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A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday December 29, 2000 T h e O a k v il l e B e a v e r Ian Oliver Publisher Nei Oliver .Associate Publisher Nonman Alexander Editor Kelly Montague, .Advertising Director Steve Crazier Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Mark Dills Production M anager Riziero Vertoili Director o f Photography M etroiand Printing. Pubfching & D istributing U d.. indudes: Ajax/PickBring News Advertiser. Alkston HeralcVCourier, A rthur Enterprise News. Barrie Advance. Barry's Bay This W eek. Bolton Enterprise. Bram pton GuanJan. B u rlin g to n P ost. B u rlin g to n S h o p p in g N ew s. C ity P a re n t. Coingwood/W asaga Connection. East Mark Mirror, Erin A d vo ca te fo xritry R ou te s. E to b ico ke G uardian. F lam borough P o st. G eorgetow n Independent/Acton Free Press, Haniston Review. H urm a Business Tm es, K ingston This W eek. Lindsay This W eek. M arkham Ecnom ist & Sun. M idland/P enetanguishine M irror. M ilto n C anadian C ham pion. M ilton Shopping News. Mississauga Business Tm es. Mississauga News. Napanee G uide. Newmarket/Aurora Era-Bam er, Northum berland News, N orth 'fo rk Minor. O akvfle Beaver. OakvAe Shoppng News. O ldtim ers Hockey News. OrSia Today, Osharva/W hrtty/Ctarington Port Perry This Week. Owen Sound Tribune. Palm erston O bserver. Peterborough This W eek, Picton County G uide, R ichm ond H ill/T hom hill/V aughan Liberal, S carborough M irror, Stouffvifle/Uxbridge T rtxn e , Forever 'rtx n g , C ity ot Mark Guardan OPINION RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: O T Prtjmrmg for Tomorrow » Htdth Carr TW TV AUCTION a S K T K 1 Strategiesfor T V T F E ..........t e JiNqU B eII Fuwd » h O JM Atena J^roard (Qakvilie © S n rn lk 467 Speers Rd., Oakville OnL L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 C E S u b u r b a n N e w s n a o e rs 9 1 ^ 9 4 o t A m e r ic a J B I E B R O N lS n i U T T E R F L Y O N A R VI L L l | o a k v ille g a lle r ie s | I T O WN O F C h ild re n 's C h o ir Editorials Gun registration W hen it was suggested that all C anadian gun ow ners and their weapons be registered, there was a great outcry among hunters and those who usually own firearms.^ They argued that since they needed hunting licences to use the weapons, it was pointless to make them go through additional approvals. But they appear to be complying, as Arguments against m other casual gun owners who may be | gun collectors or holders of weapons passed g ilT l registration r e g is tr a tio n down from relatives or friends. · j » » ? simply don't By the middle of December about 1.8 S i m p l y OOn l make m aK e million gun owners were in compliance nf any o f sense. with the Canadian Firearms Centre. < m y kind k in d O t S en se. | That leaves about 20 per cent of gun owners who have until this weekend to officially register. They have until Dec. 31, 2002 to have their guns licensed. So how tragically timely was the report of the slaughter of seven work ers in a M assachusetts Internet consultancy by a gun-toting fellow employee. The killer used three unregistered weapons including an AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a pistol. Weapons like these are readily-available in the U.S. and the National Rifle Association lobby has staked its future on ensuring that the right for all Americans to bear arms be unhindered. In some states it may be more difficult than others, but if you want just about any kind of gun, you can buy it in the U.S. The point here is simple. If you own a gun, what's the problem in hav ing both you and it registered? It may be an inconvenience to fill out a form but that's what Canadians do every year for hunting licenses, car licences, pet licences etc. The hidden victory here is that more than 2,200 firearms licenses have been refused or revoked since the law came into effect, more than 20 times the number of refusals made in the past five years.Add to that the number of weapons that have turned in for disposal and it's clear the legislation is having a positive impact. AT* V BUSINESS&THEARTS rm sssm arlOrWM U f a , Jc*o Comment The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be typed, signed and include the writer's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 Labour legislation enters dark ages hours will a worker be entitled to overtime ings on the new Act. pay. SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Now that the Tories have their way, Let's do the math. If a factory worker puts Ontario will have more in common with lowOn a street comer greenspace, just steps in 56 hours the first week and 40 hours for wage, right-to-work southern U.S. states that from Queen's Park, sits an historical plaque three successive weeks, he or she will receive progressive European countries and other that puts much of the struggles of working not a penny in overtime pay. Under the exist Canadian provinces. So, at a time when many people in our province in perspective. Dated ing standards, they would be paid 12 hours of industrialized countries and five Canadian 1872, the plaque is a reminder of how far overtime. Those unpaid overtime hours are a provinces are introducing a shorter 40-hour w orkw eek, this govern m en t's plan for workers have come from that time, nearly free gift, straight into the employer's pocket. The new law will also allow for workers' Ontario workers is less quality family time 130 years ago, when 24 typographers were imprisoned for leading an illegal strike to unpaid half-hour lunch break to be split into and unsafe levels of working hours, all in the two separate 15 minute blocks. There go our name of increasing "flexibility" in the work secure a nine-hour workday. The workers won their strike and a shorter coffee breaks. Week-long vacations will be a place. It seems odd that the Tories, who tweak workweek. And Prime M inister John A. memory because the new legislation permits M cDonald's Tory government passed the employers to schedule vacations one day at a the family values chord as often as they can, Trade Union Act, which legally allowed time. And remember the weekend. It too is would promote a workweek that forces work labour unions to exist. The historic dispute threatened. The Tories repealed the One ers into a system of irregular and contingent marked the beginning of a more balanced Day's Rest in Seven Act, the legislation that schedules. The labour minister argues hat the govern relationship between workers, employers and guarantees workers at least one day off a week. ment can protect the workers. But over the government. According to the labour minister, all this last five years, the Tories have cut $8.2 mil Today, here in Ontario, just over a century later, that precarious balance is in jeopardy. "flexibility" will require employee consent. lion from the Ministry of Labour's health and The delicate relationship is being thrown That em ployers cannot just simply force safety budget and eliminated 25 per cent of askew by a Tory government determined to employees to work extra hours, or day one- the staff. The labour minister says 20 new turn back the clock and spiral workers' rights day vacations. That's all well and good in an workplace inspectors will be hired. But that to a time when there was no weekend, the ideal world, where employees and employers doesn't even bring staffing levels to where health of workers was put at risk and employ have equal power. But in the real world, they were in 1996. And with over one million employers hold the power in the workplace workplaces in Ontario, enforcement protec ers had the upper hand. The Tories have levelled at workers, par and employees who may say no once to this tions will be non-existent. So how serious can this government be ticularly those not protected by a union, a new "flexibility" will be shown the door about enforcement of standards when the hurtful, double whammy punch. Early in when they say no twice. The reality is that workers in non-union labour ministry has no teeth? Higher fines for November, they introduced amendments to the Ontario Labour Relations Act that would, workplaces will be pressured by bad employ first offenders and jail time for repeat offend among other regressive stuff, make it harder ers to work up to 60-hours a week, and work ers sound good, but unless there are vigilant for vulnerable workers to join a union. Then, increasingly irregular schedules. They are inspections and the staff to do them, there will at the end of November, they repealed five vulnerable and will sign the require consent be no enforcement. Community agencies that help workers get acts, including the Employment Standards because their jobs will be on the line if they restitution from employers know the ministry Act, the legislation that provides the base don't cooperate. Those who will be hurt the does a poor job of protecting workers now. most are the working poor, women and visi floor protections for millions of non-union Imagine how ineffective the ministry bite will ble minority workers, employed in small workers in the province. be now that employers have been legislated Now that the Tories have rammed the leg businesses and earning low wages. increased "flexibility" to do what they like? It's hard to believe that in Ontario, workers islation into law, all workers in Ontario stand Working people 60-hours a week doesn't to lose hard-won rights. The Act reads like a are now in need of protection, not just form create more new jobs, it doesn't get people tum-of-the-century robber baron wish list. It bad employers but from their own govern legitimately off the welfare rolls and into real allows for an increase in tjje workweek to 60- ment. Limiting democratic debate and ram ly productive jobs. So why are the Tories bent up from 48 hours-without the government ming legislation through at breakneck speed on doing this? It's simple. The Tories reward permit now required. But perhaps the most are tradem arks o f this governm ent. So, those who reward them. And low-wage work odious anti-worker provision covers over despite vocal objections from opposition par ers aren't big contributors to the Tory war time. While overtime pay after 44 hours will ties, labour unions and community groups chest. still kick in, overtime will be averaged over a representing non-union workers, it's no sur Sid Ryan is th e O n ta rio d iv is io n p re sid e n t o f four-week period. Only after toiling for 176 prise the Tories refused to hold public hear CUPE, th e C anadian U nion o f P ublic Em ployees. By Sid Ryan Finally...movies that actually say something This is it - the high season for newly released block buster movies and with the whiff of Hollywood cinemat ic culture in the air, believe me, it never gets any higher than right now. _______________ With a few exceptions like Cider House Rules, Hollywood seems incapable o f telling a great story without excessive violence, coarse language, non stop chases, crashes and special effects accompanied by a sound system'in the theatre that is loud enough to blow the raincoat off of Peewee Herman. The thrillers repulse more than they thrill, the mysteries confound, the romances should pack protection and except for All The World's the teasers they use to lure you A Circus in, the comedies are not very funny. You want to see a real comedy? Rent The Castle, a hilarious little Australian film that was shot for less than the Hollywood films spend to keep their stars in drugs. Why don't they make relevant films? Why don't they shoot movies that we really want to see? Small movies with a message like ... Gone With the Wind. A. U.S. presidential election is thrown into chaos when Hurricane Elian hits Florida rip ping off the roofs of polling stations and destroying the majority of undimpled, hanging, undercount chads as well as killing 700 seniors in cities all across the state, who were desperately trying to finish shuffleboard games before dark. Dude Where's My Van? The story of deceit, scandal and skullduggery at city hall which begins with Toronto City Council cancelling delivery of Mel Lastman's over sized Savana Van, the one he said he needed for Take Your Kids To Work Day. Casablanca - And Where The Hell Is It? In a remake of the classic Humphrey Bogart/lngrid Bergman spy thriller, George W. Bush reprises the role of Rick, but never gets to sleep with Julia Roberts because he can't find Morocco on a map. Sexually frustrated he combs the White House looking for old copies of Hustler Magazine he hid in the Lincoln Bedroom when he lived there as a teenager. Colonel Potter and The Ring Of Fire. In another saga of the largely overlooked Harry (Morgan, Sherman) Potter children's series, Klinger, wearing an army issue teddy (don't ask, don't pinch!) has suicide wings flown into the camp from his home town of Toledo for the MASH Christmas party and already drunk, Colonel Potter, thinking it's a big Bloody Mary, drinks a gallon of hot sauce. Apollo 14. Dressed as an over-the-hill country and western singer, Bruce Willis reports to the wrong movie set and they automatically shoot him into space to explode yet another meteor that's on a collision course with earth. Somehow the facts surrounding Arthur G o d frey 's death are revealed and a naked Rush Limbaugh is played by Anne Nicole Smith. A Child's Christmas In Wales. In a daring display of method action, 56-year-old Michael Douglas wears no makeup when he portrays a dirty old man reading naughty stories to a young girl played by his wife, 31- WILLIAM THOMAS (See `M ovies' page A7)