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Canada Report

Conservatives want fixed election dates

By JIM FOX
Published May 28, 2006

The new Conservative government wants to move slightly away from Canada's parliamentary tradition by setting fixed dates for federal elections.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said legislation is planned to hold elections every four years, with the next one to take place in the fall of 2009.

At present, elections are held at the whim or convenience of the government in power.

Political analysts try to determine the most opportune time to face the voters within a maximum term of office of five years, with no limit on how many terms a prime minister can serve.

"Fixed election dates stop leaders from trying to manipulate the calendar - they level the playing field for all parties," Harper said.

This is the first of the Conservatives' so-called democratic reform measures and deals with "government accountability," he added.

Four people die from lack of oxygen in old mine

Investigators say a lack of oxygen in an underground pumping station caused the deaths of four people at an old mine in Kimberley, British Columbia.

The body of Douglas Erickson, 48, an environmental contractor at the decommissioned Sullivan mine, was found by Robert Newcombe, 49, who was sent to check on him.

Newcombe along with paramedics Kim Weitzel, 44, and Shawn Currier, 21, were also found dead by firefighters who entered the station wearing breathing apparatus.

Chief mines inspector Fred Hermann issued a national alert saying this potential hazard can exist where enclosed sampling locations are downstream of mine waste dumps.

Names in the news

- Heather Crowe, the face behind the drive for smoke-free workplaces, has died of lung cancer just a week before an Ontario province-wide ban on smoking begins in all public buildings. Crowe, 61, who never smoked, appeared in TV ads warning of the perils of second-hand smoke. She became sick after working for 40 years in an Ottawa restaurant when smoking was allowed.

- Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Bush have found a date that works, July 6, in Washington for a meeting to discuss "a range of bilateral and global issues." Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States said security and intelligence cooperation will top the agenda.

- Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor said Canada's exit strategy from the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan involves staying put until 2009. He made the comment Friday, the same day the military funeral service was held in Calgary for Canada's 17th casualty of the war, Capt. Nichola Goddard, 26.

Meanwhile, a roadside blast north of Kandahar in the past week injured five Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter.

Facts and figures

Fueled by the continued high oil prices, Canada's currency could be headed toward parity with the U.S. dollar, says Stephen Poloz, chief economist of Export Development Corp.

Should oil politics calm and energy prices drop, the dollar could again settle in the 80-cent U.S. range, he said.

The dollar gained to 90.31 cents U.S. Friday while the U.S. dollar was $1.1072 in Canadian funds before bank exchange fees.

The Bank of Canada nudged its key interest rate higher by 0.25 percent to 4.25 percent while the prime lending rate moved to 6 percent.

Stock markets are higher, with the Toronto composite index at 11,762 points and the Canadian Venture Exchange at 2,840 points.

Lotto 6-49: Wednesday 1, 15, 18, 19, 29, 37; bonus 5. (May 20) 15, 18, 22, 31, 43, 49; bonus 26.

Regional briefs

- Toronto will bid to host World Expo 2015 along the Lake Ontario waterfront. Mayor David Miller said this will accelerate the redevelopment of the waterfront and lead to improved arts and community facilities. Others in the running include: Las Vegas; Atlanta; New York; San Francisco; Moscow; Izmir, Turkey; and Turin, Italy.

- Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald is stressing getting tough with criminals if his Conservatives are re-elected when voters go to the polls June 13. He pledges to spend $65-million to hire 250 additional police officers over the next four years. Liberal leader Francis MacKenzie said there needs to be an emphasis on attacking the root causes of crime, including improved programs for troubled children.

- A "high-class" protest in a trendy West Vancouver neighborhood resulted in 23 "cordial" arrests, police said. The monthlong protest was over environmental concerns about plans to carve a road through the Eagleridge Bluffs above Horseshoe Bay in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

[Last modified May 28, 2006, 05:46:06]