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...memm.( o - ri~o WeklyT1T~sWednesçlaýyApril 30, 191 ELECTIONS CANADA continued from page 1) "We wlll ensure that every Canadian elector has an opportunity to cast is or her ballot", Mr. Kngsley noted. "Canadians are proud of their democratie rlghts, and voting is fundamental to the whole process of democracy." "Watch for our ads and announcements for Informa- tion on how the election will be conducted", he said. "We will be nformlng you about how to make sure that you are reglstered to vote, and how and where you can cast your ballot." "Elections Canada will mail a Confinnation of Registration notice to alî reglstered elec- tors between May 7 and May 9. If you were not enumerat- ed in April, you can register in person at your ridîng's returning office, or you can ask by telephone, mail or fac- simile for an application for Dear Editor: Editors, publishers and .media managers are fascinat- ing folks. Most fight like tigersto defend their freedom of speech but stifle others. Most invite opinions but neyer give them voice. Over 6 years and 3,000 letters-to-the- editor have ieft more ques- tions than answers and reveal that most media preach free- dom of speech but practice freedom of squelch: newspa- pers 91%, radio 99%, TV 100%. Do they chop, lop, crop, and stop vox pop? Can't we talk? Can'tada? If you believe in democra- cy and freedom of speech please don't fetter my letter. 2,500 years ago the Greeks of Athens showed the world that democracy ("by the peo- ple"), with ail its warts, was the best form of government. Politicians were accounitable. People had dialogue and voice often, not just once every 5 years. Churchill and Jefferson championed democracy, dicta- tors and elitists bash it., Over 25 years ago some inventive Canadian Party- politicians conjured up a coer- cive painful biingual myth. They bet the bank that fantasy would triumph over reality and wasted mufti-billions on an imposed intolerant crusade of Forced OfficiaI Bilingualism and Language Police (FOB & LP). It was legislated discrimination and about as popular as southern fried' haggis. The "deaf" Party-politicians blundered on as if their raison d'etre was raisin' the debt. The debt soared. registration." "Electors who have moved since the April 16 completion of enumeration, or who need to change the information on their notices, should also get in touch with their returning officers." Mr Kfingsley remmnded elec- tors who will be away from their ridings on polling day. or during the advance polis on May 23, 24 and 26, that they should pick up applica- tions to vote by mail-in spe- cial ballot. Applications are available at retumning offices on Elections Canada's Web site on the Internet, or by tele- phonlng 1 -800-INFO-VOTE (1-800-463-6868). Recyrcle Please Does the silent "b" in Canada's horrendous debt stand for bilingualism? Who dares whisper the total cost of the "b" word? Is it 25% ($6,664. per Canadian) of our 796 billion dollar debt? More? Less? Who knows? Are there any objective studies of FOB costs in dollars and damages to Canadian aspirations and unity? Drive across our nation, Canada is not bilingual. 98% of our daily newspapers in 9 of 10 provinces are still print- ed in English. The lOth province gags bilingualism. Most of Canada's and the global computer network is in English. This does not dimin- ish the beautiful French- Canadian language and cul- ture. It does underline Canada's reality. Canadians rejected divi- sive FOB and LP in the suc- cessful 1992 Charlottetown Accord (Meech 2) referen- dum. The message was clear. Canadians rejected Chicken Little Goebbelsdygook, dis- tinct society, vetoes, double- think and douible majority double talk. Mulroney's authoritarian regime didn't listen. They tried to peddle to Canadians the expensive bilingual sand- wich (baloney between slices of pain). They tried democra- cy by decree, taxation without representation and a mean- spirited language law C-72 that was based on a false bilingual premise. C-72 dis- criminated against and blunt- ed careers of non-officially- bilingual Canadians (the vast majority in 9 of 10 provinces). They tried Wjth hoopla hype and social @ngineering to change the very fabric of Canadian life but only created division and cynicism, then called us cranlkY. Indefensible C-72 decreed that civil servânts could refuse to speak English on the job (work in th@ "language, of your choice"). Mulroney's Party-politieians ignored Canadians, hort harmony and perpetuated disunity by whin- ing and praising the bilingual clothes of the naked emperor. They failed the litmus test of demiocracy, their loyalty was to the Party, not to the people of Canada. They arrogantly bloated our debt. They were out of syne and down the drain. Are there politicians who still believe that if you chant the biling ual myth and force it with billions and billions of bucks it will become a fait accompli? Will Canada stag- ger into the millennium shackled by the loony-laden myth? Wîll Prime Minister Chretien have the wisdom to listen to and unite Canadians or will hie fuddle duddle, drag out the old constitutional nag by the hooves (Meech 3) and try to remake Canada? Will hie be, a noble statesman, debunk the myth and say the bilingual sandwich is toast or will hie increase disunity, make unde- mocratic behind-closed-doors deals,,balloon our debt, waste billions and billions more on divisive FOB and LP, fail the Iitmus test and lead his Party- lockstep beyond the fringe too? Freedom of expression in Canada?... Stand by our infor- mation highway for over 6 years. Watch the giants of newspapers, radio and TV whiz by. Media managers spin, puff and snuff in their catbird seats wheeling the big rigs. On the front of each cab is a big smiling happy-face inviting: SEND US YOUR OPINIONS WE'LL GIVE YOU A FORUM. A funny thing happened on the way to the forum: ... -Take them at their word. Accept their invi- tations. Trust them. Hoid up your opinions over 3,000 times... swoooosh... On the back of most rigs is another big sign: . . .DEMOCRACY? FREEDOM 0F EXPRES- SION? BALANCE? ACCOUNTABILITY? CREDIBILITY? VOICE? FAUST? VOLTAIRE? ORWELLIAN? AGENDA? DIALOGUE? CENSOR- SHIP? FORUM? ..BAAAA HUMBUG: ... WE ARE YOUR COLLECTIVE CAP- TAINS 0F COMMUNICA- TIONS. WE OWN THE INK, PAPER, MIKES, CAMERAS, SCRIBES, CRAFTS, TALK- ING HEADS, HACKS, FLACKS, PACS AND ALL THE PLUMBING. WE ARE YOUR CLUBBY GATE- KEEPERS, POO-BAHS AND PUNDITS. WE ARE IN CON'TrOLf'%y QANC-i burham Mding Reformers pick-candidate for '97 election Local Reform Party mem- bers met recently at Knox Christian School in Bowmanville to eleet a candi- date for this year's federal election . Ian Smyth of Courtice was elected on the first ballot, receiving a major- ity of the votes cast. There were approximately 140 members in attendance. Mr. Smyth stated in his speech that "in 1993, the Liberals cried the same mantra as Brian Mulroney, jobs, jobs, jobs.- However, unemployment is stili high in MEMBERS AND FRATER- NITIES AND ANOINTED BY THE CRTC, SBSC, OPC, AAEC, FCC, NPR, CAB, PRI, CDNA AND ]APA. Under- the smirking face of a cheshire cat: HAVE A MICE DAY. The license plates read: BUZZ OFF. Sincerely, Jim Grant St. Catharines Canada.", "In 1993, Canadians elect- ed a new government ready for a fresh start. But now, Canadians- are frustrated al over again." Reform party leader Preston Manning launched the party's election platform in October of 1996. The plat- formn called "A Fresh Start for Canadians" is a 6-point plan to building a brighter future. Included in the plan is a cal for government to crate an enviromnent for real jobs, and a commitmnent to tax relief for Canadians when the budget has been balanced. BALLS RA-DIO & T.V. REPAIR REPAIRS TO MOST MAKES STEREOS, COLOUR AND B&W T.V.s AND V.C.R.s P.O. Box 27 RAR 2, Orono, Ont. (905),983-5721 NNort hcutt EIiott E, JFuneral Home, THOUGIITFULNESS, SERVICE & CONCERN A Family Owned' Business, Offering: Traditional Funeral Services Prearranged & Prepaid Services - Cremation Arrangements Alternatives to Traditional Funerals - Out of Town Shipping Cory Kuipers - President 53 Division St.1 623-5668 Bowmanville Ontario LIC 2Z8 OFF STREET PARKNG '-'( 'jj'~ The Rick St. Croix School of Goaltending presents A Four-Day/14-Hour Instructional Goaltending Camp For ages 7 and Up. 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