Regional News (Caledonia): Fantino nomination ‘bloody disgraceful’

Posted on October 24, 2010 | Comments Off

Regional News reporter Bill Jackson takes notes at Oct 13/10 Caledonia debate

Reporter Bill Jackson, himself a victim of an assault by native protesters in Caledonia, provided this editorial comment in the Oct 20/10 edition of the Caledonia-based Regional News, which serves Haldimand County:

Regional News – Comment [PDF]
by Bill Jackson
Oct 20/10

I echo the sentiment urging people to get out on Oct. 25 and exercise their democratic right as voters. It is a trite cliché, but nonetheless true. A strong voice is needed in Haldimand now, more than ever.

Yet it’s easy to understand how people have lost their faith in government, especially when someone like Julian Fantino gets nominated as a candidate for the federal Conservatives. After years of lawlessness and two-tiered justice in Caledonia under his watch, countless letters and phone calls pleading with upper levels of government to do something to protect local residents, and Conservatives themselves saying that the province needed to uphold the law, it’s bloody disgraceful. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, local MP Diane Finley and the entire federal Conservative Party should be ashamed. There’s simply no way around it.

Also alarming were the comments made by the majority of ward three candidates at last week’s debate at the Lions Hall. The belief that road blockades have nothing to do with the OPP and that council can’t do anything to curtail them in the future and that a few vigilantes can be dealt with when the time comes is pure hogwash. Have we all been living under a rock?

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