May 17, 2003

Regional News

The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca

A selection of news briefs from the north, east, west, and centre of Canada, but not from the south. Including: OCAP trial, Ernie Eves' Televised Budget, and elections in Manitoba, New Brunswick.

East

Fishing disputes heat up
Fishers in New Brunswick will disobey restrictions on crab fishing this spring. In Newfoundland, displeasure over the closure of the cod fishery, has caused so much controversy that Premier Roger Grimes has talked publicly of renegotiating Newfoundland's place in confederation to gain control of the fishery.

New Brunswick election called
Premier Bernard Lord has dissolved the legislature and set a June 9 date for a provincial election. Lord's Tory party holds significant majority in New Brunswick and prospects for increasing the margin seem good.

Central

Manitoba goes to the polls June 3
Premier Gary Doer seeks to renew his NDP's mandate in a provincial election June 3. Doer is looking for another majority and may even improve on his party's 32 seats. This is the first election under new campaign finance rules.

Eves shunts democracy then gets ready for election
Premier Ernie Eves announced his pre-election budget outside the legislature for the first time in provincial history. Days later his Tory government released their election platform, featuring (surprise), promises of tax cuts and more warring with the province's teachers. The Tories, who promised a balanced budget by next year, have been criticized by two bond rating agencies who claim the provinces books are more than $1-billion from being balanced.

OCAP three trial declared mistrial
The trial of three activists from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn't agree of the definition of "force", or whether a June 15, 2000 incident at the provincial legislature had, in fact, been a riot. The future of charges against John Clarke, Gaetan Héroux, and Stefan Pilipa, is unclear.

Prairies/West

No spring election in Saskatchewan
Unlike some of his fellow Premiers whose governments were elected in 1999, Lorne Calvert announced he will not send his province back to the polls this spring. The NDP is currently in a minority government coalition and has more than twelve months to call an election.

BC NDP blast Liberals for two years of destruction
NDP Leader Joy McPhail released a report this week on the failed promise of the Liberal government. This week marks the two year anniversary of Gordon Campbell's near sweep of the British Columbia legislature. The report marks at least 25 promises the Liberals have broken.

North

Nunavut hosts conference on suicides as rate continues to climb
The coroner of Nunavut says the suicide rate in Canada's youngest territory continues to climb. 107 Nunavut residents have taken their own lives since the territory was formed just four years ago. A conference on the problem opens in Iqualit.