Recently two prominent political spokesmen, the NDP’s David Schreck and former BC Liberal leader, Gordon Gibson, both stated that with the Liberal government again in a majority situation and with the next election date fixed, we will have “four years of dictatorship.”

They are both seriously in error. Aside from the fact that when the Liberals, two elections ago, won all but two years and did not establish a dictatorship, they seem not to understand what their derogatory accusation means.

* In a dictatorship the press is not free.

* In a dictatorship elections are not free.

* In a dictatorship the leader of the main opposition party is not given a major allowance in order to be more effective in opposing the government.

* In a dictatorship there is no assumption that there will be another election, let alone a free one.

* In a dictatorship public criticism of government is severely restricted.

* In a dictatorship the courts are not independent.

* In a dictatorship opposing parties operate only with with the permission of the government.

* In a dictatorship the borders are severely controlled and citizens have great difficulty both travelling abroad and emigrating.

* In a dictatorship education is centrally and ideologically controlled.

* In a dictatorship voluntary associations such as labour unions are controlled by government.

* In a dictatorship freedom of religion is generally absent.

* In a dictatorship those who make the law are above the law; laws do not apply to the lawmakers.

* In a dictatorship public finances are not open to public scrutiny.

* In a dictatorship public education is centrally controlled and ideologically programmed.

* In a dictatorship culture and entertainment, including radio and television, are controlled by government.

* In a dictatorship all publishing is centrally controlled.

* In a dictatorship the government is not bound or curtailed by the constitution. Dictators typically ignore or change the constitution at their whim.

There may be valid reasons to criticize a government, any government, in Canada but glib and profoundly false accusations, especially by a former party leader and an eminent opposition critic, are unseemly.

John H. Redekop