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Page 14, Whtby Free Pros, Wecfnesday, January 4, 1995 SUPPORT GROUP The Osteoporools Support Group wil meet tonight (Wednesday), 7 Rm jat the YWCÀA4 1 McGrigor t Osihawa. For more inLrmation, caI MlUe at 725-1683. Y EPILPSY The Parent Group of Epilepsy Durham n Region will meet Tuesday, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m., at the Kinsmen Community Centre, 109 Coîborne St. W., -Oshawa. A guest speaker from the school board will. answer questions. For further information caîl 666-9926. GARDEN CLUB The Oshawa Garden Club will meet on Monday, Jan. 9 at Northtniinister United Churcb, 676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, at 7:30 p.m. A slide show of club activities and "private gardens visited through 1994 will be featured. A question-and-answer period- will focusr on gardening probleme and bow to take care of houseplants through the winter montbs. For more information, call Linda Smith at 432-7237. NEWCOMERS CLUB The Osbawa/Whitby Newcomers. Club 18 hoeting a general meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 10e 8 p.m., at the Arts Resource Conter Green Room. Guest speaker will be Eva Martin-Blyth from the Oshawa YWCA. Al women new to the area are welcome te, attend. For more information cali Information Whitby at 668-0552 or Information Oshawa at 434-4636. Admission'is $1. a CREWS SWEEP UP foiiowinig a two-car accident at Mary and Hickory Streets late Thursday mommng. Police say a 1986 Pontiac driven by a 16-year-old Courtice teen was heading forth on Hickory when it nNon -rfit communi grope Whltby or have a substantial Whltby membership may place their page at no cost. waowtoa wnWk18.remla rFday ai p.m. coiiided with an 1992 Honda ýdnven b ya 62-year-old Evensong Drive Woman. 11,he teen>, who was. charged «with failing to yieidi sufferèd minor' injuries'. Police estimate damage to the two vehicies at $5,500." Photo by Mark Reesor, Whlby Fme Pres lÀ LBCHE la Loche Lague Whltby will hold Its montr breastfeeding support meeting offnThray Jan. 12t 9:30 a.m. The topic in 'Nutrition and . Weaning..' Mothers, babies and expectant mothere welcome. Call 723-0542 for details, including location of meeting. STAMP CLUB The Oshawa Stamp Club will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 7pm. in the cafeteria at O'ill CVI, Oshawa. Collectors and guosts are welcome. For more information, cali Roy at 728-2599. THEOS Ile lcal chapter of THEoe for the, widowed, will meet on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2 p..m., at'St. Andrew's* Preshyterian Church, Cochrane Street Whitby. Jennifer Jenkins, a Whitby lawyor, will be guost speaker. She will speak on legal issues as they pertain to the widowed. For more information, cal) 668-2648. GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY The Whitby-Oshawa Branch (Region of Durhiam) of the Ontario Genealogical Society will- meet. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m., in the Henry Street 111fgb -School cafeteria. Guest speaker, is Sher Leetooze, local author, discusfing ber 'lat est bock, 'The Firet 200 Years -A, Brief History ."Of 'Darlington -Townsbip.' AUl meetings are *ee and open to the general public.' Ca]l 683-2476 (Marion) or 723-7460 (Besse) for. further information. After 15 years of service to Whitby and the Durham area, Mrs. Audrey Piper, past owner of Go Natural Heaith and Beauty Centre, thanks ail of her friends and customers for their continued support through the years. She wishes you ail a prosperous New Year and wouid like to inieyou to make an appointment for a consultation and healing session on Wednesdays at the new Go Natural Heaith & Nutnition Centre, 121 Brock St. N., Whitby. Pieae cil (05)6682661 or (905) 683-1370 for an appointment. STREET PROOFING- $3991yr Expires Feb. 1/95 1995 INTRO $20. includles D namc Kiking3 classes & D nmicKicingFREE T-Sh irt EDUCATION THROUGH MARTIAL ARTS - ADULTS & CHILDREN MPI won'tbackwa PROM PAGE 1 been almost forced inte taking on tho role gerierally performed by the Opposition. "In this. parlianient, there are two arties -- one leaning too far toterght (Reform) and one committed te the destruction of Canada <Bloc Quebecois). '"'['h real opposition is basi- cally in one camp, the Liberals, because of the absence of Tories and the NDP.» Again, McTeague stressed, «If Pin a maverick tbere are others out tbere as ;f. Althougb neyer havn held *public offce prior te the eecon McTeague was no stranger te, politics. UI bad worked for a Member of Parliament on the bilI (Ottawa) and in a consistuency office before,» he said. "But it's a different thing te, work for someone and do it your- self.» The "highlight' of bis first 15 months bas been the «receptabi- lity,' McTeague said. "Not a day into the job and we. were already taking cases in the canipalIg office. f think that shows that people bave a great deal of faitb in a new MP.» But with the satisfaction that cornes ftom belping constituents witb their problems, tbere 18 also the inevitable disappointment "in not always being able te, win victeries when peopîe have no other alternative," said McTeapue. Viewmg part of bis job as "sort of a mini-ombudsman," McTeague bas had te, learn how te be both «iplomnatie' and "foreeful' depending on the',cir- cumstanoes. «We try te go the extra mile, but wben you try te, go the distance you sometîmes faUI short and tbat's disappointing,» he admitted. While in the House of Com- mons, MeTeague bas learned that bY taking a stand on "impor- tant issues,' h e occasionally ends up "figting my own party. For instance, McTeýagàe does not apologize for accusing votoran MP Warren Allmand. a former cabinet "ministeýr, Of employin*q"high-handaed.jaekboot tactics» m dealing with the ~enent's controéversial Bill *McTeagnie and Nova, Scotia Liberal MRPRoseanne Skoke, a fierce opponent of gay rights, were not allowod te cquestion Rock when the minister appeared before Allmand's jus- tice committee. Allmand ruled that only regu- lar committee mnembers could question Rock, leading the two te charge their own partwith muzzlingthem in publ-i.t "I was effectelygaggedj MeTeague empbaticarlaréeâ "I have a great problem with people like Warreni Allmand. -I was astonisbed that hie would go te that length' te prevent me from speaking.» The source of McTéague's and Skoke's concern is an omnibus bill that includes teugher sen- tences for hate crimes motivated by race, nationality, color, reli- gMon sex, age, mental or physical diîsaLility, or sexual orientation. The section would only corne into effeet afte~r a person is con- victed of a crime and only if there is evidence the offence was motivated by one of the afore- mentioned categories. McTete argues that by in- cluding the terni 'sexual orien- tation' the law will provide pro- tection for people engagea in activities now deemed illegal. "The minister said sexual orientation means homosexuals heterosexuals and bisexuals,' explained McTeague and he in- itially refused te consider any changes te the bill. "As a compromise, I said in- clude the three terms rather than a vague term that could include voyeurismn and pedophi- lia.3 Rock eventually agreed te review the bill's wordmig but MeTeague is takinq no chances. He plans to, introduce an amendment that deletes aIl the motivating factors. Under the amendxnent, evi-1 denoe that an offence was moti-1 vated by bias, prejudice or bate against the victun, would be suf- ficient grounds for the courts te determine if an offence can be deemed te, possess aggravating "I don't want people te 't"7n my opposition te C-41 is homo- phobic, this is notrthe, case,» said "It just shows the way oposi- tion te, the bill was perceive and sold by the government and its.-- friends in the media.» In a similar vein, McTeague and other Liberals broke with the government when tbey sup- ported Nunziata's bill. Firstdegree murder sentences now carry an autematie 25-year term with, no opportunity for parofe. However Section 745 of the Crimial Mod allows murderers te apply for parole after serving 15arn the next 15 years, nearly 600 convicted first-degree murderers will boe eigible te. apply for early release, including chiild killer Cifford OIson. Nunziata's bill, whicb bas beon sent on te Allmands committe. for roview would close this "Ioop- hole,» Mcrteague said. "The objective of the bill would effectivoly eliminate parole eligi- bility and make sure lifo sen- tences of 25 years remain what it ss--if Zou do the crime, iou do MeTeague was the only local MP to support the bill. Durham riding MP Alox Shep- herd, wbo represents north Whitby, and Oshawa MP Ivan Grose voted against it. "The entire cabinet, witb the exception of one mimister, were ppsed,' said MTeqe. ý'he majority of Liberal back- benchers supported it on a fre vote. "That says a lot about wbere MPs fall on the issues when they don't crack the whip and impose party discipline." Whle some migbt age that a yon Pi ay-bejeojpardzn hiýerpolitical career ?y taking stands contrary te their own p art, MéTeague doos not se. it thatway. "Those who muzzle the inter- ests of their constituents in order te gyain entrance into cabinet will find-themselves irrelevant and not elected tbe next time around. «I agree witb most of the things the government doem, but your firat responsiîbili>r is te your constituents, your integrity and your sense of values.» "s' -1 1