SIGH 24 SPRING HAS SPRUNG. ayOrs in battle versus excesses. SO WEST YVAN MAYOR Mark Suger has lawyers looking’ into ways to topple B.C.’s NDP. government — whether by referendum or recall. Noble goal, Mark, and I’m sure you haven’t overlooked the one little snag. If-we do succeed in turfing out ’ Mike Harcourt'’s robber band NEWS VIEWPOINT HE PROVINCIAL commission locking inte, toughening laws - ‘against selling children in B.C. is making the right noises. : But-it remains to be seen whether those noises‘'will- result in any: real | and lasting - controls being implemented to icurb tobac- co sales to youths. “The: commission, which is headed by North | Vancouver-Lonsdale - David ‘Schreck, recommended that 18 be \. dhe’ minimum ‘gage to purchase tobacco; -\that photo identification be; required to : -buy cigarettes and that the sale of tobacco in packages containing less ‘en 20 ciga- : ‘reites be prohibited. wever, the commission ' danced gin- gerly around the issue of licensing tobacco dealers and. did not specify ‘penalties for Dear Editor: - In reference to the homophobic rantings in Doug Collins’ March 24 column, I would ask Coliins to “look deep: in his heart and ask himself just where all that fear and loathing comes from. To tell us all to stay away from government tobacco to — Tougher laws legislation violators. Licensing tobacco vendors so that their licences can .be revoked if they are caught selling to minors has proved effective in ‘reducing cigarette smoking among children ‘in areas of the United States. And it is. the type of tough legislation ‘needed to nip nicotine addiction in the NDP MLA bud. The average age at which smoking is initiated has dropped frors 16 to 12 years ‘in the past two decades.’ Once past 20, people rarely start srroking. Cigarette companies therefore prey on the ‘young. And that prey has to he: ‘removed from devastating impact of tobacco use on _ human health is to be reduced. ‘ Tough recommendations will only be of value if they are backed up by tough laws. the market if the _ LETTER OF THE DAY 2 Hate-mongering at its sickest level I find an attitude such as that of Mr. Collins to be divisive, | of his diatribe, that homosexuality will somehow lead to ‘incest and , beast love’ would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that some- | where in the Lower Mainland | some uiltra-right wing, .scape- f goat-seeking, _lynch-mob-organiz- jing redneck finished the article Whistler’ because we might just.’ | only to exclaim, ‘! knew it!” bump into a gay skier and get’ _AIDS: is’ hate mongering at its " sickest level. : To imply, as he ‘did at the end Publisher Peter Speck . . Timothy Renshaw | -I’m-a straight male whose life jhas been enriched by my friend- (ships with gay men and lesbians ‘alike. i Display Advertising 980-0511: Real Estate Advertising 985-6962 Distribution Subscriptions 986-1337 regressive and, considering the impact of AIDS on the gay and Straight communities, completely lacking in humanity. Could it be that the title of Col- lins’ column, ‘On the. Other Hand,”’ fairly sums up the extent. of his knowledge of human ‘sex-’ uality? Gary Jones Vancouver 988-1337 ain ahead of tims, we have to have something to replace them with, For the moment we have zilch, Unless, that is, you count the 15 self-righteous, self-serving Liberal nobodies, picking bullets out of their toes, who still lay claira to being Her Majesty’s Loyal Op- position — this after having final- ly dumped the leader without whom none of them would ever have warmed a Legislature seat. Plus, of course, Social Credit’s gallant Jack Welsgecher and his corporal’s guard of six, still striv- ing to lay to rest the ghost of Bill Vander Zalm. And not forgetting the growing nucleus of Independents — widely respected'former Socred minister Peter Dueck, carlier Liberal rebel David Mitchell and now ousted Libera! boss Gordon Wilson himself. Three interesting bunches, to be sure — backed in October 1991 by 60% of B.C. voters. But in their present state of disarray no more capable of offering the province an alternative government than your local Parent-Teacher Association. No wonder, therefore, that Mike Harcourt, Glen Clark, Moe Sthota and Liz Cull have decided they can do exactly as they please with us. There’s nobody to stop them until someone bangs J.iberal, Socred and Independent heads .. together and forces them to face reality. ° Reality being that six out of every 10 voters of 18 months ago — and undoubtedly many more today — are now urgently seeking a single free-enterprise party equipped to bring about the NDP'’s downfall. That can’t happen until Liber- ‘als, Socreds and Independents forget their pettifogging tribal prides and preiudices, assemble the needed governing talent and join forces to drive out their _ common enemy. .. __. This is where the younger gen- eration of civic leaders like Mayor Sager and his Vancouver counter- : _part, Mayor Gordon Campbell, could have important personal roles to play. Legal challenges and moral support for “‘tax revolts” are fine io a point, but they are no substitute for what free enterprise British Columbians now need in the worst way: fresh, vigorous, HITHER AND YON enlightened LEADERSHIP — un- tainted with past political hangups. ; The kind of leadership the Sagers and Campbells ~- already. with a wealth of public service. experience and with minds firmly in mesh with tomorrow — are ideally quatified to give. . What about it, Mark and Gor- don? Can you Suagest anyone bet- ter? SCRATCHPAD: Lions and Easter fun for the kids go". together, as Lynn Valley Lions hold their third annual rain-or-. shine Easter Egg Hunt for the’... under-12s at.1 p.m. Sunday, April 11 in Kirksione Park — with * prizes, refreshments and enter-" tainment.... Same time on Sunday. over.in West Van’s John Lawson’ ’~ Park the Howe Sound Lions’ ..’ Easter Egg Hunt gets under way ' with prizes for the one- to five-. year-olds and six- to 12-yeas-olds. ..» Lions Gate Anglers invite new: members to join their small group ° enjoying river and saltwater fish- «| ing, monthly meetings and socials — call Bill Frost, 929-0311, for ~ details ... Many happy returns of _ today, April 9, to North Van - birthday girl Joanna Disher ...: And still in North Van, more of the same tom orrow, April 10, to’ birthday boy Frank Decker, : WRIGHT OR WRONG: There's : ~ a world of difference between ad-. vice © and help. Managing Editor. Associate Editor Noel Wright Sales & Marketing Director. .:inda Stewart - ‘ Compirotter Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969. as an independent suburban. newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph IM! of the Excise Tax Act, is published ‘each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but we canna! accepi responsibility for urisolicited materiat including manuscripts and pictures which Should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Fax 985-3227 “contains Administration 985-2131 Brad recycled fibre . : *.- North Shore managed MEMBER Classified Advertising. 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2331 SE 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, ~~ North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Entire contents © 1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd.’ All rights reserved. SDA DIVISION 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) ‘LEADERSHIP. MATERIAL for B.C. free. onterprisers?... Mayor Gordon Campbell {left) and Mayor Mark Sager.