Along the Fraser Deceit is the key to propaganda. p6
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THE NEWS
bank record. p13
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www.mapleridgenews.com Friday, February 14, 2014 · Serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows · est. 1978 · 604-467-1122 · Delivery: 604-466-6397
Pitt says no to salary committee Consumer Price Index will guide council wages by M on i sh a M ar ti n s staff reporter
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
Birds of prey A pair of bald eagles perched in a tree along Rannie Road in Pitt Meadows on Thursday.
Pitt Meadows council won’t be forming a committee to review escalating council salaries over fears the group might recommend an increase. A council motion to establish an independent committee to investigate how to compensate elected officials was defeated at a committee meeting Tuesday in a three-three split vote. Instead, council voted to adjust its remuneration annually on Jan. 1, this year onwards, based on the Consumer Price Index for Metro Vancouver for the preceding year, a formula which was followed prior to 2008. However, some councillors believe that the city is just postponing an inevitable and necessary review. “At some point in time, it will have to be done,” said Mayor Deb Walters. See Wages, p9
No more federal voter cards New legislation would require two pieces of ID by P h i l M e l nychuk staff reporter
Disabled man made to wait two months for help with damaged wheelchair. See story, p5
People who want to vote in Canada’s next election will no longer be able to use the voter information cards they get in the mail, if the Fair Elections Act gets through. The legislation, now being poured over by a committee af-
DEBBIE SHEPPARD 604-312-3705
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ter receiving second reading in the House of Commons, says people will be required to show two pieces of ID, one showing the voter’s name and one showing his or her address. As well, people will no longer be allowed to vouch for the identify of another voter. According to the federal NDP, that will mean about 120,000 people will be turned away at the polls. Surveys from the last election showed there were “significant irregularities” from both scenar-
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ios, said Pitt MeadowsMaple Ridge-Mission MP Randy Kamp. In addition, under the new legislation, people will have a range of identification that they can use at the polls. “The intent is to list 39 pieces of valid ID, which is quite a broad list that you can choose from, Kamp to be sure that elections are fair,” Kamp said. According to the government’s website, media reports show that
using voter information cards can lead to fraud at the polls. The NDP had raised concerns about students being unable to vote, but student ID cards are one of the pieces allowed, Kamp added. “We’ve tried to make it as inclusive as possible so as not to restrict people who want to validly vote,” Kamp said Thursday. See Election, p12
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