6 - Sunday, November 23, 1986 - North Shore News News Viewpoint Choosing ohn Turner's leadership problems at a leader next week's Liberal Purty convention should give Canadians of every political stripe food far thought. Not about Mr. Turner, but about our imported U.S. procedure for choosing party leaders. he convention system leaves the people who must live with the results—the overall party membership—-with the worst of two worlds. On the one hand, ordinary party members have, in practice, little if any control over whom their delegates eventually choose. Once the former have been elected at grass roots meetings, their voting pattern on the convention floor is determined by intense candidate lobbying, deals between groups, personal conviction and the mathematical vagaries of each succeeding ballot. On the other hand, the members’ elected parliamen- — tary representatives—the caucus MPs or MLAs—also have no effective control over the choice of the prime minister, premier or opposition leader whom they'll have to follow into battle. His or her mandate rests solely on the whims of a tiny percentage of the total party membership who—amid the heat, horse-trading and razzmatazz of the convention ritual—become answerable, in effect, only to themselves. A far more satisfactory system might be for the caucus itself to elect the leader. MPs and MLAs have the most intimate knowledge of the leadership qualities needed. They have a vested interest in choosing the best in order to preserve their own political hides. And they would be directly accountable for their choice to their constituents at the next election. MEMO PLEASE to West Van Police Chief Bob Brolly: How are your boys doing on that tough case of the thief or thieves who stole Mayor Humphreys’ ‘‘Mayor’’ licence plates from his car follow- ing the election night results? “Still under investigation’’ was the last we heard, nearly a week after the plates were jubilantly flaunted before half the establish- ment of West Van at mayor-elect Don Lanskail’s victory party. Kicking a defeated candidate in the teeth and robbing him of the use of his car for a day wasn't exactly a class act at the celebration of a ‘*new style’? mayoralty. Maybe there’s some big ‘‘in- vestigative’’ problem we couldi’t be expected to understand. Hope to hear from you as soon as your boys finally raanage to crack the case, lay charges and name the ac- cused. Theft, even under $200 and CHIEF JOE MATHIAS ... per- suasive spokesman. by first offenders, still rates. a criminal record unless the judge exercises leniency with a discharge. cee PROFESSIONALS doing their job supremely well are always a pleasure to watch. That’s why Squamish Band Chief Joe Mathias got the biggest round of applause ever when he addressed North Van Chamber of Commerce’s sold-out Iunch meeting Thursday on “‘Aborigial Rights’. Joe is a con- summate politician with a per- suasi'.e speaking style and more thar a little personal charisma. He mace his points about the basic native approach to the issue ex- cellently and, when asked the bot- tom-line question -‘'what will aboriginal land title cost white society?’’, his footwork was faultless, even if his logic wasn’t too hot. He’s a great spokesman for his people and that earned him the obvious respect of his business audience. ee CITIZENSHIP at its best—based on independence, physical fitness and responsibility towards others-~is the formula for winning the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Awards. In addition to demonstrating top physical fitness the qualifying program calls for hobby involvement, participation in a tough outdoor expedition and community service. That’s why Grade 11 and 12 Sentinel students Michael Melenka, Jennifer Meyer, Catherine Broome and Chris Champion were at Government House in Victoria a week ago Saturday to receive their award certificates from Lt. Gov. Bob LETTER OF THE DAY Red Gross can he Dear Editor: Winter. It's an exciting season for outdoors people in BLC., where recreational possibilities are unlim- ited. Unfortunately, each year. tao many people leave fora diy of tun and adveature and fathte return, One of he biggest threats facing outdoor recreationists cach winter is hypothermia ~ the rapid loss of inner body heat, The Red Cross urges oufdoars peaple to learn fo recognize the symproms of hypothermia, as sell ay how: to prevent and tear it. brostbite ds diether reahoy of the winter season, feat te recagnize its White, ways appearance cud THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVE CP eect Pe the Ho “north shore: ews wa DNESDAY ‘FRIDAY 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 SUNDAY 57,656 laveraqe Wednesday Py Frinteay A Sunday wpe Gait ty, Display Advertising 980-0511 Classified Advertising 9486-6222 Newsroom 985-2131 Distribution 986-1337 Subscriptions 986-1337 FE NE Ae CAD AC MDL eG. Publisher: Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Advertising Director Peter Speck Noel Wright Barrett Fisher Linda Stewart Sater x hed ei Maragrapn Hi ot ne He Dated De dba ben) aod anvelogar Ente contents 1986 North Shore Free Press tid All nights reserved NEWS photo Mike Wakefield COPING WITH PRESSURE ... West Van ambulance chief Wayne Galbraith (r) tests digital blood pressure monitor donated by West Van Lions on Doug Moore, secretary of the Howe Sound Lions. Behind them (1 to 1): Ambleside-Tiddlycove Lions treasurer Heath Johnston and president Keith Fowlstone, West Yan Lions secre- tary Bob Sellers, and Ambleside-Tiddlycove Lions director Tom Wardell. Noel Wright Rogers. We've lots of grand young people in the community—salute these latest examples! ed FOLKTALES: If your blood pressure rises at the mere thought of ever needing an ambulance, the West Van ambulance unit can now cope, thanks to the West Van Lions who paid for the $800 digital blood pressure monitor they pres- ented to the unit last Monday ... The wine cellar of North Van ar- chitect Joseph Cantafio is expan- ding very nicely as a result of his latest hobby—-growing bananas. Friends bet him a bottle of wine apiece that it couldn’t be done on the North Shore and the other week, after showing them his first fruits (we’ve eaten one and it was excellent), he collected eight vin- tage flagons from the unbelievers ... Use your holly this year to fight cancer. Nerma Sharp of the West Van Cancer Society Unit and her volunteers are holding a holly sale all over Park Royal Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.—four or five healthy sprigs per $3 package, plus tax receipts and ac- knowledgement cards. Restaurants and businesses can order in ad- vance by calling 925-1952 how best to prevent and treat it. Snow avakinches are yet another hazard of winters in BoC. kvery year, countless lives are chamed: by this complex natural phenomenon, {fin douba. stays out of avalanche ateas, oor better sd, take an avalanche safety course front oa ed ageney. Pearn to iden- revoL ® sunday brunch @ Former newsman Hugh Leggatt of North Van, also longtime editor until recently of the lively St. Cle- ment’s Anglican Church newsletter “Anchor Line’’, has just started his new job as PR manager for Leonard Walker Advertising, North Van’s very own answer to Madison Avenue ... And St. Cle- ment’s rector, Rev. Ron Barres has come clean about his happiest memory of Expo '86. Right at the Pa NORMA SHARP ... fight cancer with holly. start he rode the Scream Machine and loved every second of it! -_ > € WRIGHT OR WRONG: There's comfort in being honest. At feast you knew the world has one less rascal. NEWS photo submitted YOUNG CITIZENS with class ... (lite c, with teacher Hilary Butler, cen- tre) Sentinel’s Duke of Edinburgh Award winners Michael Melenka, Jennifer Meyer, Catherine Broome, Chris Champion. tify avalanche-prone areas changing weather patterns, Cold water survival techniques are another important ingredient in winter safety. The Red Cross urves the boating public to learn and ose all safety procedures with good seamanship. Take a small craft safety course from: the assaciated ip make winter safe and Red Crass. Don't let an accident or injury spoil vour fun this winter, Contaet the Canadian Rea Cross to learn how fo have a happier. safer sinter. Steve Borthwick, chairman Cunudian Red Cross Society Walter Safety Service