There has arisen some considerable speculation as to the reason the Victoria Times Colonist has steadfastly refused to address the issue of parking exemptions for the Mayor, MLA's, MP, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Senior Officer commanding the Canadian Armed Forces, etc.

It has been suggested that there is a close relationship between the media (not just the Times Colonist) and various politicians in British Columbia. The following article suggests there is substaintial evidence showing a monopoly is developing within Canada's media outlets, and that this explains much of the lack of critical reporting against the abuses of power taking place with increasing frequency throughout Canada.

LAST August Canadians woke up one day to find that the biggest media empire in the country had been created and was under single ownership. As the headline in the National Post put it, "Asper becomes nation's media king."

"Izzy" Asper  had bought Hollinger/Southam's 13 daily newspapers, 126 community newspapers, Canadian Internet operations, and fifty per cent of the National Post itself. In British Columbia, it meant that the Aspers and their CanWest empire controlled every media outlet that really counted, including The Vancouver Sun, The Province, and the Victoria Times-Colonist. They were also to own BCTV, the biggest TV station, and were already owners of CKVU-TV.

On April 12 2002, a column appeared in The Outlook, a small newspaper on Vancouver's North Shore under the headline "Welcome to Izzy's World". It stated Aspers had fired the publisher of the North Shore News, Peter Speck, and Executive Editor Timothy Renshaw. It was also stated that when the firings took place, three weeks previously, a notice had been posted in the newsroom to the effect that "my name - known to everyone as a former columnist of the News - should never appear in the paper's pages again. Not even in a letter to the editor."

Mr. Speck had been told by the Asper messenger that his 32-year role  as publisher and previous owner of the News was over and that he was to "leave immediately". Mr. Renshaw, meanwhile, was given some lie about the paper having to "reduce costs".

Asper's editorial control has not been confined to Vancouver's North Shore. A couple of weeks ago the Toronto Sun reported CanWest had instructed all its newspapers to run an article by Liberal, Warren Kinsella, attacking the Canadian Alliance for going after Jean Chretien. "Must appear in all CanWest newspapers", was the order.

In Victoria, the Victoria Times Colonist was ordered to severely curtail its attacks on BC Liberal MLA's and the Mayor of Victoria (Alan Lowe), who is currently seeking private investment for a brand new multi-plex arena in his back yard. Construction of the Arena has begun with the the destruction of the Memorial Arena; an arena so-named as a lasting memorial to Canada's heroic war dead.

According to "Frank" magazine, CanWest's editors have also been told not to criticize the CRTC, Canada's so-called radio and television watchdog that hands out (and can cancel) broadcasting licences. Not  a surprising move when you consider the CRTC had approved CanWest's $800,000,000 bid to buy a string of TV stations from Vancouver's Western International Communications Ltd.

When the Vancouver Sun and Province joined together as Pacific Press in the late 1950s,  the Monopolies Commission took years to approve the deal and laid down certain conditions. When Hollinger/Southam bought the North Shore News the arrangement was again many years in the making. Now, all is silence, in Parliament and elsewhere. What are they afraid of? Getting on the wrong side of Izzy?

One might have expected the remaining media to utter a complaint or two, but contented silence has been the rule. When the news of CanWest's takeover of Hollinger/Southam broke, Maclean's magazine had a virtual
celebration spread over six pages, including pictures of a smiling Izzy and son Leonard. Peter Newman, another member of that fraternity, also sang a song of praise.

When it happened, Asper Jr. said that the deal would create "exciting changes in the media scene".

Maybe now its not so hard to understand why the Victoria Times Colonist is not interested in showing the people of Victoria why their politicians (oh, and some newspaper editors apparently) get to park free of charge, while you and I get our cars impounded after just one outstanding ticket?

Say good-bye to the free press, and journalistic integrity.