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Wednesday, February 9, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A7 COMMENT Austrian Freedom Party cannot hide under misunderstood label Beware the misunderstood politi cian. * A case in point is the charismatic Joerg Haider, of Austria, the contro versial leader of the Freedom Party who calls him self simply a "normal liberal reform politician". He's any thing but, to those outside the central Berlin hotel where he recorded a recent television talk show program. There, hundreds o f anti-H aider demonstrators chanted "Nazis out" while protesters booed and threw stones from behind police cordons. Israel recalled its am bassador last week and issued a call for world action against Austria on the grounds there were neo-Nazi elements in the new coalition government sworn in on Friday. Haider, himself, appears unruffled by all the fuss. He has denied labels as a neo-fascist, a nationalist or a populist. He F If fr DIANE HART rejects being called even right wing, let alone neo-Nazi. No, says Haider, I am but a simple politician, misunderstood by the greater world. Haider supporters agree - they say statements he's made in the past concerning the Nazi period, laud ing Hitler's employment policies and praising some Nazi SS members as "decent men of character" were mis understood. (He later retracted those statements). He's misunderstood, they say....he's apologized. That's the end of the mat ter. In an interview with CBC's Mary Lou Finlay last week, one supporter of Haider's said the statements he made are long ago and should be forgotten. But why? Surely he meant them when he said them, yes? He may get away with saying something outrageous and then explaining it away, as some have said, with a ,,slippery equivocation" but those statements should never be for gotten. Last October, in his campaign he called for an end to the "over-foreignization" of Austria; most recently he demanded that Sudeten Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia during the Second World War receive govern ment compensation in the same way as Austrian Jews who were persecuted by the Nazis. Yeesh....who can keep up with this guy? Street protests continue against Haider; but Mr. M isunderstood smoothly moves on. Just this past weekend, two days into his party's term in power, he threatened to launch an inquiry into what he sus pects is "high political treason". He suspects the current president and a former chancellor have encouraged world condem nation o f his party, despite their denials. The charismatic 50-year old Haider doesn't mind being in the spotlight he's brought his Freedom Party smack into the middle of Austrian politics and he'll continue to have more than a tiny voice about its future. Question is: who is the real Haider? Is he the man of slippery equivoca tions and anti-immigrant feelings who has a knack of dividing people in his country; the dangerous kind of them/us thinking that can foment a dangerous kind of nationalism? He has cited already members of the region's Slovenian minority, insist ing they get too much financial sup port from the government. Or is he simply a product of the last generation who feels as though he has nothing to apologize for; that he is really and truly just modelling himself on the lines of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and creating in Austria one of the first "modem" politicians of the era. My bet is on the former model. Call me cynical but I don't buy Mr. Misunderstood. He can take all the summer courses at Harvard he wants; and wear jeans and say he's but a hum ble politician just trying to do the right thing by Austrians. But make no mistake. H e's a charismatic, ambitious populist with authoritarian fascist tendencies, a dan gerous combination in any politician. What he can never be is misunder stood. Conflict of Interest Act lacks teeth I am both shocked and appalled at learning that through the M unicipal C onflict o f Interest Act, the only way to question a conflict o f interest by a school board is to charge the trustee. C harging a trustee involves lawyers and law yers involve great expense. The group that tried to charge trustees with conflict o f interest in H alton had to stop pro ceedings before they were resolved when their legal bills exceeded $30,000.00 In trying to find out if a conflict o f interest occurred we first sent the sam e inform ation to the D irector o f the school board and we were told that we w ould have to charge the trustee. We w ere not even inform ed if a conflict o f interest actually took place and unable to find out w ithout incurring legal fees. We then took this inform ation to our MPP, again we were told that we w ould have to charge the trustee, and that was the only recourse outlined in the M unicipal Conflict o f Interest Act. The trustees have insurance to cover the costs if they are charged, but the public is left to use their own personal funding if they want to question actions regarding a conflict o f interest, resources most o f us do not have. The implications are that trustees are free to vote to their personal advantages answerable only at election time, or if the question of con flict o f interest affects the rich. The fact that trustees, with no educational requirem ents or references, are able to control hundreds o f millions o f dollars and set the direction o f our children's education without accountability, except at election time or if they offend the rich, is a scary situation. M arsha Davies REGION OF HALTON PUBLIC NOTICE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AT DUNDAS STREET (REGIONAL ROAD No. 5) AND BRONTE ROAD (REGIONAL ROAD No. 25) TOWN OF OAKVILLE PR-1800 Nonce is hereby given pursuant to Sections 297 and 300 o f the Municipal Act. R. S. O. 1990. chapter M.45 as amended, that the Council for the Regional Municipality o f Halton proposes at its meeting on Wednesday March 29. 2000 at 9:30 a.m. to pass a by-law for the intersection improvements at Dundas Street and Bronte Road in the form o f lane extensions lor the southbound through/riglutum and left turn lanes on Bronte Road approaching Dundas Street and the extension o f the existing southbound merge lane and taper on Bronte Road, south o f Dundas Street, Town o f Oakville. Plans showing the proposed work may be inspected at the Planning & Public Works Department. Halton Regional Centre. 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, Ontario. On Wednesday. March 22. 2000 at 9:30 a.m. in the Halton Room at the Halton Regional Centre. 1151 Bronte Road. Oakville. Ontario. Council, through its Planning and Public Works Committee w ill hear in person or by his/her Counsel, any person who claims that his/her lands w ill be prejudicially affected by the said by-law and who applies to the Regional Clerk no later than Tuesday. March 8, 2000, to be heard. For fu rth e r inform ation, please contact: Mr. J. Choi, P. Eng., Manager, Design Services Phone: (905) 825-6030, extension 7610 JOAN EAGLESHAM REGIONAL CLERK www.region.halton.on.ca Queen Mother deserves stamp I concur absolutely with John Aimers (Beaver, Jan 26) in his frustration with Canada Post's refusal to issue a postage stamp hon ouring the Queen Mother whose 1000th birthday is on Aug. 4th. We, who were raised as loyal sub jects of the Crown, have watched with dismay the subtle erosion of this institution which has served us well. Incidentally, we cannot now buy stamps with the Queen's head thereon in the handy booklets one has to ask especially for them and these sheets of stamps are kept in a drawer as though they are subver sive. M a n y G> STOP · D o Y o u L ik e T o B e N e e d e d ? · · · A re Y o u D e p e n d a b le ? C h ild re n ? F it? O A K V IL L E 8 4 5 -6 6 0 1 YOU CAN MAKE A D IFFER EN CE Oakville Town Council invites you to volunteer your skills to assist in its decision-making. As vacancies occur, Council appoints people to various committees, boards and authorities that make decisions on issues effecting Oakville. If you apply, you could be selected to share your ideas on matters like heritage buildings, public facilities, or community services. It is T o w n p o lic y th a t a c itiz e n c a n o n ly s e rv e on o n e c o m m itte e a t a tim e. I f y o u a p p ly a n d a re a c c e p te d to s e rv e o n a s e c o n d c o m m itte e , y o u m u s t re s ig n fro m th e c o m m itte e y o u a re c u rre n tly s e rv in g on. WHO IS ELIGIBLE? All Oakville residents are invited to get involved. To reflect the diverse nature of the Town's population, women, people with disabilities, native peoples, and racial and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged to participate. HOW TO APPLY Anyone interested in applying, other than incumbents, must do the following: Fill out an application form and return it to the Town Clerk's Department, 1225 Trafalgar Road. Oakville bv 4:30 p.m. Friday, February 18, 2000. SELECTION PROCESS Town Council will appoint qualified candidates for the positions based on the recommendations of the Administrative Sen/ices Committee REMEMBER Only RESIDENTS of the Town of Oakville are eligible. QUESTIONS? For more information, call Pat McPherson @ 845-6601, ext. 3136. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged only after the appointment process has been completed, at which time each applicant will be notified bv mail. A d v is o ry B o a rd , C o m m itte e o r A u th o rity N um ber of V a c a n c ie s 2 M e e tin g S c h e d u le 4th Wednesday, monthly (as required), in the evening G o o d W ith P h y s ic a lly Why not become a S C H O O L C R O S S IN G G U A R D Citizen Transit Advisory Committee Applicants should be a resident of Oakville for at least five years; have an understanding of transit and its role in the community; be able to attend evening meetings on a monthly basis and preferably be a Oakville Transit user. Seniors Advisory Committee Applicants must be over the age of 50 years; be familiar with the community; have a genuine interest in the welfare of others and be willing to make a commitment of 3 years. Special Committee Against Impaired Driving Applicants must have a keen interest in promoting anti-impaired driving awareness in the community and be able to attend early morning meetings. fo r two to three hours per day. C o n ta ct: 2 4th Wednesday in January, March, May, September & November, in the afternoon Canadian custom and tradition have been phased out in the name of multiculturalism and we must fervently hope that this sacri fice will, in the long run, be worth while. The Queen Mother is an icon of the 20th century who has lived into the millennium, a feat that deserves a memento if only to remind the Canadians of the Old School that our ilk are not com pletely forgotten in this sterile world of internets, comput ers, stock markets etc: A Queen Mother stamp would show a little humanity that would be so much more meaningful that many of the stamps with the ridiculous pictures of inanimate objects, stamps that I refuse to buy. Betty A. Hansford 1 2nd Tuesday, monthly, in the morning O A K V 1 LLE D epartm ent of Public Works (905) 845-6601, ext. 3304 Traffic Advisory Committee Applicants should be community and technically minded with an interest in traffic safety and efficiency. An engineering background in the transportation discipline would be an asset on this committee. 1 1st Wednesday, monthly, in the evening NOTICE OF SURPLUS AND SALE RE PART OF LOTS 1 AND 2, CONCESSION 2, SOUTH OF DUNDAS STREET TAKE NOTICE THAT: 1. The Council for the Corporation o f the Town o f Oakville at its meeting of February 7, 2000 declared certain lands surplus. These lands are described as follows: Part of Lots 1 and 2, Concession 2, South o f Dundas Street, Town ofOakville, Regional Municipality ofH alton, designated as Parts 1 to 5, inclusive, 7 to 10, inclusive, 14, and 16 to 32, inclusive, on Reference Plan 20R-13488. 2. This notice is in compliance with the Town's By-law 1995-71. 3. Copy o f Reference Plan 20R-13488 showing the lands to be sold is available for inspection at the office o f the Manager, Realty Services at the address shown below, by appoint ment by calling 845-6601, extension 3022 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Maynard Millman, AACI Manager Realty Services Legal Department The Corporation o f the Town o f Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Road Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 1225 TRAFALGAR ROAD · OAKVILLE, ONTARIO · L6J 5A6