& - Sunday, June 16, 1991 ~ North Shore News GUEST COLUMNIST ers WANT TO know who Mel Couvelier needs desperately right now? By Brian Swarbrick Contributing Writer You won't believe it: Stan Hagen. Or if not Mr. Hagen, somebody of his weight; someone among those precious few who can actu- ally convince the Socred party membership that they are genuine contenders for the job of leading the tattered troops into the next election. As we all know, Mr. Couvelier is himself a geauine contender for the job of leading his party. He might even be the perfect man for it. But Mr. Couvelier has a dilemma on his hands. He needs an opportunity to show his stuff, as it were. To do so, he needs a few sparring partners, and he hasn't got any. Which means his dilemma could slide into a disaster, if somebody doesn’t come along right quick to give him a chance to go a few tounds ... to change what is slow- ly becoming the party’s perception of him. That perception, I believe, is that Met Couvelier is a man who looks very good when he is in perfect control, when all the cards are in his hand, but when he does not have full control... His dilemma is that he can’t get control. He has a_ continuing problem: he can’t really get into a street scrap with Rita Johnston. In the first place, fighting a lady is ungallant. Thus, even a win is tarnished. In the second place, Mrs. J is too smart to play the game with Mr. C. He rants and she just grins amiably and plays it homy with the reporters, as in: ‘*Gee, I dun- no, what do you think?”’ Right at the moment, about all Mr. Couvelier can do is bellow challeuiges into the empty air. Or complain about the unfair treat- ment he’s getting (which tends to sound like whining, and who votes for whiners?) Mr. Couvelier is not unaware of his dilemma. The trouble is, he’s tried a couple of things, and they haven't worked. He’s tried saying that Premier Johnston fired nim unfairly. And whether that’s true or sot, whoever said life was fair? In fact, there are those who count the firing as a plus for Rita. Shows she’s canny and ruthless; good qualities in a leader. Then Mr. Couvelier tried left- field pyrotechnics. Jf no sparring partner would come forward on ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER Barristers & Solicitors IMPAIRED DRIVING AFTER HOURS FREE ittTiae CONSULTATION cine | 986-4366 | 300-1401 LONSDALE, NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. his own, Mel would invite one publicly. He chose to throw that bizarre little skyrocket to Bill Vander Zalm, welcoming him into the leadership race. Most of the menibership were so glad to sec Bill gone that a public invitation to bring him back struck them as, well, bizarre. Now he’s back on an unfairness kick which is reaffy ill-advised. He is saying that he has duties in the house which are so vital, so crit- ical to his party’s parliamentary well-being, that he can’t break away to conduct his leadership campaign. Whatever meaning he expects Socred party members to take from this, certainly one meaning that may find its way into a con- vention delegate’s mind is that Mel Couvelier thinks his duties as a backbencher outweigh Rita Johnston's as premier of the pro- vince. In short, these days every time Mr. Couvelier opens up_ his mouth, he is doing his campaign no favor. Take this one, for instance: “Given that there seems to be no effort to minimize the strong arm tactics on the part of Mrs. Johnston, she rnust be prepared to accept the consequences.’’ Silly. Hollow. Empty. But fet’s not quibble over the quality — or the prudence — of every phrase he utters. Mr. Couvelier is a man in a hole, and the pressures of his predicament are, understandably, making him a little strident. The point is, what does he do about it? Every day that goes by brings us closer to July 18 and the party convention. The entry of Duane Crandall into the race isn’t going to help. Sure, Mel Couvelier can get into a fight with Duane Crandall and get himself a little press. But what good would it do to beat up on Duane Crandall. Or, to be cruel, Duane Who? Now, Stan Hagen, that’s a dif- ferent matter. He’s a heavyweight and a real contender (and smart enough to know that he gains im- age by not declaring himself, by keeping them gucssing). He may end up being looked upon as the great alternative, without having to do any public campaigning at all. (it) worked for Trudeau, remember.) Or what about Grace McCar- thy? What would happen now if amazing Grace were to change her mind and give it a g0? She’d have nothing against a lady-like sluge- ing match with Rita Johnston. 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