Gov't Silences Critics Fire by LOIS CORBETT All That, but If We See a Pattern in "Modest" and MARY ELLEN JONES the Problems, We Take That on As Well," She Said
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February 6, 1986 Dal Legal Aid's budget cut Henson Gov't silences critics fire By LOIS CORBETT all that, but if we see a pattern in "modest" and MARY ELLEN JONES the problems, we take that on as well," she said. By MARY ELLEN JONES ~?:~®ifW#~:.~::::::: ;;:::;;:~ :~{¥A=~~ /.4tt.Wa\W~W;...~J THE NOVA SCOTIA GOV Two years ago, Dal Legal Aid noticed a pattern in the cases AN ELECTRICAL FIRE LAST ernment's decision to cut almost Sunday morning caused minor $90,000 in provincial funding to brought to them by people with complaints with the N'Jva Scotia structural damage to the Institute Dalhousie Legal Aid is an of Public Affairs. attempt to silence a public voice Power Commission. Harris said the Commission was cutting off The building is the research in social activism, says Joan Daw unit of Henson College of Public kins, director of Dal Legal Aid. peale's power without giving them legal notice, and once cut Affairs and Continuing Educa Social services Minister tion. It provides library and office Edmund Morris announced the off a woman's electricity because her estranged husband didn't pay space. cuts, $70,000 from the Attourney "The institute's library General's office and $20,000 from the bill. Dawkins said Dal Legal Aid appears to have come out of it his department last Friday, giv fairly well, no water or fire dam ing Dal Legal Aid no notice of the helped change the "draconian policies of the Power Com age to materials, " said Steven decision, and failing to consult MacDonald, research co the university's law school, mission." "Occasionally we have the ordinator of Henson College. which offers the service. Unlike the Weldon Law build Morris said Dal Legal Aid had opportunity to take an issue for ward, attack it on a broader ing fire earlier this year, the fire at become "a political training Henson College was "modest", ground for NDP candidates to the sense," said Dawkins. Harris said Dal Legal Aid also said John Graham, vice detriment of the poor and president of university services. disadvantaged." fought the government over its decision to cut teen age mothers MacDonald could not com Two Dal Legal Aid workers ment on the approximate cost of have run for the NDP in the past, off from social assistance. "When that was about to damages. but Bob Levy, one of two NDP One wall and the ceiling of the members that holds a seat in the become law, we tried to fight it, because a lot of our clients are institute's library was destroyed. provincial legislature said it is "The instit.ute will be partially "unconscionable that the Tories teen mothers. We continued to fight it after it became law. And back to normal as soon as the wir would ever think of Dal Legal ing inside the building is Aid in that way." the government doesn't like that," said Harris. replaced," he said. Premier John Buchanan A recent review of fire safety defended the move to cut the legal Dal Legal Aid acts as a "com plementary caseload to the N.S. protection at Dalhousie found aid service by 25 per cent saying four of the university's main "you'd have to have your head in Law Commission," said Daw Electrical wiring caused the fire at the Institute of Public Affairs. Dal Photo, Scott Campbell. buildings inadequately protected the sand not to realize the NDP kins. "We don't get involved with people dealing with a lot of -with fire safety equipment. had used it for political pur The Arts and Administration, poses." The premier said the money. We do criminal and fam ily affairs, not motor vehicle or Chemistry building, Sir James government is not cutting back Paper staff quits Dunn building and the education on legal aid services, only divert narcotic offenses , because other things are more important," she building were all found unsatis ing the money to a new organiza the day after the staff resigned, factory, said Graham. said. tion, the metro community law and asked the director of the stu "A few of the buildings on "Many of Dal Legal Aid's clinic and to the Nova Scotia THE ENTIRE STAFF OF THE dent union building to change campus do not have sprinkler sys clients are on social assistance or Legal Aid commission. student newspaper at St. Thomas the locks on the door. The coun tems, pull stations, or heat and people who have had their assist Levy said N.S. Legal Aid won't University in Fredericton cil also disconnected the paper's smoke detectors to summon fire ance cut," said Harris. "Our case fill the gap left by the govern resigned last Tuesday, claiming telephone. fighters," he said. load with housing related issues the student council was trying to ment funding cut. "They won't Toner said members of the The Institute of Public Affairs has skyrocketed, so much so that provide the same type of service. control the paper's editorial SRC executive went to Henley was not equiRped with a Tht>y provide no attention what over 50 per cent of our cases are content. Publishing in Woodstock, the sprinkler system. so ever to the type of political now dealing with housing prob Editor Neil Toner said he and paper's printer, to check the Although the university can advocacy that Dal Legal Aid lems," she said. twenty other Aquinian staffers paper before its press run. not afford to install proper fire does," he said. Dal Legal Aid helped organize walked out in protest of the long A letter signed by the staff detection systems in every build the Housing for People Coali standing dispute between the members said they were tired of ing there are plans for upgrading Dal Legal Aid workers say the tion, and has sponsored advocacy papers and the Student Represen working under the constant the fire safety standards in older government is cutting back workshops for other community tative Council concerning the threat of closure while trying to buildings on campus, said because it doesn't like criticism. groups including the Black Uni Aquinian's constitutional rights publish a paper free of editorial Graham. "Anytime you attack a govern ted Front, and Bryony House. and editorial freedom. confd on pt~Qe 3 ment, you are bound to align Buchanan denied the cutbacks Toner said the Aquinian staff with opposition policy," says would hurt poor people's access hopes to continue publication of Dawkins. to legal aid. "What we're doing is an independent paper by appeal Women are test animals Dawkins said Morris' descrip going to strengthen it," he said. ing to students and alumni for By CHERYL TIBBETTS Shainwald mainly discussed tion of her organization as an "It's just a way of making the sys financial assistance. the dangers of Depo-Provera, a NDP training school was "laugh tem more cost efficient." "We're not about to let this A NEW YORK LAWYER SAYS contraceptive administered to able", and Morris was using per But Dawkins disagrees. stop us from serving the students pharmaceutical companies don't women intermuscularly at three sonal reasons to explain the "My prediction is, and I can of St. Thomas," said Toner. care about the lives of women, month intervals. The drug is not cutbacks. only say this without knowing Toner said the walk-out was a only about corporate policies. approved by the United States "We are vulnerable because we what the plans are right now, is "vote of non-confidence in the Speaking on reproductive tech Food and Drug Administration are independent. The way to have this board (the new clinic) will be SRC's ability to responsibly rep nology at the Killam Library last (FDA) , but it is available to prevented this would have been nothing different than the Nova resent the students at St. Tho week, Shainwald said standards women who want it. not to criticize the government. Scotia Legal Aid commission mas, who are the publishers ofthe for contraceptives should be Depo-Provera has not passed But that would have been ignor always a good Tory at the helm." Aquinian." higher. the animal safety tests because it ing our job," she said. Dawkins said the cut in govern The council was trying to get "Women are the ultimate test has been found to cause cancer in Barb Harris, a co-worker at Dal ment funding will not close Dal more control of the paper, said animals," she said. "(They) have dogs and monkeys. Side effects of Legal Aid, said the government Legal Aid. The organization is Toner. "They were changing to take power and control to have the drug include various forms of doesn't like the clinic because it trying to raise money through and ignoring our constitution. informed consent." cancer, bleeding and clotting, isn't traditional. other sources. "We've discussed it We were patient, we went Shainwald is a major force in severe depression, headaches, "The work we do here is not with the university, and we have through the system of appealing, the women's health movement in lack of sex drive, sterility, and straight legal work, straight in achieved a supportive response in but it didn't work. We ran into a the United States. She specializes damage to the fetus. Depo the sense that all you do is listen philosophical terms. Whether brick wall," he said. in liability cases involving Provera is manufactured in Can to the individual problem, deal this will translate into dollars or The SRC posted student police women with health problems ada for shipment around the with it and then let it go.