Politics
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hello
      October
      7th!!
     
     
      My
      usual
      procrastina-
     
     
      tion
      has
      pushed
      me
      to
     
     
      within
      hours
      of
      my
     
     
      deadline.
      Not
      to
      fear.
     
     
      After
      filling
      my
      brain
     
     
      with
      a
      weeks’
      worth
      of
     
     
      newspaper
      information
     
     
      I
      am
      ready
      to
      provide
     
     
      my
      own
      bent
      on
     
     
      politics
      in
      Canada
      this
     
     
      week.
      As
      usual
      I
      need
     
     
      to
      take
      care
      of
      some
     
     
      housekeeping
      from
      last
     
     
      week.
      Fasten
      your
      seat:
     
     
      belts
      and
      watch
      the
      two
     
     
      fingered
      typist
      start
     
     
      pounding
      away
      (...
      on
     
     
      the
      keyboard
      that
      is).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Apologies
      are...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      order.
      First
      off,
      to
      all
     
     
      (or
      perhaps
      |
      should
     
     
      say
      any)
      NY
      Mets
      fans
     
     
      out
      there.
      They
      did
     
     
      make
      the
      playoffs
      after
     
     
      all,
      which
      impressed
     
     
      me.
      Fortunately
      my
     
     
      spotty
      legal
      back-
     
     
      ground
      and
      instinctive
     
     
      two
      fingers
      covered
      my
     
     
      bases
      by
      adding
      in
     
     
      September
      to
      the
      fold.
     
     
      So
      while
      I
      was
      in
      a
     
     
      sense
      wrong
      and
      the
     
     
      Mets
      did
      make
      the
      post
     
     
      season,
      they
      did
      fold
     
     
      only
      to
      come
      back
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      life
      in
      October.
     
     
      Former
      Nova
      Scotia...
     
     
      Finance
      Minster
      Bernie
     
     
      Boudreau
      was
      ap-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pointed
      to
      the
      Senate
     
     
      this
      week.
      So
      what?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      118
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Jim-Beaux
      Lieyeah
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      couple
      of
      things
     
     
      come
      to
      mind.
      First
     
     
      off,
      last
      week
      I
      talked
     
     
      about
      the
      porous
      state
     
     
      of
      Nova
      Scotia’s
      fi-
     
     
      nances.
      Well
      guess
      who
     
     
      was
      finance
      minister
     
     
      there
      for
      the
      now
     
    
   
   
    
     
      aE
     
     
      RT
      ee)
     
     
      there...
      yet
      he
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FD
      Rg
     
     
      ETT
      mae
     
     
      Senators.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      departed
      John
      Savage??
     
     
      Boudreau
      had
      enough
     
     
      foresight
      not
      to
      get
     
     
      muddy
      in
      the
      recent
     
     
      Nova
      Scotia
      elections
     
     
      by
      not
      running...
     
     
      chicken
      (did
      I
      type
      that
     
     
      out
      loud??).
      Well
      that
     
     
      might
      be
      one
      reason
     
     
      but
      another
      powerful
     
     
      one
      is
      that
      he
      lost
      the
     
     
      Liberal
      leadership
     
     
      contest
      to
      Russell
     
     
      McClellan
      and
      I
      guess
     
     
      he
      had
      his
      doubts
     
     
      about
      working
      with
      his
     
     
      former
      adversary.
      The
     
     
      other
      powerful
      thing
     
     
      that
      comes
      to
      mind
      is
     
     
      the
      position
      he
      took
     
     
      within
      the
      Senate.
     
     
      Mr.Chretien
      appointed
     
     
      him
      as
      House
      Leader.
     
     
      This
      is
      unusual
      for
      a
     
     
      couple
      of
      reasons.
      First
     
     
      off,
      Why??
      Cause
      Jean
     
     
      needs
      a
      Nova
      Scotian
     
     
      in
      cabinet
      and
      the
      role
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      House
      Leader
     
     
      usually
      gets
      one
      there.
     
     
      Now
      giving
      a
      voice
      to
     
     
      Nova
      Scotians
      within
     
     
      cabinet
      is
      good
      (con-
     
     
      sidering
      they
      elected
      no
     
     
      Liberals
      last
      federal
     
     
      election)
      but
      stepping
     
     
      over
      the
      present
      leader
     
     
      Al
      Graham
      (who
      also
     
     
      happens
      to
      hail
      from
     
     
      Nova
      Scotia)
      is
      a
      little
     
     
      befuddling.
      It
      is
      also
     
     
      unusual
      because
      former
     
     
      Manitoba
      Provincial
     
     
      Liberal
      leader
      Sharon
     
     
      Carstairs
      (who
      was
     
     
      originally
      from
      NS)
     
     
      was
      thought
      to
      be
      a
     
     
      leading
      candidate.
     
     
      How
      did
      she
      react??
     
     
      She
      has
      promptly
     
     
      stepped
      down
      as
     
     
      deputy
      leader
      and
      I
      am
     
     
      quite
      sure
      she
      will
      not
     
     
      be
      as
      amicable
      to
      the
     
     
      man
      she
      has
      supported
     
     
      in
      the
      past.
      Oh
      well,
     
     
      we
      can
      only
      hope
     
     
      Boudreau
      (who
      has
     
     
      promised
      to
      run
      in
      the
     
     
      next
      election
      as
      a
      star
     
     
      candidate)
      is
      not
     
     
      selected
      as
      a
      Finance
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EOL
     
     
      their
      fishery
     
     
      pretty
      well
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fe]
     
     
      thousand
     
     
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Minister
      in
      the
      21st
     
     
      century...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Supreme
      Court
      Ruling
     
    
   
   
    
     
      contd...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      promised
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      if
      the
      Feds
      did
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      move
      in
      quickly
      there
     
     
      would
      be
      violence
      on
     
     
      the
      high
      seas.
      Guess
     
     
      what,
      there
      has
      been.
     
     
      Things
      you
      might
      say
     
     
      are
      cooking
      over
      at
     
     
      Burnt
      Cross
      (or
      is
      it
     
     
      Church),
      New
      Bruns-
     
     
      wick.
      Violence
      has,
     
     
      indeed,
      broken
      out.
     
     
      This
      metamorphisized
     
     
      in
      several
      ways.
      It
     
     
      started
      with
      fisherman
     
     
      destroying
      native
     
     
      fishing
      equipment.
     
     
      This
      earned
      the
      re-
     
     
      sponse
      of
      an
      attack
      on
     
     
      a
      local
      fish
      canning
     
     
      plant
      followed
      by
      a
     
     
      KKK
      style
      burning
      of
     
     
      an
      empty
      dwelling
      ona
     
     
      Native
      reserve.
      I
      don’t
     
     
      expect
      things
      to
      get
      any
     
     
      better
      although
      most
     
     
      leaders
      are
      trying
      to
     
     
      calm
      there
      charged
     
     
      followers.
      Herb
     
     
      Dhaliwal
      has
      now
     
     
      promised
      that
      there
     
     
      will
      be
      a
      regulated
     
     
      fishery
      or
      no
      fishery
      at
     
     
      all
      and
      has
      asked
      the
     
     
      parties
      to
      agree
      to
      a
     
     
      moratorium
      until
      this
     
     
      can
      be
      settled.
      Unfor-
     
     
      tunately
      what
      these
     
     
      folks
      don’t
      see
      is
      that
     
     
      the
      Natives
      have
      a
      legal
     
     
      right
      to
      fish
      there
     
     
      brains
      out
      without
     
     
      regard
      to
      conservation.
     
     
      Oddly
      enough
      I
      agree.
     
     
      The
      Natives
      managed
     
     
      to
      run
      there
      fishery
     
     
      pretty
      well
      for
      a
      couple
     
     
      of
      thousand
      years
      until
     
     
      the
      white
      man
      got
      over
     
     
      here.
      Hell
      it
      took
      the
     
     
      white
      man
      less
      than
     
     
      400
      years
      to
      all
      but
     
     
      wipe
      it
      out.
      But
      lets
      be
     
     
      realistic
      for
      a
      second
     
     
      here.
      Personally,
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      couple
      of
      hundred
     
     
      Natives
      out
      fishing
      is
     
     
      not
      gonna
      wipeout
      the
     
     
      stocks.
      But
      with
      con-
     
     
      servation
      being
      so
     
     
      important
      I
      think
      the
     
     
      reality
      will
      be
      that
      the
     
     
      government
      might
     
     
      have
      to
      buy
      out
      some
     
     
      licenses
      and
      tighten
      the
     
     
      allowable
      catches
      on
     
     
      non-Natives.
      Is
      this
     
     
      fair??
      Of
      course
      not.
     
     
      Neither
      was
      it
      for
      the
     
     
      Natives
      who
      happened
     
     
      to
      inhabit
      a
      present
      day
     
     
      prized
      piece
      of
      real
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WELL
      EME
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OLE
      |
     
     
      Wr
      me
      Ue
      LL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      a
      regulated
     
     
      ETT
      J
      Aa)
     
     
      fishery
      at
      all.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      estate
      called
      Manhattan
     
     
      and
      who
      got
      paid
      all
      of
     
     
      the
      equivalent
      of
      24
     
    

    
     
      modern
      day
      dollars
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it.
      HTFTB...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Only
      in...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lotusland.
     
     
      Where
      is
      Lotusland??
     
     
      Present
      day
      British
     
     
      Columbia.
      The
      scandal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      plagued
      NDP
      are
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      midst
      of
      an
      ex-
     
     
      tended
      leadership
     
     
      search
      (and
      perhaps
     
     
      rescue
      might
      be
      appro-
     
     
      priate
      as
      well).
      Glen
     
     
      Clark
      followed
      the
      lead
     
     
      of
      his
      predecessor
      Mike
     
     
      Harcourt
      by
      stepping
     
     
      down
      in
      disgrace.
      Glen
     
     
      seemed
      to
      be
      giving
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      away
      Casino
      licenses
     
     
      for
      folks
      who
      can
      help
     
     
      him
      with
      his
      home
     
     
      renovations
      (obviously
     
     
      I
      had
      the
      wrong
      job
     
     
      that
      summer).
      So
      now
     
     
      they
      are
      looking
      to
      fill
     
     
      the
      vacuum.
      The
     
     
      outspoken
      Federal
     
     
      NDPer
      from
      Burnaby,
     
     
      Svend
      Robinson
      has
     
     
      declined
      to
      run
      al-
     
     
      though
      he
      is
      probably
     
     
      the
      best
      known
      Social-
     
     
      ist
      on
      Canada’s
      left
     
     
      wing.
      So
      in
      comes
      an
     
     
      interesting
      pragmatist
     
     
      (err...
      I
      mean
      candi-
     
     
      date)
      known
      as
      one
     
     
      Gordon
      Wilson.
      Some
     
     
      might
      remember
     
     
      Gordo
      from
      his
      days
      of
     
     
      running
      the
      BC
      Liber-
     
     
      als
      and
      returning
      them
     
     
      to
      respectability.
      Times
     
     
      have
      changed
      for
      him
     
     
      though.
      He
      was
      en-
     
     
      gaged
      in
      a
      leadership
     
     
      contest
      against
      the
      then
     
     
      mayor
      of
      Vangroovy
     
     
      Gordon
      Campbell.
     
     
      Seems
      Wilson
      took
      a
     
     
      page
      out
      of
      student
     
     
      financing
      when
      he
      ran
     
     
      up
      27
      thousand:dollars
     
     
      on
      his
      Visa
      while
     
     
      challenging
      Mr.
     
     
      Campbell
      (who’s
      still
     
     
      leader
      of
      the
      BC
      Liber-
     
     
      als).
      Now
      Wilson
     
     
      managed
      to
      find
      a
     
     
      buddy
      who
      picked
      up
     
     
      this
      tab
      and
      nobody
     
     
      knew
      any
      better
      until
     
     
      his
      buddy
      called
      in
      his
     
     
      loan
      (literally).
      Wilson
      -
     
     
      thought
      the
      loan
      was
      a
     
     
      gift.
      Now
      don’t
      blame
     
     
      Gordo
      for
      clouded
     
     
      judgement
      (it
      happens
     
     
      all
      the
      time
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      19