canada should bear the cost of evacuating Lebanese residents who hold dual citizenship but haven't lived here in years. August brought rumours of a challenge to Turner's candidacy at the Halton federal CPC riding association's annual meeting. When no challenger emerged, the MP survived the rumoured overthrow to blog another day. On Wednesday, less than nine months after Turner helped the CPC earn one of its 124 seats on the way to a minority government, the party unceremoniously gave him the boot. The official word from Ottawa is that he is suspended "indefinitely" for breaching caucus confidentiality by posting information on his Internet blog and in interviews with reporters -- an accusation Turner denies. What is clear is that the MP's relationship with the CPC was little more than a marriage of convenience. The short-lived alliance gave the party a candidate with name recognition and past experience, and Turner a return to Parliament after a 13-year absence. Still, Halton's MP is being punished for doing what too few of today's politicians have the courage to do -- keeping his word and speaking his mind. Turner is a study in contrasts. On one hand he follows a simple political philosophy where he places voters ahead of his party and the establishment. On the other, he sees the value of today's technology in getting his message to the people and their message to him. His website (www.garth.ca) is lightyears ahead of most MPs, utilizing blogging and podcasting to share constantly updated ideas and opinions with the people who elected him. In the summer The Beaver observed: "Turner should be applauded -- not chastised -- for delivering on the campaign and post-election promises he made. Those who voted for the MP with the expectation that he would blindly follow the PM's every lead have only themselves to blame for supporting a candidate without reviewing his campaign platform." The sentiment still applies -- and extends to those who chose to turf Turner for being accountable for his pre-election promises. Despite Wednesday's shocker, Turner remains unbroken. "... my beliefs have not changed. I did not leave my party, or my convictions, at the caucus room door." While becoming an independent MP may not be Garth Turner's first choice, it accurately describes the politics he preaches and practices. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Reporter earns praise from reader I volunteer in the Peace, Ecology and Human Rights fields and I observe many wonderful, inspiring groups, locally and globally, working towards solutions for a better world. The media on the whole does not seem to be that interested in reporting solutions. I have given up on the national newspapers. I am so glad I can read The Oakville Beaver and enjoy reading about good people - my neighbours. I change channels immediately on radio or TV when there are scenes of violence. I do not support violence. I do not use other people's despair for my entertainment so I am turned off by violent programming, especially the sensational news. I hear so many people feeling the same way. Students in high schools complain they are born into a violent society. The media overexpose them to violence. Students are not seeing much of the other reality of life that human beings are benevolent and create a better planet. They need remarkable role models who display great values, morals and ethics etc. Much of the media are failing us by not reporting enough on positive events or on the local and global individuals and groups that work towards a more humane world. The exception: The Oakville Beaver. I think that if you make people feel good after a hard day at work, by giving us hope and inspiration then the media will get more support. People are fed up with the unbalanced reporting of our culture. Violence is depressing. Yes, there is violence in our culture but we are much more - our neighbourhoods are filled with caring people and active groups who do amazing work. Congratulations Oakville. Thank you Wilma Blokhuis for all your terrific community reporting and thanks to the Oakville Beaver for hiring such accomplished staff. SYLVIA MCGROARTY Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com