FISHY NUPTIALS

Tory MP John Cummins is one of those rare admirable politicians.

Cummins has been fighting clearly, consistently and vociferously through Liberal and Conservative regimes for equality of fishing rights, real and effective coast guards and proper management of our Pacific waterways.

Once again, he has risen to the occasion, severely challenging his own government's Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon. Mr. Cannon has just announced the marriage of the Vancouver Port Authority, the Fraser River Port Authority, and the North Fraser Port Authority.

This merger serves no recognizable purpose.

It is, in fact, a further detriment to the possibility of good management of our ports, something that has already been eluding our governments for years. The Vancouver Ports are so well managed we are lucky we get fresh peas, new Toyotas or sports clothes with any regularity.

The Port is the first and only reason we are all here to begin with, not that most Vancouverites notice. As we have increasingly become a service economy, fueled by condos and chai lattes, as more and more alleged "citizens" are text messaging their way through the gridlock, as you have become less and less important or even noticeable if you are not a direct and immediate part of my movie, our connection to basics has evaporated.

Mr. Cummins' cries are a small and welcome voice in the wind.