Whitby Free Press, 24 Sep 1980, p. 3

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WHITBY'FnrEjLýE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPEMBER 24, 1980, PAGE 3 Fennel daims constitutional talkswere planned to fail by PM By MICHAEL KNELL Free Pres staff The recently beld con- stitutional eonference was doomed to fail, bocause It was planned te fail. That's the claim of Ontario Rlding MP Scott Fenneil. "It's a charade," sald Fenneil, a Progressive Con- servative, "The whole tblng was plmnned and contrlved te fail by the Prime Mlnlster's office. " Fenneil also cdaims that the Liberal government cailed the conference te bide their inability te deal with theo country's economlic problemns. "4It in te protect the Liberals agalnst their non- promises and their lack 0f agreement on energy," ho sald. Accordlng te the businessman turned politiclan, the govomnment la not concentrating its efforts on the problems 0f unom- ployment and slow economlic growth. "Everything la in trouble riglit now, " ho sald. "lBaslcally, we've got a lot of problemns i the country today and French te the last problem 0of Candians, but It lan (Prime Minster Pierre) Trudeau's primary problem." However, fenneU i .d not criticizo Trudeau's désire to zeo equal opportunlty for Engllsb and French calllng, it an "admirable désire. " Fenneil also charged that the conforence faied because of Trudeau's non- movableposition on seeing language rlght entrenched in tho new constitution. "The premiers bad come te an agreement te lot down on their pet requirements and Peter Lougheod (Aihor- ta's premier) said it ail when ho said that Trudeau just said no," he said. Fenneil sald that It te (and was) the prime mlnteter's intention te bring home the constitution unlaterally, ho wasn't roaly, seeking an agreement wlth the provin- ces. "Ho doesn't give a damn about an agreement," Fen- neil charged., "Ho wants more power for the central government." In an interview given last week, Fenneil claimed tbat Trudeau's plans were to "4write a new constitution, thon infrom Westminster (the British Parliament). "'He'll write it witbout concenus." According te the Tory member, bis party will only agree to the repatriation of the constithtion if a nation- wide agreement can ho reached. "lWe wlll only agree with the repatriation (of the con- stitution) if it te done i ful agreement acrosa the coun- try." _Fenneil said that ho sees a DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC' 111 DUNDAS STREET WEST WHITBY 668-1464 Csf PN Dry 668-0891 WHUTBY 110 DUNLOP ST. E.' and SCISSORS 668-1 640 601 Dundee St. W. WHITBY TOWN PLAZA Monday to Saturday *PERMS 112 PRE RoUdn pennD«ay m Pnh Rg. $60 New$30.0 Rdldn Pen, curi &CondfinRg. $5NOW $27.50 KairM"voPen Rhn. $50 NOM$26.00 H«»NnaPenRnsu$4Nww$22.50 Wou aBaisanPen n Ro. $40 NOV$20.00 OndulaikoPennRn. $35 NOV$17.50 *bSTREAKS 1PIE ShortH* air g. $35 NOW$17.50 Modkun Kif e. $40 o M $20,00 Long HMW Ag. $45 NOV$22.50 *HENNA 1 COLQOR 12PC SNÉHW %. $25 w$1 2.50 Madlijn H* ait g. $30 NMW $15-00 Longit - Rn. $35 NSV $17.50 Extia Long Ki' l %. $40 NOV$20.00 OFFER O= UNTIL SEPTEUSE30, 1 U0 great danger should Trudeau move unilaterally. to bring the constitution un- der full Canadian control. "If ho plans to bring borne the constitution unilateraily, thon he can change It unilaterally," Fenneil sald. "He can write into it anything ho wants. " Ho also went as far as to accuse the prime minister of having the Intention of breaklng down Canada's democratie freedoms. 'II maintalned lni196 that ho is a dangerous and brillant man,,and nothing bas changed," he said. As far as Fenneil Is con- cerned, there is no pressing need to change the present constitution, the British Nor- th America Act. 'II tbink we've clone pretty weil witb the one we'vo got,"1 ho said adding that the real problem la the Canadian economy . and that "con- stitutional change bides econoxmc problems. " This la not te suggest that Fennel l i not in favor of writing a new constitution, bowever, it la not a priorty' and it should ho done in a dif- forent mannor. 'II would like te see the building of the constitution done with Candain prido," ho said. 'It bas te be carofully though out and ap- proved by ail Canadian. It bas to ho dono on a stop by step basis as it involvos 24 million peoplo." As for entronchlng language rlghts inte the con- stituti on, Fenneil said that ho is opposed to that bocauso "leconomies dictate language" and the inter- national economlc language is Englilh. '4Enls is the interý- national languago, the language of business, com- merce and transportation," ho sald addlng that Canda' would suffered oCOnomlCallY if it did business in French ybile the roat of the world bartered in Englisb. He described Trudoau's désire to entrench languago tlghts as an ."unreallstic hope. Yy "That 's wbat I've got against hlm."o THE CALICO CAT Your WooI Store GOING OUT 0F BUSINESS SALE 20% OF'F EVERYTHING 11 8-BROCK ST NWHITBY 668-7611

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