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In 2004, then-premier Bernard Lord received the final report of the New Brunswick Commission on Legislative Democracy. The commission was tasked with finding ways to improve our democracy.

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The report suggested reforming elections, improving government transparency and increasing citizen participation. It also recommended changing how political parties operate.

The commission recommended that Elections N.B. regulate party leadership contests.

Spending limits would be imposed, contributions capped and all expenses and donations disclosed.

This is hardly innovative in Canada. Party leadership campaigns in British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario are regulated in such a manner. All federal party leadership campaigns are regulated.

Anonymous donations are banned, and strict contribution limits exist.

There is no such regulation in New Brunswick. The commission suggested party leadership candidate spending limits of $300,000, and an individual donation limit of $3,000. They also recommended candidates fully disclose all expenses and donations.

In their response, the Liberal government of Shawn Graham termed such regulation "impractical and irresponsible."

The Progressive Conservative Party of N.B. is about to choose a new leader. I believe the candidates should show their support for democracy and voluntarily accept these limits. They should also freely disclose the individuals, corporations and unions who are financing their campaigns. In doing so, they would present a clear alternative to the Liberal Party's method of financing party politics.

The Conservatives have the chance to show they can operate within the limits recommended by the commission.

The candidates should accept these recommendations and demonstrate their ability to lead by example.

ROBERT HOADLEY

Fredericton

Did Conservatives give back raise?

In his recent letter, New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Leader Jeannot Volpé says "Senior civil servants are already well paid to implement government policies and it is unreasonable to add gratuitous bonuses simply to get the job done."

Then Volpé goes on to state, "The Official Opposition does not support unjustified pay increases and believes the province already has a competent pool of civil servants who can get the job done without these incentives and bonuses."

I would ask Mr. Volpé if he and the rest of his Official Opposition party took the raise that was handed out earlier this year? As usual, the elected rich are playing games with taxpayers' money as they fill their own pockets and tell the taxpayers how lucky we all are.

None of the elected members know of the strain and stress that the average person deals with each and every day here in New Brunswick or any other part of the country.

JOHN EVANS

Saint John

Boys don't need any more rejection

To the Loch Lomond residents, where is your compassion?

My husband and I took a troubled teen into our heart and our home.

He was a wonderful boy and truly a delight. We made a difference in his short life and he in ours.

What these boys don't need is more rejection.

KATHY GOLDING

Saint John

LeBlanc calls them as he sees them

I do not for one moment think that Abel LeBlanc's recent remarks made in the aftermath of the common council vote on the Lantic Sugar - Long Wharf Irving proposal were advocating violence or predicting that there would inevitably be a return to the terrible days when protesting workers were clubbed, beaten and killed in the streets for demonstrating for fundamental rights and fairness.

Your commentaries did remind me of the fact that so many of the rights and privileges that workers now routinely enjoy (the five-day work-week, the eight-hour work day, child labour laws, paid vacations, maternity leave... etc.) were all won as a result of enormous efforts on the part of the labour movement.

It is so easy to forget that industrialists did not just wake up one day and say: "Hey, it is unethical of us to be underpaying our workforce and working them too hard. We have to change this."

As for Abel Leblanc fighting the good fight on behalf of his constituents, I recall during a byelection three years ago the Liberals encouraged voters not to send another Tory "Yes person" to Fredericton.

It seems to me that we have a lot of Liberal "Yes persons" representing the Saint John region in the Legislature.

Thankfully, Abel LeBlanc is not one of them. He calls them as he sees them.

For that reason, among others, he will continue to have my vote.

CHARLES MURPHY

Saint John

Some don't seem to want to improve city

It's time to stop paying attention to the ranting of Abel LeBlanc, Mayor Court, Councillors Bruce Court and Patty Higgins. How did we elect people who don't seem to have the best interests of the city at heart? None of the above seem to have a serious desire to reduce taxes or attract business to the city.

Saint John may be undergoing a relatively small energy boom, but how long will it last and who will benefit?

How will it help the under-educated, the unskilled and the elderly?

Saint John should focus on the service industry, and especially the tourist industry.

There is great potential for developing tourism based on the Loyalist heritage of the area, and tourists spend money.

Let's clean up the uptown area, promote the architecture of the heritage buildings, and find something for tourists to do after they've seen the Reversing Falls, Fort Howe, the Market and Kings Square.

DON LEAMAN

Saint John

Most radiation comes from the sky

When are people going to learn the facts about radiation? Take the radiation connected with uranium deposits. Half of it will not penetrate paper or skin.

Most of the rest will not penetrate a book or 30 centimetres of air.

What remains doesn't do much when it does penetrate something.

We are indebted to an MLA for the info that accidents have occurred in uranium mining. Well, I suppose that dropping a 20-kilogram lump of uranium ore on your foot hurts as much as a 20-kilogram lump of iron ore.

Accidents occur in all industries, in offices, hospitals, even in the Legislative Assembly. Remember when the deer ran amok a while ago?

Or take a look at some laws passed there.

Calling them accidents would be a kindness.

Finally, much of our daily radiation comes from the sky as secondary cosmic rays. Going deep into the ground will decrease your daily dose, but I wouldn't want to live there.

STUART MILLS

Fredericton

Federal election seems imminent

The eleventh hour is approaching for the federal parliament with an election in the offing. It is not a matter of if, but when.

Anyone who thinks Prime Minister Harper is doing this by reason of the committee hearings is wholly delusional.

If the PM was apprehensive concerning the hearings, he could have prorogued parliament and that would have been the end, devoid of the risk of a snap election.

This government is not about to squander an additional year with opposition parties countering government. If the opposition parties despise the government so venomously, then have the gumption to pull the plug and study what the general public decree.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion indicated he plans to meet with the PM and hinted that he could stop "strategic voting" on government bills by ordering most of his caucus to abstain from votes that would provoke an election while symbolically opposing the Conservative agenda items.

It appears to be business as usual.

Gilles Duceppe, Bloc leader, said it would be "disrespectful and irresponsible" to pre-empt byelection campaigns that are already underway.

Jack Layton's New Democratic Party, which repeatedly opposed the Conservatives, has flip-flopped and now says Prime Minister Harper would be holding parliament in contempt if he opts for an early election call.

Well, Mr. Layton, which is it; you cannot have it both ways.

Drop the writ and permit Canadians to see where the chips fall.

RONALD J. YASCHUK

Quispamsis