Recent SFU grad now aiming for New West City Council in November 19 elections Nicole Burton, News Editor On a ballot of 23 candidates for a total of six positions, there must be something to help one stand out. Simply on first impressions, Jonathan X Cote is off to a good start. Recently graduated from SFU with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History, full of energy at the youthful age of 26 with a catchy “X” middle initial, and, according to Other Press Editor Colin Miley, “He has this adorable puppy.” Jonathan is making himself visible and appealing to students and young people. Though more important, some might argue, are the greater issues arising in New Westminster that necessi- tate political leadership. Currently, New Westminster is a city with a popula- tion just under 55,000, and primarily, the residents are of an older crowd. Major topics of discussion concerning politicians at the civic level right now are rapid develop- ments in business and higher-income housing, develop- ing better services, and accommodation for the city’s heavy traffic and crowded public transportation systems. Underlying a lot of the problems in New West today are the potential crises created by huge pushes in commer- cial development and the result of an adjust workforce. Therefore, the needs of seniors and those retiring from work in the coming few years (including, we might add, nearly 50 percent of Douglas College’s instructors) are on the top of Cote’s list of “things to do while in office.” Others include a number of community projects like neighborhood watch groups and a community centre Downtown. Cote also wants to reduce the amount of revenue brought in by New Westminster's casino indus- try. The Other Press regrets not being able to interview Cote for this article before press time. We encourage all Douglas students to look into the candidates in their areas before voting in the upcoming civic elections on November 19. Douglas students actu- ally living in New Westminster (yea—all 20 of you) should check out some of the following websites:. For more on Jonathan Cote’s campaign, visit his website: www-votecote.ca For information on voting locations, visit: www.city.newwestminster.be.ca/ cityhall/ Leg_Info/ Election_places_adv_vote.htm Gomery’s Report Condemns Sponsorship Program Excuses PM Opposition parties unable to force election on issue Nadya Bell, CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief OTTAWA (CUP)—The final ruling on the gritty details of Liberal party corruption came out with John Gomery’s November 1 report on the Sponsorship Program, which placed a large portion of the blame on former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Brown envelopes of cash, political backroom bully- ing, and free tickets to the Grand Prix were all part of business conducted in the name of national unity by public servants, the prime minister’s office, and the Quebec Liberal party between 1994 and 2002. The release of Gomery’s report divided parliament, with the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois calling for an immediate election. But Jack Layton made no deci- sion about whether the NDP would continue to support the Liberals, and said he wanted a successful parliament. With no vote that could defeat the government this week, all three opposition parties would have to boycott parliament in order to force an election. Gomery’s commission will deliver two reports, the current one dealing with responsibility, and a second in February to give recommendations to the government. Prime Minister Martin has said on several occasions that he will call an election after the second report is released. The sponsorship program began in the mid 1990s as way of creating national unity by promoting the federal government across Canada. Federal Cabinet used this program to advertise Canada in Quebec after the 1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty. Gomery’s Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities was called because of questions raised in the Auditor General’s November 2003 report. The Auditor General found that the administration and spending of the Sponsorship Program had few internal controls, poorly documented spending, and excessive production costs. “The absence of a set of criteria permitted the grant- ing of sponsorships for purposes unrelated to national unity considerations or increased visibility in Canada of the federal presence,” said Gomery’s report. One unrelated activity was the purchase of Grand Prix tickets in 1998 through a sponsorship contract. Guidelines for the program introduced in 2001 could have prevented the “mismanagement and abuses” that happened earlier in the program, wrote Gomery. The Quebec Liberal party directly profited from pro- gram mismanagement. Five companies received many exclusive contracts with the federal government in return for their contributions to the Liberal Party of Canada. Of the advertising companies—Groupaction, Lafleur, Gosselin, Everest, and Coffin—Gosselin got fewer sponsorship contracts after they stopped con- tributing to the Liberal party. Gomery’s report said that Paul Martin was not responsible for the activities that happened while he was finance minister. But the Prime Minister’s Office under Chrétien was found to be involved in the program, and responsible for mismanagement. Gomery’s report drew on testimony from 172 wit- nesses, collected during the commission hearings in Montreal, from September 7, 2004, until June 17, 2005. After the report was released, Gilles Duceppe said that he was ready for an election “right now.” Conservative leader Stephen Harper was equally will- ing to go to the polls. But he said they need a clear three-party opposition to the government in order to defeat the liberals. Paul Martin accepted the findings of the report and immediately referred it to the RCMP to look for illegal activities. Martin said the Liberal party will pay back $1.14 million to the government, and he has banned 10 people from membership in the party because of their involvement in the program. Scott Brison, Public-\Works Minister, said in question period that Paul Martin is the only man who can fix the job and make sure that this willtruly never happen again. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said in a press conference late in the evening that he considers Gomery’s report biased, and that he will take action in federal court. Gomery’s report found that the prime minister was responsible for the program mismanagement by not being more diligent. Chrétien said the sponsorship program was “one small program in a very large government.”