The undoing o GOD FORBID that this column should abandon retriever dogs, kids, cotton candy, good whisky, bad roads and the other important maiters of life and | turn to politics However, there are occasions when politics deserves a glance. One such is Joe Clark's retire- ment. It is a sad day for Canada, and it says some terrible things about two old Canadian institu- tions, the Conservative party and the Ottawa press gallery, both looking too old, tired and useless to be worth feeding much longer. The Ottawa press gallery was the first to set about destroying ‘this brilliant, honest politician. The gallery is the senate of the Canadian newspaper business. Wornout reporters are sent there as a reward for past services. Like senators, they get taxpayer- subsidized meals in the partiamen- tary restaurant, various services such as access to the Parliamen- tary massage parlor and the obscure honor of belonging to Centre Block on Parliament Hill. As for work, they, like * senators, tend to hold themselves ‘ aloof from that sort of thing. About half of 1% of them at- tend the House of Commons or ., Senate debates. Most of them practise pack journalism — they seek two or ., three trendy leaders to follow. - Once the pack leaders decide “the political story of the moment, “all the others give tongue together with stories as identical in tone, content and nutritive value as a _, bag of Orco cookies. . Like many overpaid and useless “, people, gallery members are ex- traordinariiv sensitive to slights. ’ Being pack animals, they react savagely. This happened with Joe Clark. He bruised their egos by being “unexpectedly clected Conservative - party leader. ‘Joe's wife, Maureen McTeer, an intelligent and courageous woman _ who might have made a good ‘ prime minister herself, didn’t spare the pundits’ feelings at that “convention. When gallery members asked '. her who Joe was, where:he ap- _ ‘peared from and what his ideas, if “any, were, she told them that they “were paid to get that sort of in- formation before a convention _ began but instead they had spent their time gossiping among _ themselves. ; “She could have used a more: pungent word than gossipitig. . They never forgave her or him. “The excuse for their failure which best served them was that if the ~-press gallery didn’t know a politi- " cian, it could only be because he PAULITICS & PERSPECTIVES wasn't worth knowing. So was born the damaging nickname Joe Who. He became prime minister, but the gallery was unforgiving. He was still Joe Who. Mr. Clark was defeated on an unusually honest budget introduc- ed by John Crosby. The Social Credit party, which by that tine had become little more than a pressure group in Commons and has since disap- peared, wanted to sell their votes. for political concessions which Ms. Clark stubbornly would not grant. : No doubt he was wrong to be stubborn. It was a characteristic praised in Churchill, but, then, Churchill wasn’t called Winstan Who. Mr. Clark lost the general elec- tion and his party's lack of moral fibre was then revealed. This failure of the nerve devel- oped in the Diefenbaker years when the party adopted the prin- ciple that politics is like selling beer or perfume, you need a win- ning name on the label. If you don’t pick a winner first time, draw again. Keep buying tickets. In this sad spirit, Dalton Camp arranged the assassination of John Diefenbaker. ; Mr. Camp was sometimes a Liberal, sometimes a Conservative and sometimes a kingmaker. There was only onc position he never attained. He never succeed- ed in getting elected to any public office, no matter how hard he tried. ‘ Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach. Mr. Camp has been teaching others how to get elected ever since. He taught the "To wash them, | started by streaming them astern,” delivery skipper John Roberts (ex Kingston, Ont.} told me. “They withstand constant use, | swim in them, and they don't rust," he joked. “I cut off the legs because | got anti-fouling paint on them." These Tilley Pants were John's father's. His dad had not a pointed out the too-secret passport pocket so | dida ‘show and tell'on the dock of Go Vacations, in the British Virgin Islands. | 3 Besides a secret inside pocket, Tilley Classic Pants have pockets. Washing instructions: “Give ‘em Hell”. Women's sizes 4 to 24 $105. Men's sizes 28 to 44 $105, 46-52 # $115. Khaki, Navy and White: Marvellous! ‘Tilley Endurables North Vancouver : 1194 Marine near Pemberton 987-6424 Open 10 - 5:30 Alex Tilley stern Inc., ae and Joha Tiley, Independent retailers. Vancouver 1537 Broadway near Granville 732-4287 Moonday thru Saturday Tories some things better unlearn- ed, By the close of the Joe Wha years, the party seemed hellbent on promoting the view that con- servatives have no principles, only appetites. They dumped Joe Who and chose a man who had spent years undermining him — Brian Mulroney, sometimes called Silvertongue Sylvester, They didn’t have much idea of what he stood for and perhaps he didn't either, but he could carry Quebec. We all know how much the na- tion loves and reveres him now. So do the members of what should be called the Opportunist Party. Dissidents now say he was a merchandising error and that if they can but find another leader, the right one this time, their party can retain power for a thousand years or, at least, another term. Party members had the right man, twice, first in Bob Stanfield and next in Joe Clark, but they let themselves be scared off by a few idie farts blown by old duffers in the press gallery. The latest loss to the party doesn't matter to most people. The Conservatives can profitably spend a decade in the political wilderness, rediscovering such things as principles, loyalty and courage. They can learn them from Joe Clark's record. But Mr. Clark's departure is a real loss to Canada for he is a big, fine man. : CREAT ELEL ERLE AS OLE MAE CR Friday, February 26, 1993 —- North Shore News - 2 ——__---—-— LGH spared impact of Shaughnessy closure THE CLOSURE of Shaughnessy Hospital in Van- couver is not expected to have an impact on care at Lions Gate Hospital president Bob Smith. Smith said if there is -a workload shift, LGH could handle it, providing there are financial resources available. “We are not like places such as Richmond, Surrey and Langley where they are under-bedded,’’ said Smith. He said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Thompson will move from Shaughnessy Hospital to practice at LGH in April. Meanwhile, North Van- couver-Seymour Liberal MLA Daniel Jarvis has criticized the way the provincial government closed Shaughnessy Hospital. Jarvis said the government is destroying the province's health-care system by trying to save money. He said closing the beds that make up Shaughnessy Hospital and opening beds in places like Surrey were not equivalent. “Shaughnessy had beds for all of B.C. Surrey has beds for Surrey,’’ said Jarvis, noting that Shaughnessy Hospital’s fertility clinic, diabetes centre and other facilities are used by people living outside of Van- couver, Jarvis said there were excess beds in .Vancouver because (LGH), according to LGH By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter there is not enough funding. He predicted the hospital closure would drive more specialists south. Jarvis also said closing Shaughnessy Hospital without consultation with the hospital’s board and staff is typical .of the NDP. But North Vancouver Lons- dale NDP MLA David Schreck said the closure of the hospital has been discussed for vears. “Everyone I've listened to in the health community has sup- ported this move, “The pcople who are very legitmately concerned (and op- pose the closure) are the people whose jobs are affected,’’ said Schreck, a health economist. Schreck added that it is in- appropriate to have extra med- ical beds in Vancouver while the Fraser Valley area needed medical beds. He said Health Minister Elizabeth Cull should be con- gratulated for having the courage to make the right deci- sion. Warranty is forever. (Well almost). Wetmore Motors is now offering generous ‘discounts on remaining '92 Jettas S Free 2-year extended Power Train Warranty. 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