Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 2, 1990, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press May Page 1 i Hope remains for Meech Lake Ottawa the news Story from As the Spe Cial commons committee examining concerns emanating from the Meech Lake Accord was packing to leave indicated that for Premier Gary Filmon nothing has he sits tight in his office waiting for someone to change the constitutional it is not no one who is serious about obtaining a constitutional Deal that includes Quebec now con templates such a the task the committee has in this Las ditch Effort to produce a constitutional is to uncover devices and approaches that will in combination with Meech that the results Are the committee knows full Well what problems Meech Lake potentially throws the maps Are looking for creative ways of offsetting it is a Given that such an approach will require some flexibility from the key players in this so far Filmon has scarcely been up to the but and on a number of the committee has been finding unexpected windows of of appearing before the maps com Mittee in Wally Foxe spokesman for the three provincial political had these highly encouraging words i feel certain Manitoba will consider any further proposals developed to address our concerns in a spirit of Goodwill and no mention Here of amendments to Meech Lake new Brunswick Premier Frank Mckennas proposals for a com Panion Resolution has already dealt with four of the Al party task forces including one that adapts the unanimity provisions applying to the creation of new Fox decent named the four con Cerns left to be addressed the adoption of what Manitoba Calls a Canada clause recognizing the place of Canadas native people and multicultural groups in Cana Dian life reassurance that the first ministers Are committee to Early Progress on Senate Reform Dele Tion of the provisions that would allow provinces to opt out of National cos shared social or environmental programs exempting the charter of rights from application of the distinct society Fox decent did he named his namely Senate re form and the Canada Sunset provision what is particularly encourage is the fact that the committee has turned up some intelligent proposals for dealing with the most Tricky of most Nota ble Are the so called Sunset provi Sion proposals now on the table to tone Down the unanimity require ment for Senate the proposals come from two Constitution Al political science professor Peter of the University of and Law pro Fessor currently at in separate propose that the requirement for unanimous support lapse after two to be replaced by the exist less stringent requirement of support from seven with 50 per cent of the the idea is being refined on the government Cathada Lead balloon ight testing get your oxygen masks on i think were gaining Altitude Joan Cohen Ottawa editor and in Mendes most recent version has an if not critical new both men suggest that Quebec should have a veto under the seven 50 a proposal that would meet Quebec original require Mendes now suggests that a Senate Reform proposal could not go ahead if More than two Western or More than two Atlantic prov inces opposed Ontario would not be allowed a Senate Reform of sought As a Way of giving a stronger voice in Ottawa to Cana Das less populated there by reducing somewhat the clout of the Central and particularly of it is not a Reform that draws great enthusiasm or much comprehension in Mendes is that Ontario David Peterson is so strongly committed to getting the Meech Lake Accord adopted that he would surrender Ontario veto Power in the interests of obtaining a Fox decent has been sceptical about the seeing the Early unanimity period As a delay ing to a degree he is the provinces might push harder for change in the period when they knew their vote was needed and would and when they would be listened if Ontario the two stage plan should win but no one would suggest that in is again and maps around the committee table have heard Meech Lake sup porters plead for leadership from the three men whose commitment to Senate Reform will be the most critical prime minister Brian Quebec Premier Bourassa and David not one of these leaders has gone on record As supporting the concept of giving a stronger through better and More effective representation in the upper House to the regions of the country which now have inadequate political not one has promised to throw the Power of his office behind this native Peoples on another the Fox decent backed up by an assortment of passionate presentations by native Peoples and would appear to make inclusion of a Canada clause in a companion Resolution it would As the Manitoba task Force had take the place of the distinct society provisions so treasured by this clause would almost in line with a growing consensus before the become part of the preamble to the it would acknowledge the importance to Canadian society of the native the diverse Cul and take note in a preliminary Way of the distinct society of such a provision is not a new it was set out in detail in a clause put before a failed constitutional conference in after being endorsed except for the distinct society provisions by a preparatory committee of bureaucrats from All govern the Canada clause would not seem to change the pres ence of these groups is already acknowledged in the body of the but it should remove some of the concern that Quebec society is somehow getting higher status and recognition than the rest of As a result of Meech Mendes proposes that the preamble contain still further thoughts and principles that in a fresh with some of the outstanding concerns of both Mani Toba and Mendes for would give the rights and freedoms of the charter supremacy Over actions aimed at asserting Quebec but would still allow the distinctiveness to deter mine How the courts View those this could As one witness that Quebec could expect under the charter to be Able to steer immigrants toward its French language society and into French language a very critical Quebec would not tolerate having the charter Protection exempted from the Workings of the distinct society allowing it to take reasonable actions to limit rights where they Are demonstrably justified to promote its Dis a further clause in the Mendes preamble attempts to meet Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells concern that the distinct society clause gives Quebec enhanced Sta in As Mendes told the com where there Are ambiguities in the Meech Lake Accord that worry the preamble would now Deal with this by adding further it would be useful to quote this proposed addition to the preamble of our Constitution in full the confederation of Canada recognizes that its Constitution reflects its cultural and linguistic including the Dis Tinct society in the province of the aboriginal and treaty rights of the first nations of Canada and the multicultural heritage of All while adhering to the Legal Equality of All the prov inces and without affecting the ability of the Federal parliament to act in the National interest under its Powers set out in Section 91 of the Constitution act rights and freedoms the supremacy of the rights and freedoms in the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms is subject to reasonable limits demonstrably justified in the Canadian free and democratic so if a caveat should be raised it is the fact that these assertions repeat statements made elsewhere in the in each Mendes has inserted the phrase for valid a bit of a hedge podge but that mess May be Well Worth omitted from this analysis is a concern that is very much on the mind of the maps now travelling the in terms of should the required additions to the Constitution be put into the Hopper so that the dissenting provinces will have Confidence the changes promised them will actually go through on the question of Senate where much study will still be needed and Legal changes thus can not be set out at this How can the provinces which support Meech Lake commit themselves to change so that the dissenters Are confident enough to sign on the committee will have to produce Don braid in Alberta chickens May not Roost Edmonton the Chicken dal has Alberta politics in a for More than two the dealings of Steve a Rural tory la who pushed for construction of a Chicken processing have dominated the trouble Yarusky wanted the Plant built on land he in the Harvest Gold subdivision in Smoky Lake Northeast of two local councillors say he lobbied Council for the and there ready to say so before a judicial if Premier Don Getty codes to Call so Getty his own he has con Vinced him that Yarusky is a Fine when the affair came up april Yarusky told reporters he haunt spoken to anyone about the this took some since he had appeared at a Public meeting in the town april the Smoky Lake an enter prising weekly taped All three hours of the meeting and passed out copies to big City on the Yarusky is heard defending the Plant and describing himself As the he also says the land had been for Sale since even though he later told the legislature he had sold it March much of the debate centres on whether Yarusky indeed sold the he produced a Bill of Sale dated March but the transaction want registered in the land titles office until after the april 5 Public meet and Many people wonder if Yarusky had sold the he so clearly told the Public meeting he had Yarusky continues to say he did no lobbying and did not own the on the tape he was referring to a Sale by the new he he is threatening to sue because the accusations Are incorrect and reformatory a slip that caused hoots of laughter around the prov last he praised the governments record of physical despite All Getty brushed away the councillors offer to testify As if he were swatting in a Nice bit of the opposition new democrats presented Getty with a copy of the he said he will listen to the he int Likely to discover anything there to bother since the con tents have been published time and again for two some tories Are pulling Long faces Over this its said one this sort of thing makes us All look other tories Are furious at the Media for dragging this in their its just another Way for re porters to get at the All this is nicely timed to produce some serious rules of conduct for Alberta right the tories Are considering the report of an ethics committee that recommend among other a commissioner to hear just such the conservatives have one con theres Little Evi Dence that albertan care very much about the affair dubbed Chick by doing Getty May yet Bury the whole fowl Don braid is a Calgary Herald Public will fight to maintain Universal medicare John executive director of the Manitoba medical says the Fil Mon government is planning to introduce some form of patient charge for medicare if it wins a majority in the next provincial elec health minister Don Orchard describes la plumes accusation As incredible and says its the Mma who wants user the new Brunswick government announces a Cap on doctors Billings along the lines of Manitoba shelved for a year due to doctor new Brunswick will allow a seven per cent increase annually in doctors Manitoba wanted to hold the Rise to two per these incidents Are further indication of the stress Ottawa four consecutive funding cuts have imposed on Canadas Universal health care that stress is Gratifying to alarming to Michael head of the neoconservative Fraser is medicare most implacable Walker says what Many conservatives in business and government but Are afraid to say in the april Issue of Fraser Walker has three articles dealing with the crisis in medicare and in Universal social programs generally in Canada Walker takes to task the Canadian Confer ence of Catholic Bishops for their opposition to the Mulroney governments decision to end universality in family allowances and old age Walker advances the rights traditional argument against universality that it drains limited Public dollars away from the deserving avoiding class Walker is a concern for the not in a second Walker seizes upon the fact is sending patients to Washington to obtain cardiac surgery to argue that Frances Russell free Market Medicine where about 35 million americans have no health insurance at All is Superior to Canadian state con Walker argues that the health care sys tems in both Canada and the face similar pressures increased demand driven by technology and an aging Canadas response has been government budgetary this has meant limitations on doctors Billing numbers and the introduction of new attempts to control medical fees and growing waiting lists for an increasing number of medical Walker continues in the with no centralized control Over the health care the consequence has been an explosion in the capacity to provide medical widespread availability of the most advanced technology and excess Capac Ity in the Hospital system Walker ignores the fact that a free Market health by does not serve the entire it merely serves those with the ability to were those 35 million americans without health insurance suddenly to acquire the health systems excess capacity would probably vanish Walker applauds finance minis Ter Michael Wilsons decision to slap a two year freeze on growth in Federal trans fers for health and pos secondary Educa by promising to pay half the Cost of medicare out of its taxing the Federal government seduced the provinces into agreeing with the Federal legislative Initia Tive in this Walker he Points out that the 1984 Canada health act prohibits the provinces from charging user fees at any Point in the health care what that Means is that the legis lation effectively vitiate any attempt by the provinces to introduce a degree of economic incentive and economic Walker says the Meech Lake Constitution Al Accord is a Welcome provinces will be Able to opt out of future Federal social programs and receive compensation if they establish a service of their own compatible with National says Walker under the provisions of the Meech Lake transfers made from the Federal government to the provincial governments will be made with fewer conditions than is currently the he Hopes that Ottawa fiscal screws on medicare might help focus the attention of the provinces on the benefits of Meech the Fraser Institute and others May strive for medicare but the Public feels the Mma is getting Strong support in its Campaign against health care so 600 letters agreeing with the Mas stand have been received from Laplume says the vast majority simply urge the govern ment to preserve Manitoba health care those that see the need for addition Al funds suggest that it be obtained through higher none proposes user Evelyn former chairman of the Manitoba health services now associate professor at the University of Manitoba Community health sciences de says attempts to restrict a Cess to medicare Are Likely to be the trend of the the most recent funding reduction is very everyone is looking for a Way to governments seem to prefer that to Edu Cating the Public to accept com unit based but she is not Canada is getting older As a nation and the elderly Are acquiring political which they will use to preserve Shapiro the number of states considering a form of medicare has grown to doonesbury by Garry Trudeau hou5y ing w Wou have to Rathaur your owing pou1n it shows you 5 ;