Dear editor,

Implied consent has thankfully be tossed out as a defence for sexual assault. But an equally odious version seems to remain as a favourite of our local governments.

The alternate approval process basically says 鈥淚f鈥檔 ya ain鈥檛 agin it, yer fer it!鈥� Again implied consent. Courtenay is using this for the 5th Street Bridge upgrade, and the RD Area C on the Merville Fire Department issue.

Not to debate the merits of either project, but it is the sneaky AAP that rankles me down to my leaky gumboots. The bureaucrats say it is used because of the cost of a full-blown referendum with public meetings to inform the electorate (novel idea!) and voting days. We go to the polls for the provincial snap election soon, and probably (in Area C) again in December for the School Trustee position. Surely the democratic process could accommodate a multiple ballot with all of two questions.

Implied consent has no room in participatory democracy methinks.

Harold Macy,

Merville