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www.pentictonwesternnews.com
Penticton Western News Friday, February 24, 2012
opinion
Published Wednesdays and Fridays in Penticton at: 2250 Camrose St., Penticton B.C. V2A 8R1 Phone: (250) 492-3636 • Fax: (250) 492-9843 • E-mail: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com
EDITORIAL
Provincial budget puts emphasis on restraint
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estraint has become a way of life for many British Columbian families who have seen their costs rise while incomes fail to keep pace. So it should have come as no surprise that restraint was the word of the day when the B.C. government handed down its budget this week. There were few frills in the budget delivered by Finance Minister Kevin Falcon that promised to return the province’s books to the black by 201314, just in time for the next provincial election. Falcon’s budget promises to hold the line on program spending, freezing public-sector wages and selling off $700 million in provincial assets to begin to dig his way out. But while the Liberal government is taking steps to get a handle on the province’s de¿cit — forecast at $969 million for the coming ¿scal year — B.C. families will also have to tighten their belts just a little bit more. MSP premiums will rise for the fourth time since the 2009 election. The newest hit of four per cent beginning in 2013 will take about $60 a year out of the pockets of a family of three or more. The budget delivered little, however, to stimulate the province’s fragile economy or open the door to the workforce for the unemployed. A $10,000 tax break for ¿rst-time homebuyers is only for new homes, providing little help to young couples cobbling their pennies together to get into the housing market. And a $1,000 home renovation tax credit is only available to seniors. Eliminating those conditions for the tax breaks could have helped strengthen the softening housing market and opened up jobs in the construction sector. The move to transition B.C. from the harmonized sales tax back to the PST left the minister with some tough choices to make. This budget makes it clear that Falcon wants to get those decisions out of the way now, saving the good news for next year’s pre-election budget.
NEWS PENTICTON WESTERN
2250 Camrose Street, Penticton, B.C. V2A 8R1 Tel: (250) 492-3636 Fax: (250) 492-9843 Publisher: Mark Walker Editor: Dan Ebenal Sales Manager: Larry Mercier Creative Director: Kirk Myltoft
The Penticton Western News is a member in good standing of the Canadian Community Newspapers Association and the British Columbia & Yukon Community Newspapers Association. The Penticton Western News is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888687-2213 or go to <www. bcpresscouncil.org>. This publication reserves the right to refuse any material — advertising or editorial — submitted for publication and maintains the sole right to exercise discretion in these matters. Submissions by columnists and guest writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this newspaper. All material contained herein is copyright.
Three steps forward, one step back The Conservative majority in Parliament has passed or introduced three signi¿cant bills that go a long way to reducing government intrusions in our day-to-day lives. Dismantling the Wheat Board and giving western farmers the freedom to choose where, and at whatever market price, they can sell their grain is a signi¿cant step forward for those farmers and the country. While the Wheat Board is not a child of the Trudeau Liberals, the notion of creating different classes of citizens, and entrenching different rights and privileges based on which class of citizenry one belongs, is a hallmark of the Liberal world view. If there was ever a demonstration of the disdain with which the federal Liberals and their bureaucrats in the civil service hold individuals, it is the long gun registry. The premise of the long gun registry was that individual citizens, if left to their own devices, could not be trusted to own and use ¿rearms in a responsible manner. Despite the annual wailings of the media celebrating the “Montreal Massacre” as evidence guns need controlling, there is no evidence that anyone other than crooks or deranged nut cases are interested in gunning down groups of people. They’ll do it whether or not the guns they use are registered.
Mark Walker
At Random Whether plough shares or ¿rearms, individuals have the right to make choices and the right to acquire and enjoy property. There are still some outstanding issues wrapped up in Canadian gun legislation, such as unwarranted search (and seizure) of ¿rearms and onerous regulations regarding the acquisition, use and transport of weapons, but scrapping the registry is the key ¿rst step. Bill C-304 will begin to remedy the abrogation of the protections individuals are granted under common law by repealing Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Section 13 allowed the Human Rights Commission Tribunal to cast a wide net to snare people who communicated “any matter that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact that that person
or those persons are identi¿able on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination.” In Section 13 this “hate” would essentially be “communicated” via the Internet. The broad interpretations of the phases “likely to…”, “hatred or contempt” and “persons are identi¿able on the basis….” applied by the Human Rights Commission resulted in every case brought before HRC under Section 13 ending in a successful conviction. Given the zeal with which HRC pursued cases through the application of the vague wording in Section 13, every journalist, commentator and blogger in Canada who voiced an opinion about religion, language, sexual persuasion, or posted links to others who did, could be in contravention of Section 13. The HRC Tribunal enjoys the powers of a real court of law, but affords none of its protections to defendants. Under the act, individuals are presumed guilty prior to being charged, do not have access to legal counsel and have little right of appeal. Every presumed act of “hatred or contempt” towards individuals, regardless of the special group to which they belong, can be dealt with under existing common and criminal law. The entire Human Rights Act should go, but the repeal of Section 13 is a good start. It is surprising that at the same time the Conservatives champi-
oned legislation promoting freedom, they would introduce Bill C-30, the “Legal Access Bill”. C-30 would empower law enforcement to gain access to any individual’s Internet identity without warrant and without probable cause. Supporters of the bill claim it would assist police in tracking down child pornographers, although no mention of child pornography is made in the bill. Various police forces have demonstrated on any number of occasions that they cannot be trusted with the kinds of powers contemplated under Bill C-30 without constant court oversight. As unsavory as it may be to some, in a free society, even criminals have rights. Whether ¿rearms, hate speech or child porn, we have laws to deal with individuals who commit crimes. On three fronts, the Conservatives have made progress rolling back Liberal policies that reduced individual freedoms through pervasive administrative intrusion. On Bill C-30, we can only hope Harper is wise enough to table the bill for discussion, and let it meet a quiet and deserved demise. Progress is often made in steps — in these cases, it’s three steps forward and one step back. Mark Walker is the publisher of the Penticton Western News.
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