Jan. 3-9, 1995
NDP considers bubble-zone law
Less than a week after the fatal shooting of two Massachusetts abortion workers, Premier Mike Harcourt announced that his government is considering legislation aimed at creating protester-free buffer zones around B.C. clinics that provide abortions.
However, Mr. Harcourt said before any new laws are introduced, more research is needed to determine whether the so-called bubble-zone concept infringes on abortion protesters' constitutional right to free speech.
The new law, the first of its kind in Canada, would establish limited-access areas around abortion clinics, doctors' offices and the homes of abortion providers.
Mr. Harcourt acknowledged the move is a response to the recent spate of abortion-related violence, including the November, 1994, shooting of Vancouver doctor Garson Romalis and the November, 1995, shooting of Ontario abortion doctor Hugh Short. Both men suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds.
Flash forward: Passed in June, 1995, the NDP's bubble-zone legislation has withstood numerous court challenges in the ensuing 15 years. In 2008, the B.C. Court of Appeal found the "minimal" infringement on free speech is justifiable to protect a woman's right to medical services.
Jan. 3-9, 1985
Bad loans haunt B.C. Hydro boss
Opposition politicians demanded a public inquiry into the land dealings of BC Hydro chief executive officer Robert Bonner after the Bank of Montreal filed a statement of claim alleging that he owes more than $645,000 in unpaid loans and interest.
New Democratic Party chief Bob Skelly said an "independent public inquiry is needed to assess whether there has been any conflict of interest between Mr. Bonner's role as BC Hydro CEO and the extensive land deals he has been involved in since taking the job in 1976.
The Bank of Montreal's lawsuit was the second such action filed against the BC Hydro boss in less than a month. In December, the Bank of British Columbia filed a suit claiming he owed more than $1-million in principal and interest on two loans.
Mr. Bonner, 63, served as a cabinet minister under W.A.C. Bennett for 17 years before stepping down in 1968.
During the early 1980s, Mr. Bonner was engaged in a number of major real-estate deals in Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Gastown, the Sunshine Coast and Palm Springs, Calif. Flash forward: At the urging of BC Hydro's executive committee, Mr. Bonner resigned his position with the Crown corporation just over a week later.