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Page 6 The Claringion/Courticc Independent, Bowinanvillc. Saturday, May 2, 1998 MRP Invites High School Students To Attend Throne Speech Greenhouse Tour j] During a tour of the greenhouse complex at Rekkcr's Garden Gallery at Maple jj Grove, these folks got an up-elosc and personal look at the operation. John h Rekker conducted the lour which started at the seeding machine and wound its " way through the different growing stages of plants and finished with the wholesale wholesale area. Above, he shows plant plugs which were seeded a few weeks ago. The tour was held Saturday, April 25. It is Sunday, April 26th and I am preparing for my 30 minute speech as seconder seconder to the Throne Speech. This honor must be shared with all of my constituents. Members of any government government arc elected to execute execute the wishes of the people. people. The 30 phone calls we receive per day and the many letters we get all deserve to be answered. However, your input is most important and helps me to bring forward the views of my riding. Meeting with constituents and attending various functions allows me to hear first hand about what is important to the people who elected me. Two students from Port Perry High School called my office a couple of weeks ago. They were working on a class assignment assignment examining health care and education. I had not met these students students and was not especially especially concerned about their political point of view. I was impressed with their initiative and questioning questioning about how our government's changes will affect their future. As usual, I forwarded the information they had requested. Report from Queen's Park by John O'Toole One week before the Throne Speech, MPP's were advised that they could invite two guests to this special event. Continued on page 12 fough Decisions on Hepatitis C I I suppose it's natural to Want to compensate people yho, through no fault of heir own, have contracted [disease such as Hepatitis But the realities of governing governing and having to make the decision of who gels dompensated is quite different. different. I We can't let availability <jf money' influence our qvery decision, but in the ljnal analysis, as a government government we have only so ijiuch money to go around. -h $sa government §ve have only so Vmuch money to jl; go around Tf-- j I don't hear anyone say- ijig let's increase income tax to cover the cost, î The Hepatitis C compensation compensation package was not in eaày 'decision i for government government and .the. decision ^as^not made 'without rompassion for the victims'. victims'. # Personally I have a very ijiàrd time with it and I feel e( great deal of compassion for people affected prior to <986. ! But we have to be-clear {(bout the fact that there Was no known testing for tifepatitis C prior to 1986. S|ome will point to a ptocess in Germany, but that process was not approved by the German government. j The consequence was that government's health rare professionals had no Way of knowing that blood whs contaminated. How can governments be responsible for the unknown? j Of course, after 1986, government's health care representatives did know How to test blood for Pepatitis C. And governments governments are now taking responsibility for their negligence. Let's be honest. here. Admitting responsibility would not have occurred if the federal government had not prodded the provinces to get on side. Now some people arc saying saying it's not enough. There arc countless others others in our communities affected with diseases which health care officials cannot prevent. Flesh eating eating disease, cancer and heart disease come to mind. Should government compensate these people too? And, if we arc willing to put more money into compensation packages, are we willing to do that risking a general decline in the health care services that already exists. People have been clear to me. They want to ensure their health care system remains intact for when they need it. .Drawing a line in the. sand is-never easy,and ■ governing means making decisions that at first glance people will call callous. callous. Twelve governments have concluded the settlement settlement is reasonable. Remember the effects of Hepatitis C are often random and can adversely affect some more than others. others. It is quite possible to live long lives without any serious effects from the disease. People say to me, "stand up and do what is right". In other words just don't vote the party line. Last week I voted against the government on an access to information Bill. I have also voted against the government's pension reforms, opting not to take a pension, as well as voting voting against the government on other controversial bills. I do not have to prove to anyone that I can't think for myself in Ottawa. "t ROSSLAND LU 0 D z o Ç/) V) ADELAIDE E HWY. 401 jcj. 328 Ritson Rd. N., Oshawa 725-4744 if busy call 725-2831 WHOLESALE & RETAIL Freud Router Bits and Saw Blades Priced to Sell FAST! Hurra /n/ jF ATTENTION GIRLS 7 AND OVER' Bowmanville and Newcastle Players required for all-girls Slo-Pitch League No experience necessary (Clarington Girls Slo-Pitch Association) For information, call Jim Hancock at 987-3081 or Jim Kondrachuk at 623-2643 -, ,, Parliamentary Report by Alex Shepherd ■ On the Hepatitis C issue I've concluded there is a need to support the compensation package as is and a secondary need to maintain funding levels in our health care system and not divert those funds into other areas. There is not limitless funds for healthcare. healthcare. It's easy for opposition parties to chastise the government government for being heartless. heartless. They don't have a responsibility for the entire system. Don't forget it's the Reform Party that wants to cut government spending even faster and create a two-tiered health care system. system. Do you really think they would stand up for Hepatitis C victims if they were the government? People in Durham didn't didn't send me to Ottawa to make decisions on easy issues. They want the hard decisions made as well. Sometimes it is hard to stand up for what you think is the correct course. By supporting the compensation compensation package I believe I'm doing just that. 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