Re: Article “Store hours going to referendum,” which appeared in the Sept. 13 edition of Northern Life.

The suggestion by Ward 5 Coun. Ron Dupuis that there should be a referendum on the store hours question is asinine.

Referendums are initiated by citizens. They’re normally started by petitions signed by 1,500 or 15,000 or 150,000 citizens.

Over and again, this issue has come before council, and a clear, strong majority has spoken convincingly. Decision made.

For a councillor who may have voted for or against to wish for council, which has decisively voted “no,” to pass the buck onto the electorate at election time is betraying his mandate and position on council.

Historically, in the ultra-democratic Switzerland, Napoleonic France, Liberal Democratic California, British Columbia or Wisconsin, the exercise in submitting issues in the form of a question to the electorate has met with mixed results.

When initiated by a despot in power or his government, it has only served for those in authority to get what they cannot obtain through the usual democratic, parliamentary channels.

Beware Sudburians, beware. Some force may be attempting to subvert the will of council.

John D. Rutherford
Greater Sudbury