A06 • Friday, March 30, 2012 • Burnaby NOW
The Burnaby NOW is a Canadian-owned community newspaper published and distributed in the city of Burnaby every Wednesday and Friday by the Burnaby Now, 201A – 3430 Brighton Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 3H4, a division of Glacier Media Group.
Brad Alden den Publisherr
Women officers deserve their day in court
women who say they have experienced As a pundit once said, “there’s justice disgusting sexual pranks, lewd comand then there’s the law.” ments and constant discrimination. So, it’s any legal beagle’s guess as to Sandy Merlo, a former Nanaimo whether the justice system will accept RCMP member, is the only named india class action lawsuit filed on behalf of vidual on the claim, but lawfemale RCMP officers alleging yers filing the lawsuit say they sexual harassment and sex dishave up to 150 other women crimination in the police force. Burnaby NOW who are ready to join the suit. But we sure hope the judge Merlo told CBC that she who gets to make this decision had tried to get her supervisors to take is one who leans towards justice. her complaints seriously and had sent While it can take up to two years for a letter to the commissioner. But she the courts to certify such action, if it is waited 25 months for a reply, and no certified, it will be of some relief to the
OUR VIEW
help was offered. Merlo’s long list of alleged grievances reveal a “brotherhood” of male officers who have a fascination with dildos and a critical dislike of pregnant women. It may not be surprising given what is largely a paramilitary system, but it is astounding that supervisors who covered up the harassment – or, basically ignored it – never thought that what they were doing was not only dishonourable, but also a violation of basic human rights.
The new head of the RCMP, commissioner Bob Paulson, pledged in November 2011 that sexual harassment allegations “do not represent the force that I joined and this condition cannot stand.” We don’t know what force he joined, but the one that Sandy Merlo and other female officers joined is one that needs a real shake-up. If Paulson was sincere, he needs to support the call for a class action lawsuit so that the women can have their day in court – and so can the RCMP.
Financial info should be online EDITOR’S LETTER Pat Tracy
I
t is one of the ironies of the news business. The public usually doesn’t have an opinion on information or its importance to them until such information is made public and they have a chance to read it. This may seem obvious to many readers. After all, most readers understand that reporters collect and present information in news stories. Readers seldom phone or email me asking how they can file Freedom of Information requests, or how to pry information out of city hall. They assume, quite understandably, that reporters are supposed to be doing that for them. But apparently, there are still politicians who believe that reporters are just digging up information for the heck of it. Consider Burnaby’s decision not to put election campaign expense forms online. Burnaby is, perhaps, the only city in the Lower Mainland that has not, or is in the process of, putting the disclosures online. Coun. Sav Dhaliwal told our
reporter that he hasn’t heard much complaint or feedback from the public asking for the election disclosures to be posted online. No, probably not. People rightly expect the information will be made public via the media. It is our job. Dhaliwal also said, “Other than newspaper reporters, I wonder if anybody looks at them. Staff hasn’t brought it up to us as a major issue.” I’m not sure if Dhaliwal is deliberately missing the point or if he is part of a concerted effort to make it as difficult as possible for the media to access the information. It’s hard to tell. Surely he understands that fewer people will potentially “look” at them if the documents are not online. Surely he also understands that staff – given that they are employees – are apt not to fight for easier access to documents that reveal what their political bosses may not want to broadcast. (Oh, and not to suggest that there’s any connection, but the city’s CUPE union local – the one that many staff are members of – donated $20,000 to the ruling party’s election campaign.) Dhaliwal also said, “I think there are a few other things ahead of this that I believe are more of a priority for taxpayers.” Is he suggesting that the staff time to put election campaign
PUBLISHER Brad Alden EDITOR Pat Tracy ASSISTANT EDITOR Julie MacLellan SPORTS EDITOR Tom Berridge REPORTERS Janaya Fuller-Evans, Christina Myers, Jennifer Moreau PHOTOGRAPHER Larry Wright DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING Lara Graham ADVERTISING REPS Cynthia Hendrix, Cam Northcott, Domenic Crudo, Veronica Wong AD CONTROL Ken Wall RECEPTIONIST Fran Vouriot
City hall Page 7
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Is cleanliness guaranteed?
Dear Editor
It is good news indeed that an all-out cleanup has stopped the contagion of C. difficile at Burnaby Hospital. It is not good news that I have to be concerned that the housekeeping staff might be responsible for my demise should I need to visit the facility. When I attend such a facility, I usually need help, expert and sometimes urgent help. My usual good health is somehow in need of repair. Until now, I thought the basic cleanliness, the floors, the walls, the linen, the furnishings was being taken monitored and looked after. My concerns always were focused on the excellent care my family and I have always experienced at Burnaby Hospital.
PRODUCTION MANAGER Gary E. Slavin PRODUCTION STAFF Ron Beamish,Kevin Behnsen, Lynne Boucher, Nola Bowling, Rona Eastman-Magee, Doug McMaster,Laura Powell, Tony Sherman GRAPHIC DESIGNER Helen-Louise Kinton REGIONAL CLASSIFIED MANAGER Catherine Ackerman CLASSIFIED SUPERVISOR Dawn James CLASSIFIED REPS Darla Burns, John Taylor, Michelle Villiers ACCOUNTING Judy Sharp SALES ADMINISTRATOR Janeen Williams
Now, it seems my refuge and source of wellbeing has itself become a danger. How can it be that the medical staff must blow a whistle to express concern about mortalities? There surely must be a system to assess the cleaning in the building. Will the sudden short burst of cleaning be continued or renewed? Have steps been taken to avoid returning to a time of peril? Mark Proctor, Burnaby
Teachers have right to choose Dear Editor:
Re: Teachers deserve recognition, Letters to the editor, Burnaby NOW, March 9. I’m writing in response to the writer’s comments Teachers Page 7
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