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The point is, the country has to focus all its energies â€" at least through its elected representatives â€" on the ongoing constituâ€" tional, energy and economical issues boiling to crisis levels. PAGE 6 â€" WATERLOO CHRAONICLE . WEDNESDAY Last Tuesday. the House of Commons began debate on the future of our country. The Constitution of Canada will affect the lives of every individual now living in Canaâ€" da. It will affect the lives of children for genâ€" erations to come. It was a truly historic ocâ€" casion, that moved every Member with the emotional expressions of commitment to this great land The confusion and the real concerns exâ€" pressed by many residents of Waterloo Ridâ€" ing serve to illustrate the cost of forcing "a speedy passage before Canadians underâ€" stand just what the whole package will mean to them. The Justice Minister,. Hon. Jean Chretien, presented a very emotional argument for the early acceptance of the proposals which he When the government‘s constitutional proâ€" posals were first introduced last October. 1 received a great many letters and comments that favoured ‘a speedy passage‘ and quick reâ€"patriation. When the proposals entered the committee stage. many Canadians were able to scrutinize, often for the first time. the consequences of the suggested changes Now that the debate has resumed on the floor of the House, I am receiving much corâ€" respondence asking for the details and exâ€" planations of almost every part of the Propoâ€" sals Conservatives can still do what some feel may be best for the party by choosing a new leader before the electorate casts its next vote. So, what about Canada? We feel the best thing is to leave Joe Clark in place for the time being â€" who knows, it may even be best to leave him alone later. ~ If the Conservatives get embroiled in a leadership review and convention, it will detract enormously from the party‘s concerns with the aforementioned issues. This is not to say that what the Conservatives have said as of late is any better or worse than what the ruling Liberals have had to say, but rather that they have been an effective opposition and should not cease to be at this critical juncture. The vital balancing force of the official opposition is an imporâ€" tant component of the Canadian political process and Clark has demonstrated an ability to represent his caucus well. He should at least be allowed to carry on in this regard as a means of providing that concentrated polarity that will hopefully allow the nation to achieve a happy medium towards its goals. What the federal Conservatives have to think about when they meet in Ottawa this week is not only what‘s bestfor their party, but what‘s best for Canada when deciding whether to hold a leaâ€" dership review. * The party still has some opportunity to elect a new leader before the apparentlyâ€"distant next federal election, so that shouldn‘t be a major concern. gs30c.a:.on Keep Joe on WALTER McLEAN published every Wednesday by Fairway Press. a division of Kitchenerâ€"Wateriloo Record Ltd.. owner 225 Fairway Rd. S . Kitchener. Ont address to Waterioo office 92 King St South Waterioo. Ont telephone 886 2830 Weterioo Chromicle office is located on2nd tloo: of the O W Sports buiiding opposite Waterioo Square Parking on King Street o: in Waterico Square Open Monday to Fnday $ 00 a m to 5 00 p m Publisher: Paul Winkler Manager: Bill Karges Editor: _ Phil Jaisevac * subscriptions $14 a year in Canada $16 a year in Urâ€"ted States and Foreign Countries The first area which worries us is the process of asking the British Parliament to do anything more than send back the British North America Art. As Hon. Jake Epp, M.P .. the first Conservative participant in the deâ€" bate. said in his response to Mr. Chretien: ‘*What Britain has to do is repeal section 7(1 ) of the Statute of Westminster. That is their resposibility ; the rest is ours." It is unaccepâ€" table for Canada to ask Great Britain to change the direction of this country‘! has spent a great deal of time and energy to bring to their present form. He admits that. quite naturally. he has become more than a little frustrated by the whole process. The Prime Minister has told the House that since taking his office in 1968, he has come to believe that Canadians must take the opportunity to bring home the constituâ€" tion now or lose the chance forever. The leader of the New Democratic Party, joins with the Government in urging Parliament to Act immediatey, because ‘"we need a conâ€" stitutional change now .‘ The Progressive Conservative Party agrees that Canadians should have a constiâ€" tution in Canada as soon as possible. But my colleagues and I have two main concerns with the Government‘s timeâ€"table. They are not small concerns FEBRUARY 25. 1981 The second area which troubles my colleaâ€" establisheqa 1854 Further on the constitution The differences I have with the governâ€" ment stem from my belief that every human being is created in the image of God. I beâ€" lhieve everyone has certain inalienable rights. The government‘s Charter of Rights extends certain freedoms to Canadians that it can also cut off! But the test of this notion lies in the realization that. whether the Governâ€" ment says you have certain rights or not, you know inside that you have those rights because you are a human being. Governâ€" ments cannot be supreme. The people in a democratic country are the supreme power. The proposed Charter of Rights gives Canâ€" adians certain rights. but it does not guaranâ€" gues and I, as well as Members from the two other parties, is a fundamentally different view of the place of government in the lives of Canadians. I could not agree more. I stated so in my contribution to the debate last Friday. The Trudeau Charter of Rights is based. hoâ€" wever. on the idea that any rights which we have as Canadians are granted by the goâ€" vernment. That is the premise on which the charter is based. That is where the charter is very wrong. As Mr. Chretien pointed out in his opening remarks: "All honourable members are in favour of a Charter of Rights. That is very important." The requests for basic information that I am receiving from the residents of our area have convinced me that the Government is moving too fast. Government is the servant of the people. not the master. If Canadians do not have enough facts on which to judge the proposals, then the government has no buâ€" siness telling the country what is good for it, and what is not! This approach is dividing Canada. Ms. Linda Ryanâ€"Nye. one of the organizers of the conference. was critical of the Governâ€" ment‘s response to the presentations made by women‘s Councils to the Joint Committee and to Mr. Chretien: *On the one hand they‘re saying they won‘t make any changes:; that the charter is fine. on the other hand, they are telling us that we have raised some very sensitive. worthwhile amendments. I think they are going to have to deal with that contradiction." tee rights to others. It discriminates. say exâ€" pert witnesses. _ _ . On the weekend of February 13â€"15. over 1,200 women gathered in Ottawa to study the constitutional proposals. Not only did they "find it wanting,"" but they passed a series of resolutions aimed at demonstrating to the Government that 52 percent of our populaâ€" tion would be no better off with the new charter than they are without it‘