News Shorts

By Kristina “ae

HST: on the way?

Bill 9 was approved Friday in the B.C. Legislature, effectively ridding taxpayers of the PST, but also clearing the way for the HST, slated to come into effect July 1.

The NDP however, insists that the fight isn’t over until July 1. The NDP caucus is continuing to support Bill Vander Zalm’s “Fight HST” Initiative.

Fuck Cancer

FUCK CANCER

Like most successful campaigns, it started completely serendipitously. Yael Cohen printed a t-shirt complete with the slogan “Fuck Cancer” last summer for her mother who was recovering from breast cancer. She wore the shirt everywhere. And everywhere she went, the statement was noticed.

The simple, but incredibly clear message intended to make her mom laugh, soon became a global campaign. Money from the sale of the t-shirts goes directly to cancer research and to programs for cancer patients.

For more information or to order yours, go to LetsFCancer.com.

Ignetieff calls for stay of Jean’s term Governor General Michaelle Jean’s term as Governor General of Canada is slated to end in September after five years of service. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff publically backed an extension of Jean’s term Sunday, though the Governor General is appointed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is also the only one that can choose to extend a Governor General’s term.

Ignetieff said that he couldn’t imagine a better role model for young Canadians, also commending Jean on her work on behalf of Haiti.

Other candidates for the position currently include celebrities such as William Shatner and Mary Walsh.

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B.C. government imposes toughest drunk driving laws in Canada

Tanya Colledge

staff reporter

ith impaired driving on the increase in \ X | British Columbia, the B.C. government has decided that additional penalties are necessary to deter people from getting behind the wheel when they’ ve been drinking.

The revised drinking and driving rules state that drivers caught with a blood alcohol level between 0.05 per cent and 0.08 per cent, which would currently earn them a 24-hour suspension, will now face a three-day driving ban. In addition, drivers will be charged fees up to $600 and possible vehicle impoundment. Repeat offenders will now face a month suspension and fines up to $800.

The government has also increased penalties for drivers found above the 0.8 blood-alcohol limits.

This point of charge, laid under the criminal code of Canada, will ban offenders from driving for 90 days. Drivers will face fines up to $3,750, and fees or jail time imposed by the courts.

How do these laws calculate for British Columbian drivers? According to a Canadian blood- alcohol calculator, if a woman weighing 120 pounds has one highball over a two-hour period, she should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle since her blood alcohol-level would be above the legal limit. Conversely, a 180-pound man consuming roughly three pints of beer should also find an alternative mode of transportation.

These revised penalties will make them the toughest drunk driving laws in Canada— which, in comparison to international laws, has been behind the trend to lower impaired driving limits. The B.C. government hopes the new penalties will help lower drunk driving fatalities by 35 per cent over the next three years.

Approximately 130 people are killed every year due to drunk driving in British Columbia.