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PAGE 4 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, March 19,2003 www.durhamregion.com Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Chris Bovie Managing Editor Judi Bobbitt Regional Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Barb Harrison Composing Manager Elje Canadian Statesman v Phone 905-579-4400 Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-4407 General Fax 905-579-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1809 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 Clarington's Awarcl-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 H March 19,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL e-mail letters to new.srooin@clurhamrcgion.enm Legislature-free budget travesty hat is Ernie Eves thinking? Perhaps Premier Eves, who delivered five budgets himself in the Ontario legislature, is tired of the old building. Or maybe the premier doesn't want to hear the flap of opposition opposition voices, questions and criticisms and decided, as a result,' to skip the entire process. Whatever the reason, Mr. Eves has decided to have Finance Finance Minister Janet Ecker deliver the budget March 27 from an as-yet undisclosed location location - outside the legislature. legislature. The TV event will feature feature a small handpicked studio audience. What it will not include is the presence of opposition MPPs. That's because the March 17 start of the spring sitting has been postponed until April 30 when the government government will deliver its Throne Speech. Between March 27 and April 30, the Eves government will take its show on the road, ostensibly seeking input from Ontarians on what the government's spring agenda should be. Until April 30, debate over the budget will essentially be a one-sided affair. No doubt opposition politicians will criticize Ms. Ecker's offerings but the minister or another government-designate will not be required to answer direct questions or provide justification justification for the government's priorities. priorities. ' . i--j The break between budget and throne speech is most likely to be used as an opportunity opportunity for the government to shore up its policies and test the waters for a possible late spring election. It does buy the Tories time. Should Mr. Eves decide an election can wait, he has until June 2004 to hit the campaign trail. If he wants to deliver an election writ shortly after the April 30 throne speech, well, he can do that too. How convenient. Mr. Eves should be concerned concerned over the outrage sparked by this decision - notably notably that of the government's own Speaker of the Legislature, Legislature, outgoing 13-year Progressive Progressive Conservative MPP Gary Carr. Speaker Carr has contacted lawyers to see whether Mr. Eves's budget plan violates any constitutional constitutional conventions. Even NDP leader Howard Hampton and Canadian Taxpayers Taxpayers Federation Ontario director director John Williamson, normally normally mortal enemies, have joined forces on the issue. The pair has decried the budget studio plan as an anti-democratic anti-democratic move. Finally, Bill Somerville, the director of the legislature's broadcasting service, in conjunction conjunction with Speaker Carr, said the network would not telecast the budget. Executives at other networks have said they would not telecast it either. either. That could leave the government government in the embarrassing position of having to spend taxpayers' money to buy expensive expensive TV time. No matter how you look at it, the move by the premier is more than just a .simple break with long-standihg tradition. It's a slap in theface to our democratic democratic principles and doesn't doesn't augur well for policy under Mr. Eves's leadership. This wrong-headed idea needs a serious serious rethink. OPINION e-mail letters to newsrooni@durIiamrcgion.com Bob Willsher knew how to get the word out E ducation issues in this province over the past few years have been, at best, complicated. But we've been lucky here. No matter how complicated complicated things got, there has always always been one person who was willing to clarify matters. That person was long-time Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board trustee Bob Willsher. No matter what the issue, Bob was always just a phone call away for the local media. And in being so completely completely available to the local media, he effectively made himself, and his wealth of knowledge knowledge on matters education-related, education-related, available available to all area parents, parents, students, teachers teachers - anyone with an interest in education. Bob died last Wednesday, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Local students students have lost a man who is arguably their greatest fan and biggest advocate. And the area's media lias lost its greatest disseminator of education-related education-related information. Whether it was the funding funding of new schools or the hoard's budgetary woes over the last several years, Boh could always make it make sense - quickly, succinctly, and with good humour. lie was always available, Well, almost always - you'd have to catch him at a point when he wasn't visiting a local school, championing an exciting new program or just checking in to see how things were going. Virtually every conversation either began or ended with, "Hey, did you hear what's happening at (insert (insert school name here)." He didn't do all his KPR business business at the board table - he got out into the schools, where the truly important events were happening. And when he made budgetary decisions decisions at the board table, he was able to draw on his extensive extensive knowledge of what was going on in local schools to help KPR decide where the money could best help students. in spite of being Claringlon's trustee, and in spite of having having a long history in this area, Mr. Willsher Willsher wasn't just looking out for local kids - he worked hard to ensure slu- across the board, from Apsley to Courticc, had equal educational opportunities. A memorial service will be held this Saturday, March 22 at I p.ni. at Clarke High School, 3425 IJwy, 35/115 in Newcastle. To he sure, there will he many fond memories of Boh shared at that event. As a trustee, lie should he remembered remembered as a staunch supporter supporter of students, and as someone who was ready, willing and able to get education-related education-related information to the public in a speedy, open and easily comprehensible manner. lie will he missed. Jennifer ltenls Stone Stall Writer LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bob Willsher should have school named for him To the editor: A tribute to a man simply known as 'Bob.' As Bob and I both resided in Newcastle, I had the opportunity of knowing and seeing Bob whether it be around town or at one of the schools my children attended. Bob was always there; parent council- meetings, fun fairs,'grad J uations, 'and 'especially school concerts with his wife Lynda and his son Steve and that 'smile.' Mayor John Mutton said Bob was "one of the most popular politicians Clarington has ever seen at any level." Bob was not a politician; he would be more apt nil letters to newsroom@<lui'li;imrcgi<m, to refer to himself as an elected official. The people elected him six times as school board trustee even though his name was always always the last name on the ballot. He distinguished himself as our trustee and he served his people well. What set Bob apart was that he was respected, as a man of integrity integrity whether at the board level, in all the schools he represented, by educators and even in the hallowed hallowed halls of Queen's Park. There is a saying, which applies applies to Bob, 'He knows of what he speaks.' And they all listened. He stood tall and he stood strong 'against the "crisis in education" 'It was all about the students and 1 -' he would not see one of them disadvantaged, disadvantaged, in "his" school board or any other school board across the province. Somewhere in his journey of life he was taught "service over self' and he followed this path. If there is someone I can say I ad- OPINION mire and think of in terms as a hero, Bob is the man. I do not suffer fools lightly and I do not advocate hero worship, and I don't think Bob did either. Heroes Heroes do not come to us with hockey sticks in hand, slam- dunks or the front page of tabloids. I think of a hero as one who left an indelible mark in time in his/her service to his/her fellow mankind. Bob, I know you would not want the fuss or adulation, adulation, but there is no better way to honour your dedication and commitment commitment to the well-being and future future well-being of our children than to have the new high school in BowmaTiville; -you wanted to see built, dedicated in your name, the 'Robert L. Willsher High School.' Bob believed "it takes a community to raise a child." The community now says, 'Thank- you Bob and God Bless!' Willie Woo Newcastle e-mail letters to ncwsroom@(lurliamrcgion.eom Name-calling a sign of election time Y ou can tell an election is coming when politicians start calling each other names. This is starting to happen. The Liberals have been trying to pin the name 'Say Anything Ernie' on Progressive Conservative Conservative Premier Ernie Eves on the claim that, because he has reversed reversed some policies his party once held dear, he will say anything anything to win an election. election. The premier has responded by gleefully gleefully calling Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty 'Donald McKwinty', after a chamber of commerce official introduced him as such at one of its gatherings. gatherings. Mr. Eves wanted to demonstrate demonstrate Mr. McGuinty is so unimpressive unimpressive even those charged with introducing him at meetings have difficulty remembering his name. The Liberals have not seen much humour in this and accused accused Mr. Eves of being so bankrupt bankrupt of policies he has to resort to making fun of his opponent's name. The Liberals also suggested the Tories may sloop next to making fun of Mr. McGuinly's face, as federal Tories once mocked Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien's facial twitch in an election. The federal Tories were roundly rebuked for it, so the provincial Liberals may he fearing a worst that will not happen. happen. But the Tories did get fairly close to the hone in the 1999 election, when they circulated a news release referring to \Sqtiin- ly McGuinty', who they said had an election platform with blind spots on many issues, including how he would create jobs and balance the budget. Mike Harris, Mr. Eves's predecessor predecessor as premier, dubbed the Liberal leader 'Six-pack McGuinty', explaining the Tories had put huge effort into clearing up problems including including getting the economy economy working. Mr. McGuinty seemed to think all that was required required now was to sit back with a carton of beer. Mr. Harris's supporters called the Liberal leader 'McNasly', although it could be said the Tories and Liberals were equally equally , short-tempered with each other in a campaign in which Mr. McGuinty called Mr. Harris a "thug." Mr. Harris also dubbed Mr. McGuinty 'Mr. No' and 'Mr. Negative', arguing the Liberal leader criticized Tory policies without proposing alternatives, but there was nothing original in this name. New Democrat premier Bob Rae, Mr. Harris's predecessor, called Lyn McLeod, Liberal leader and front-runner for a while in the IW5 election, 'Dr. No' on the same grounds. Ms. McLeod, who will step down as an MPP when the next election is called, had something of a raw deal, because the Liberal Liberal campaign team had decided the party would not reveal policies policies publicly until the campaign got under way. The purpose was to avoid opponents criticizing them, and Ms. McLeod allowed herself to go along. Mr. Rae also pinned a joint label "the twins of doom and gloom? on Ms, McLeod and Mr, Harris, who was then merely leader of a small, third party in the legislature. Mr. Rae explained the two opposition opposition party leaders blamed NDP policies for putting the Ontario Ontario economy into decline, when almost all jurisdictions had the same problem and a silver lining was already visible, but voters went with the negatives. Mr. Rae also named Mr. Harris Harris 'Mike the Knife' after the character in the 'The Threepenny Opera', because of his promises to slash government and taxes, but Mr. Harris relished the name. Mr. Harris was already calling himself The Taxfighter', claiming claiming to be the only leader seriously seriously interested in cutting taxes, and Mr, Rac's label merely reinforced reinforced his image. Tory William Davis, the most durable premier in the last half- century, won a campaign a couple couple of decades ago by pinning the name 'Dr. No', at a time when it was more original, on a Liberal leader, Stuart Smith. The cerebral Mr. Smith, who was seen often as resembling Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau, had got wind of government government studies showing Ontario was slipping economically and would soon do the unthinkable and fall behind other provinces in economic growth. The reports had some truth to them, hut Mr, Davis said Mr. Smith was a prophet of doom and gloom and Ontario voters did not want to believe this was happening to their superior province. Mr. Smith lost and it was one time name-calling hurt. For decades,- Frk Dowd Inis liven covering provincial politics as a freelance columnist based out of Queen's Park. Eric Dowd Queen's Park CLICK AND SA^ Today's question: Do you agree with the Conservatives breaking from tradition and introducing the Ontario budget outside the legislature? □ Yes □ No Cast your vote online at infodurhamregiegi.com Last week's question: With the number of traffic fatalities and accident- related injuries continuing to fall in Durham, do you feel safer driving on the region's roads? □ No 68.8% □ Yes 31.2% Votes cast: 109 HAVE YOUR SAY Question Do you support an attack on Iraq? - James Irons "No. I defn't like a war at all. Nothing good conies front war. Americans are arrogant." arrogant." Fiona Doyle "No. There's not enough time Tor inspectors and hot enough infrastruc- • lure to support Iraqis." Steve Jones "No. I don't think Iraq is a threat. There's plenty- of time for a political solution." Gerald Peace "No. I have mixed feelings. Something has to! be done about Hussein, but there are other ways." <Efjc Cniiiibi'mi Statesman is one of the Metroland Printing, ; Publishing and Distributing ; group of newspapers. The j Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, On) tario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. • The publisher reserves the I right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is copyrighted, copyrighted, Unauthorized reproduction reproduction is prohibited. jStocna ITPffl mwiivw