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PA rLIAMENT HILL NOTEBOOK by Art Babych You'fl hear from my lawyer Prime Minister Jean Chretien is feelinggtme heat from mhe same patronage fur- nace he helped fuel whiÉle in opposition. And he's sizzling. After castigating former Tory PM Brian Mulroney -- a man seemingly disavowed by his own party -- for appointing cronies to the Senate, Chretien finds hlmself under daily attach itatme Comnmons for continuing the mucli- desplsed tradition. Reform leader Preston Manning struck a raw Chretien nerve by suggesting that B.C. busi- nessmnan Ross Fltzpatrick put a down payment on his newly acquired Senate seat through a decade-old stock transac- tion mhat added $45,000 to mhe Chretien estate. An angry PM, offended perhaps at betag attacked for innocently rewarding a long-turne golf and flshing partner, went on the offensive and threatened to sue. When another Reform MP, Bill Gilmour, suggested Fltzpatrlck had llned the PM's pockets, Chretien said wlth complete contempt, 1I have too much contempt for the member to ask for an apolo- gy." The falterîng flag debate The Reform party grasped at straws again this week try- ing to convince Canadians that the flag flap is all about patrlotismn. On the eve of mhe great vqte on whether MPs can display miniature Canadian flags on their desks, Refonn whip Chuck Strahl drew a lune in the smoke and told the media "MPs will have to stand in their place and vote -- yes or no -- on the Canadian flag." But, as Commons Speaker Gilbert Parent snarled during bis marathon ruling uphold- ing the status quo, the issue isn't about flags or patriotism but about order and decorum ta the House, arguably some- thing Reformers know little about. Some Canadians mlght be prone to believe Reformers were indeed mot!- vated by patriotismn if not f or those nasty historians on the Liberal benches who keep remlnding us Reform boy- cotted the 1995 unity rally in Montreal and opposed the Heritage department's flag give'-away program. Hardly patriotic. And whlle we're on a trip down memory land, remember the radical words of Preston Manning during the 1993 election campalgn: "The Reform party strongly believes that the circus-like atmosphere of the House of Commons should be reformed through changes to the rules of Parliament, 50 words, sir? Grerlins score again... Newspapers across the country had a field day a whlle back when a govern- ment release referred to Prince Charles as the Prince of "Wihales." Among those who found the typo worthy of a news story was the Ottawa Citizen. Alas, the flagship of Conrad Black's fleet declded, however, that its own, more significant gaffe, didn't mnerit very much inkc. Undoubtedly to the shock of former Montreal Canadiens hockey star Rocket Richard, the Citizen's front page reported mhat mhe cancer-strlcken Hall of Famer had already depart- ed for mhat great arena in the sky. In a three-îtae "correc- tion" mhe next day, the news- paper apologized for stating Richard had died. That sinking feeling.. Seems the only thing unsinkable about the S.S. Titanic is its legend. The good ship sank on is malden voy- age on April 15 1912, but the debris continues to surface In mhe form of Titanic trivia stirred up by the blockbuster movie, Titanic. The federal government's Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa is among those capi- talizlng on mhe renewed inter- est inatme disaster. It dusted off its model of mhe Titanic and is offerlng demonstra- Lions on how mhe shlp sank (iceberg cocktails afterward?). Titanic trivialists have also dlscovered that Charles Melville Hays, tme builder of mhe famous Chateau Laurier Hotel at mhe foot of Parliament Hill was among mhe hundreds who died on the Titanic. Given mhat his hotel is still standing, it's too bad Hays didn't build the ltanlce, too. Mother's Da on legisiatu People with1- disabilities and their fanilies will stage a two- hour Mother's Day protest nImarch at Queen's Park on Saturday, May 9th to protest the negative impact that the Han-is govemnment's restruc- turing and cutbacks will have on familles and their loved ones. Suniti Shah, a parent from Fonithill, says Chat "familles are beconing unlted in their fight against a government thiat has betrayed uts election promises to people with dis- abilities and their familles." The Ontario Coalition of Famiilles Supportlng Individuals ith Disabilities has organized the march to make the province and the public aivare *that people wlth disabilities and their familles are being badly hurt by the current government policles. Jenny Schledermiann, a par- ent from Durham, feels that "familles will no longer suffer in silence as they unite to "brlng compassion back to Ontario." Provincial government in Ontario have cut fundtag for people with developmental disabilities by $50 million over the past five years. Although $15 million was reinstated in 1997 there lias been no response to the crisis situations created due to under fundlng people who are vulnerable and at-rlsk wlth- out support and services. Organizers plan to stage a dignified protest to get their message across. Efforts are being made to simultaneous- ]y hold events for familles not only in Toronto, but also in Ottawa and Windsor. Participants at the Queen'S Park march are asked to brlng plnk or red balloons with them, along with a whis- tle "so they can blow the whistle on the Conservative govenment's betrayal of peo- pie.with disabilities." The Coalition would also like fiam- Iies to bring pictures of their loved ones to give to the oppo- sition members for presenta- tion to Premier Mike Harris ta the legislature. The Queen's Park march wlll take place between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 9th. Familles are encouraged to reserve a seat on a bus or to make car pool arrangements by calling - Jenny SchJedermann (Durham Region) 905-6.19-0782, Jutta Waite (Toronto) 905-839- 7917, Stan Woronko (York Reglon) 905-884-1810, Janice Pichelli (Burlington) 905-681-7516 and Ruby Shortt (Ottawa) 613-225- 0 12 7 or Ernail mhe Coalition at FAMILIES@IDIRECI?. COM Primary care givers group A group of parents, whose handicapped and medlcally fragile chlldren that require speclal in-home pedlatrlc nursing services, met on Tuesday March 17 wimh rep- resentatives of five local MPPs to discuss concerns and changes in tmeir children's care. PRIMARY CARE GVR GROUP of DURHAM wants assistance from mheir local MPPs to maintain mhe same ,experienced, professional, consistent, pediatrlc nurses mbat mhey presently have car- tag for mheir chiùldren. Durham Access to Care has recently finalized their Request for Proposal Process and has excluded Durham many of the lamilies of t.hese special needs children wlll be forced to change from their present nursing agency to one of the newly contracted nursing agencles. The familles say that Durhamn Family Respite offers speciallzed pedlatric care and that is why they excel in their field. Speclal children need special care. If familles are forced to go to a new agency, it will cause serlous disrup- tion in their child's nursing care and put their children at undo risk. The familles are not wllllng to compromise on the well being of their chl-» dren. Primary Care Givers Group met with the Durhamn Access to Care Board on numerous occasions before the RFP was finalized, but left the meet- ings unsatlsfied. The familles say that the decision of DATO to elininate pediatric nursing care wilI have a negative impact on children and thelr familles. It is only natural that cbildren develop a strong bond with their care givers, in these cases, the bond is wlth their present nurses, and losing thiùs would be trau- matlc to the child and their familles, Prlmary Care Givers Group is asking their local MPPs to put pressure on the Provincial Governiment to give a direction to DATC to reverse their decision wlth respect to specialized agencles dealing with pedlatric care. Primary Care Givers Group has been in direct contact with Doris Grinspun, Executive Director of the RNAO and Basil (Buzz) Hargrove, President of the Canadian Auto Workers, and they are actlvely supportlng this issue. Primary Care Givers Group will again be meeting with their local MPPs iýappenings. FACILITATOR EDUCATION PROGRAM AT NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME The Genesis Bereavement Resource Centre of the Newcastle Funeral Home will once again be conducting a Facilitator Education Program this spring, led by Rev. John K. Saynor, author and bereavement counsellor. For those interested in learning how to lead bereavement support groups this ir-depth coVrsq includes exercises to g.ide participants into new insights into grief, as well as the practical aspects of organizing and con- ducting groups. For further information, please cali Newcastle Funeral Home at 987-3964. CLARINOTON OLDER ADULT ASSOCIATION Independent aduits over 55 years of age in Clarington are invit- ed to meet on Tuesday, March 31, 1998, 9:30 - 2:00 p.m. at the temporary location in Memorial Park Community Hall, 120 Liberty Street South in Bowmanville. Play bridge or euchre from 10:00 a.m.; alternately, play games or socialize from 10130 a.m. Square dancing fromn 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Low cost lunch at noon and transportation for a nominal tee can be arranged when ordered in advance by Monday noon. Phone Community Car-e at 623-2261. Orono Figure Skating Club RM Presents Satur day, April 4, 1998 Afterýnoon Show 1:_30 e Evenlng Shiow 7 p.m. Tickets avaîlabfle at the door SERVING DURHAM REGION SINE14 FUNERAL SERVICES PRE-ARRANGED & PREPAID "WIhere rfssiomakEtiquette is Important' Furieral Directors Paul R. Morris Rober-t E. Williams Gary M. Conway Doug R. Rutherford ANSWERING YOUR CALL 24 HOURS 623-5480 4 Division St. Bowmanvil.