AG - Wednesday, March 21, 1984 - North Shore News . Politics via TV ili Canada be led for the next several years by a statesman or a TV star? The question is a very real one following John Turner’s debut last week as ‘‘frontrunner’’ in the Liberal leadership race. in fairness to Mr. Turner, exactly the same question applies to Tory leader Brian _Mutroney. In looks and presence both are im- pressive performers on camera. The problem in the heavily political months ahead — the choosing of the, new Liberal leader and the ensuing general election — is that TV, the supreme medium of images, has also become the news and public affairs medium from which a majority of citizens now form their impressions and opinions of what’s going on in their world. Unfortunately, the very quality that makes TV such a quick, convenient, easily digested source of information largely prevents it from presenting and analyzing that information in the detail and depth possible in the printed word, which it often replaces for today’s busy people. In the brief 90-second clip the image is everything. The substance may be minimal. That’s the big danger with politics via the tube, as the Joe Clarks and John Diefen- bakers discovered. Natural performers like Messrs. Turner and Mulroney have a head start over less accomplished and photogenic rivals, however well equipped the latter may be, in terms of character and intellect, for the job they seek. It’s easy to recognize TV talent on the screen. It may be much harder to recognize a capable future prime minister. Nice-guy logic he bus drivers’ ‘‘unstrike’’ has come unstuck. Flouting work regulations — but keeping the buses running without hurting the public — has got them nowhere in their dispute with Metro Transit. So now they’re threatening shutdowns in a last-ditch plea for public backing. The logic is unlikely to work, which is a little sad after their im- ‘aginative beginning — but did nobody tell them about nice guys finishing last? Th YENEE OF OETh AD WEE WaNCOUVER sunday news north shore news 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouve:, B.C. V7M 2H4 Publisher Peter Speck Edltor-in-Chiet Noel Wright Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom Circulation 980-0511 988-6222 985-2131 986-1337 980-7081 Subscriptions Associate Publisher Robern Graham Advertising Director Tim Francts Personne! Director Berm Hilliard Classified Manager Val Stephenson Production Directo: Cis Jonnson Circulation Director Ha Me ¢ 2Own Photography Manager Terry Peters North Ghore News, foundou 1 VOU as ar ondependent oo OMMuUnity newspaper and quatihed under Schedule UL Mad Parageaph UH Of the taxcise Tan Act ws publisheu oath Wednesday and Sunday by Nort! Shore free Press Lid and distetbuled to every door on the Noah Shore Bet ond Class Mau Registration Number: 3885 Entire contents 1984 North Shore Free Presa Ltd All rights reserved Subscriptions North and West Vancouver $7 avadabte On request > per year Maung cates No responaibility ac capted tor unpuhe tod malecal mechs manuscripts 80d pieturas which ehould be accompanied by a stamped ack essed envelope Member of the 8.C. Press Council fecat | Wedhe day & Sunday) HOA ONVTEC IN sm G THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE 54, 700 (ave: age A right royal nigh HE BEST KEPT SECRET on the North Shore since Pierre Trudeau slipped silently into North Van thirteen years ago to lead. Margaret Sinclair to the altar happened Saturday evening in quiet, unsuspecting Ambleside. By chance, (well, maybe not exactly) your humble scribe had a ringside seat, dining with True Love and a couple of friends in Willy and Martha Brueckel’ Ss Amble- side Inn. Immediately adjoining us were two long tables, laid for a party of some size. Around nine a group of five -or six muscular gentle- men entered. One or two of their business sults (or was it imagination?) seemed to show a slight bulge. They set- ued down to wait in the lounge area, eyes darting periodically around the restaurant. Over the next half hour they were joined in the holding bar by a steady stream of other gentlemen in dark suits. Drinks were serv- ed and the conversation buzz- ed. One became aware that most of it was in an un- familiar language. Willy hovered attentively. The waiters sped to and fro. The atmosphere was becom- ing quite electric. I half ex- pected to see sparks shoot out of the fingers of our own waiter as he served the entree. Suddenly, the dark-suited gentlemen in the holding bar snapped to their feet. We gathered it would be polite to do likewise. Fortunately, the main course was piping hot. WINDING UP Through the entrance came a dark-haired man in his mid- forties with distinguished aquiline features and a dainty fair-haired lady in a short black dress. Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon, King of Spain, and his Queen Sofia had arrived for a private little dinner with friends — right here in living color, at Willy’s and Mar- tha's place, 1Sth and Marine in dear old West Van. The royal couple shook hands with cach of their assembled guests, now numbering 40 or more. A few minutes of pleasanterics and laughter (Juan Carlos laughs easily). Then the company seated itself at the two long tables and the brigade of waiters descended, order ~ guests pads at-the-ready. Aside from Antonio Elias, the Spanish ambassador, Frank Bernard, Spanish con- sul in Vancouver, and Mrs. Bernard, virtually all the were apparently members of the royal en- tourage — invited for a relax- ed get-together with their sovereign and his consort to wind up the week-long royal tour of Canada. The affair was strictly in- cognito, as they say in the best circles. A polite message from -the chief of protocol stressed that the king — hav- ing earned an off-duty night at long last — would greatly appreciate no flashbulbs. To compensate, he’d brought along a handsome auto- graphed portrait of himself _and his lady to leave with Willy and Martha as a per- sonal souvenir. So back to the notebook. The feast lasted almost three hours, Their Majesties departing around 12:30 a.m. KING JUAN CARLOS, QUEEN SOFIA |.“ at ten for 45, please.’ FOR MARITAL PEACE OF MIND Put it in writing! By The Law Society of British Columbia ARRIAGE CON M TRACTS are becoming a recognized part of our legal system to deal with diffcring capectations of what nage is all about In many world. mart arcas of the where &@ man and a woman grow up in the same coonomen clrcumstances, and with the same valucs and the same both know the rules of the game In North America, people from different religions. chif- ferent backgrounds, and df fercut cultures mary for tove but both man and wife atiitudes, may Nave totally different views Of what (hey can expect out of the marriage Many legal experts believe marriage contracts are a good idea, if for no other reason than to have people sit down and put thew minds to what marrage ts all about The Family Relations Act provides for a couple to enicr into a mMarnage contract And tt can be entered into by People who are planning to become married or are already married Basically, a mariiage con tract is yust like any other legal contract — sets out what the parties to the con tract promise to cach other lt may deal with common, .Van any Ambleside Inn diner with a pocket calculator knows it must have been nudging $3,000 or better. One group in the party, in- cidentally, were lucky not to wind up eating hamburger. It’s tough to find parking spaces on Saturday evening along the 1500 block Marine. When the car bringing them from over town had eased in- to_ the only one available, by Noel Wright eS There was no special menu — they all ate a la carte. The queen had the $12.95 salmon. ‘The king went for the $18.75 rack of lamb and later sum- moned executive chef Frank Mattman to congratulate him personally on it. The final bill for 45 people remains a trade secret. But * a private table everyday problems of who will manage the family assets, who will make decisions about a house, car or major investment purchase But the contract: will alse deal with more senous pro blems, such as what happens to property if a marriage breaks up, who gets custody of the children, who 1s to make matniecnance payments, and for how much The courts will enforce the martiage contracts just: like any other legal agreement The courts also have the authority, however, to over mde the terms of & marriage contract if the terms are no longer apphcable, nor fair for instance, if a marnage they had stepped out to find themselves looking straight at the entrance to the local McDonald’s. Judging by the king’s en- joyment of a joke, they may have wondered for a moment -—- until someone produced the right address and they completed their journey on foot. NOTHING LEAKED . The informal eve-of- departure dinner party in West Van was the brainwave of Ambassador Elias. When visiting Vancouver from Ot- tawa to make advance -arrangements for the tour, he’d had -occasion to ex- perience for himself Willy’s and Martha’s unique brand . of hospitality. This, he decid- ed, was the place for the clos- ing Saturday night out quiet- ly with the boys. The Brueckels were tipped off, of course, a number of days in advance. There was little need to swear them to secrecy — had the story leak- fs _ed out, they’d have needed half the West Van _ police department to beat back the i. crowd from their door. As it a was, most of the normal Saturday evening diners pre- sent hadn’t a clue that any- thing unusual was afoot. Actually, the final confir- mation came only an hour before King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia arrived. Bet- ween eight and nine they had hosted a reception for some 500 of the local Spanish com- munity at the Hotel Van- couver, again shaking every single hand. After a hectic week there was always an even chance they’d decide to call it a day, retire to their suite and order room service. in the event they didn’t. So Ambleside went to bed biliss- fully unaware that a real royal evening was going on right in its midst. And Willy now has two royal chairs in his dining room, which you might get to sit on one day if you ask him nicely. contract calls tor maintenance of $300 a month for each child, the courts might adjust that payment to reflect inflation in later years Where Icgal experts see the Importance of Marnage con (tracts is an the scecond marriage Very often when marriages dissolve, people will end up with children and assets Peo ple may want to make sure that, «f they re-marry, the assets accumulated toa their first marnage go to the children of that marnage In thes instance, the mar nage contract serves a very important function, and onc that the courts are likely to enforce