IT is now proper to
# refer to Mark Sager as
the former mayor of
Se West Vancouver. He is
mam now the recipient of
me well-deserved thanks
for doing a good job,
‘and quiet concern over
§ apparent further politi-
cal ambitions.
When I interviewed him
on Rogers Cable’s municipal
m election night broadcast, he
g all but announced that he
would be seeking a nomina-
tion in next year’s federal
selection. However, he was-
"t sure — or couldn’t say
for which party. ‘
Recently Sager has
attended a Progressive
Conservative fund-raiser for
Jean Charest and has also
* asked retiring Reform MP
: Herb Grubel to show him
- the ropes in Ortawa.
‘:- In addition, there are
istent rumors that-he’s ©
ering a run at the
Liberal nomination in the
new federal riding of West
Vancouver-Sunshine Coast.
Indeed, North Shore
“News columnist Trevor-
© Lautens has predicted that
this is the route Sager will,

Socreds are queasy and
uncertain about their politi-
cal bearings in our province
today. And for those serious
about pursuing political
careers, it’s important to
determine whether you’re
guided by principle or
opportunism.

As W.A.C. Bennett was
so fond of saying: “If you
don’t stand for something,
you’ll fall for anything.”

In a period of Liberal
dominance at the national
level, the local Grit nomina-
tion might seem like the
best bet. But here are three
potential obstacles that
stand in Mark Sager’s path:

1. He’s not a Liberal.
And ever since the Tories

and Socreds took over the

provincial Liberal Party,
there’s been both resistance
and resentment among a

number of local federal
Liberals. *

As a result, there will
likely be a strong field of
genuine Liberals vying for
the nomination. Among the
rumored names are Phil

low,

* Could it be that the for-
mer West Van mayor is a lit-.
tle disoriented? He’s not

lone, of course...

,.Many former fede:
Tories and provincial

Boname, the “First Man” of
West Vancouver now that
his wife is mayor, and
Barbara Brink of Science
World fame, who currently
serves as the chief fundraiser
for the United Way of the
Lower Mainland. Both
would be formidable candi-
dates.

2. Mayors do not travel
well politically. In fact,
throughout the history of
our province and country
local politicians have only
very rarely been able to
make the transition to senior
levels of government.

The reason? Partisanship
can be vicious and no
amount of ribbon-cuttings
and grin-and-grip mug shots
in the local media can ade-
quately prepare someone for

¢ backstabbing and mind-
less games played in the
hellish world of party poli-
tics.

Also, in order to be a
good mayor it’s necessary to
be parochial in one’s think-
ing. Attending to the impor-
tant details of fixing pot-
holes or coordinating
garbage collection is not the
most useful training for
developing a larger vision of
a province or nation. Most
mayors who graduate to
senior levels of government
usually fade into the obscu-
rity of the backbench.

3. John Reynolds. The
only time that Mark Sager
wandered close to partisan

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Friday, December 6, 1

RATA IRL OME TP ADLER ae

advice for ex-mayor Mark

politics was more than a
decade ago when he sought
a Social Credit nomination
that might have taken him
to Victoria. But he stuck his
toe into dangerous political
waters and had it bitten off
by a hungry shark known as
John Reynolds.

The more experienced
politician easily defeated
Sager, who wisely hasn’t
since wandered too close to
thuse churning waters. Now,
it’s rumored that Reynolds
may return trom his self-
imposed exile in At.s:12a to
seek a nomination for the
Reform Party. Is that
enough to scare Sager off?
Or does he long for a
grudge match?

Mark Sager has been in
politics since he was a
teenager. Legend has it that
his goal was to become
prime minister by the age of
30. Having missed that tar-
get, he should ask himself an
honest question: “Does the
country really need another

career politician?”

With a young family and
a carcer in municipal politics
behind him now, it’s a won-
der that Sager hasn’t had
enough. But politics is like a
virus, and some people are
more susceptible to the bug
than others.

For all the wrong rea-
sons, there are those who
will be encouraging Sager to
go for it. But it’s a very per-
sonal decision, with huge
consequences for one’s pri-
vate and family life.

My bet is that Sager’s
closest friends are advising
him to pass on the tempta-
tion.

“Get a grip, and get a
life.” That’s what I'd advise.

fins The North Shore ie
believes strongly in freedom o,
speech and the Yi of alt
sides in a debate to be heard.
The columnists published in
the News present differing

_ points of view, but those views

are not necessarily those of the
newspaper itself.

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