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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, January 6, 2010 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends 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: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Attack on democracy Canada's democratic system is the envy of many who currently live under dictatorships in other countries. They can only dream of living in a country where free speech is not only permitted, but encouraged; where issues of the day are debated freely in parliament by elected representatives; and where differences of opinions are settled peacefully in the voting booth instead of on the battlefield. At times our parliamentary system may seem flawed, slow and frustrating. Although far from perfect, Canada's version of democracy is one to be cherished and not taken for granted. Which is why it is shameful to see Prime Minister Stephen Harper callously prorogue Parliament until the end of the Olympics. Since when does a sporting event, even one as prestigious as the Olympics, demand priority over Parliament? Rather, it would appear Harper has cut short Parliament to thwart those probing into the sensitive issue of Afghanistan prisoner abuse. It will also allow him time to appoint people to fill five vacancies in the Senate giving his party a majority in that non-elected legislative body. We also suspect Harper's move is aimed at forcing an election once Parliament resumes in March. By cancelling Parliament now, Harper is trying to limit public criticism of his party prior to a possible election. It may be a strategic move for his party, but it is an insult to Canadian democracy. Announced during the lull between Christmas and New Year's, Harper is hoping that voter apathy will once again prevail. But this may prove to be his downfall. Public outrage is growing daily. A Facebook page demanding MPs get back to work had more than 20,000 supporters by the end of the day Monday. Harper is not the first Prime Minister to put his own party's interests above those of the country he has been elected to serve. Nor likely will he be the last. But that is the beauty of our democratic system. By guaranteeing its citizens the right to vote, we are granted a powerful weapon to peacefully toss out any would-be-kings who think they can manipulate the system to their own advantage. Ultimately our system will prove to be greater than one misguided leader's bloated ego. While Harper may have dismissed Parliament for now, our democratic system will still prevail and in the end, it may just be Harper who is dismissed. 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. Letter to the editor Election sign ban makes sense Re: Ban election signs, too, Oakville Beaver, Dec. 11 What a great letter from our former mayor Ann Mulvale. I support anything that has the potential to increase voter turnout, lower election costs and residential property taxes, while lessening the unsightly signs that some candidates feel compelled to place every 10 feet, or so. This is clearly overkill. Often, candidates do not collect all their signs for weeks after the election, if at all. Some signs even reappear after the winter snow departs. I vote to make the change. Ban the municipal election signs on private property and the campaign contributions from corporations and unions. S. BETTINSON Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via email to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Too much salt on Bylaw breath of fresh air roads for reader's taste I was just curious if there was an expiration date of the Town Of Oakville road salt? -- because it seems that they used up two months' supply of salt in two days. In more than 20 years I have never seen so much salt on the roads. Either the salt has an expiry date or all the town trucks have to be re-calibrated. Doesn't the salt ruin all the roads? Maybe this is a way to justify all the tax increases and secure the jobs with all the road repair that will be needed in the spring. Or maybe the Town of Oakville has shares in the auto industry because we will all want new cars after our current cars rot. Whatever the reason, I hope it can be justified. ALDO FOLINO Re: New bylaw aimed at controlling fine particulate matter emissions, Oakville Beaver, Dec. 29 I was pleased to hear that the Town has stepped in to fill a substantial void left by the provincial and federal governments. While numerous jurisdictions in the US, and the rest of the world, have identified fine particulate matter (especially PM 2.5 and PM 10) as carcinogens and toxins, the upper levels of Ontario and Canada government continue to be asleep at the switch. The Town is stepping in with a proposed bylaw demonstrating a balanced approach to the situation. Rather than invite a number of OMB appeals through an outright ban, the Town has proposed a bylaw that invites industry to explain and then demonstrate that its operations manage these toxins in a responsible way within acceptable limits. Council has also structured the approach to invite public input and to consider the current pollution levels of the area. This proposed bylaw continues to support one of the Town's stated strategic priorities -- to practice and promote environmental stewardship. What a shining light on transparent government. To the staff at the Town of Oakville: "Well done." JOE EVERS