6 ~ Sunday, August 14, 1993 North Shore News j i | VES, THATS RIGHT....I'D LIKE 10 Boa BOOK EYERY "PHONE BOOTH FROM VICTORIA TO FORT NELSON. 1D LIKE TO MEET ALL fy OUPPORTERS IN QUA UPCOMING TOUR OF PROVINCE. COULD ARBANGE THE VENUES? NEWS VIEWPOINT olitics against women 7 -OW. MUCH money does it take the federal government to find out " A. that violence against women is a ‘ " problera in Canada? Answer: $10 million. Sounds. fike an oid refrain from an ageless joke, but in this instance the joke is on us. As is the case with most pre-election jokes cozaing from Cttawa, it isn’t even funny. ;. On Wednestiay, the Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women released a 400- page report entitled National Action Pian of the Canadian Panel on Viclence Against Women. | 4 Included in the 500 recommendations is ;a@ plan to end violence against women in ’ Canada. And while it is without question a Ll noble pursuit, the reek of political eppor- - tunism is overwhelming. In the past 10 years: the federal govern- ment has systematically cut women’s pro- gram funding. The report, not 24 hours old, was greeted with cynicism by many who work in the social support field. Here on the North Shore, the Emily - Murphy House —. a trausition house for _ women and children who seek shelter — is currently struggling to raise $500,000 through its Make Room capital fundraising campaign to renovate and furnish a 10-bed shelier. When a woman shows up at 2 a.m. to seek sanctuary and is teld there is no room because of funding cuts, how much value will the federal government’s $10 million report have then? “NEWS S QUOTES OF THE WEEK “But at the top end of the scale “Tt was a female arm, that’s all I Ottawa plunges Canada _ ever ‘: deeper into debt by borrowing ‘millions to favish on radical fems, ‘basket-case businesses and art gallery insults to our intelligence.”” News columnist Noel Wright in his quest to find an answer to the question: Why do we let the tax- man do our donating? (From a July 25 News column.) “I'm very grateful it’s over. I’m very happy to be alive. But Pm sad there are so many who are going to hurt jor a long time. P’'m ..going to go and hide in God’s country and clear my head.” Dalia: Maria Gelineau, a victim of convicted kidnapper and rapist David Snow, on the news that Snow was found to be a danger- ous offender. (From a July 25 News story.) “I'm fairly clear that we are licen- sing an escort service, not pro- stitution.” North Vancouver District Coun. Rick Buchols on a municipal move to increase the business licence fee charged to escort agencies. (From a July 28 News story.) — remember.”’ West Vancouver abstract painter Lavid Sorensen on his contribu- tion to, the Family of Man sculpture outside the Pacific Press Building in Vancouver. (From a July 28 News Spotlight feature.) “Tt was a whole, thick chunk. There wasn’t a tooth mark on it."’ St. Edmund's elemetary school teacher Sharon Horner on how she andj three fellow teachers saved the life of five-year-old Gabriel Moody who choked-on a piece of hot dog. ..Peter Speck .Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright ‘T. Publisher . . Managing Editor Associate Editor... Sales & Marketing Director Linda Stewart Comptroller .. . 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Entire contents «© 1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd. Ail rights reserved. key to pic Lil eral leader B.C. LIBERALS this weekend have been wrestling with the , election mechanics of their September leadership contest — whether to stick with convention delegates or hold a full party membership vote. For the long-suffering B.C. electorate it's of little importance. At best, less than 1% of B.C. voters will have any direct part in choosing the new leader of the Liberals — currently the main hope of ever sending Mike Har- court and his gang packing. Thanks to the pollsters, howev- er, the great unwashed public does have quite a powerful INDIRECT say. If it shows a marked prefer- ence for a given candidate, the latter assumes a mantle of ‘‘elec- tability’’ which delegates and party members ignore at their peril. The Socreds ignored it in 1991 by rejecting Grace McCar- thy, and paid the price. So what we now need urgently from Angus Reid is a poll that asks: ‘If the Liberals were elected tomorrow, whom would you prefer as premier — Gordon Campbeil, Gordon Gibson or Gordon Wilson? Observing Campbell from north of the Inlet, I’ve always regarded him as a competent, hardworking civic administrator. But as a leader for all of B.C. in the iater 1990s 1 have problems with him. Image-wise, he’s the consum- : mate 1980s Yuppy — already a somewhat old-fashioned breed on the way out. A smooth city guy | backed by lots of campaign money whose sources he won’t reveal. Fair or not, in politics percep- tion in reality. And with Mikey, can B.C. REALLY stand another ex-mayor of Vancouver as its boss? For Wilson I stiil have much respect, though clouded now with sadness. He took the thankless job of Liberal leader nobody else would vouch. He hung in. through GORDON GIBSON... no_ soiled political baggage. four dismal years. Singlehandedly in 1991 he got his ragtail-bobtail crew of 16 elected — none of whom, on their own, would ever have seen the inside of a caucus room. He has more than a little of the royal jelly vital in leaders. He has become a skilled and effective parliamentarian. But all, alas, marred by one major flaw: faulty judgment in handling his personal life. It’s hard to see how the po- litical damage caused by his affair with fellow MLA Judi Tyabji could ever be fully repaired. Which leaves Gordon Gibson, Noel Wright HITHEA AND YON son of famed “‘bullofthe _ woods,”’ the late MLA Gordon Gibson Sr. A one-time aide to - . Trudeau, Gibson Jr. became B.C. - Liberal leader in the Legislature | (1975-1979), then ran federally in North Van-Burnaby but lost to ; i, . Tory Chuck Cook. Retnrning to private business, oar he’s nevertheless kept his finger closely on B.C.’s political pulse —; not least through the regular col- | umns he contributed over the! . years to The Financial Post. And in a province that for 36 years re-.. jected both Grits and Tories in favor of its own home-grown’ Socreds, he has one big plus}. Gordon Gibson is no puppet of the federal party. He broke,openly with it.in 1981 over Trudeau's ; handling of the Constitution — ° urging that it should be drafted by a non-political constituent assembly of prominent citizens and endorsed by a majority in every region. Of the three leadership front- runners he has a clear. edge in po- litica! experience at senior levels. His intellect commands wide respect from political friends and foes alike: And he’s not weighted down with any soiled political , - baggage, civic or provincial. : _ If —‘which heaven forbid! — I | were a card-carrying B.C. Liberal, common sense would detemine, _which of the three was most elec- ; table, B.C.-wide, ok woe SIGN-OFF: Meet North Van Tory candidate Will MeMartin — suc- cessor to the late Chuck Cook — at the Wednesday, Aug. 4, official opening of his campaign office, 227 Mountain Hwy., from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ... Bring your tennis up to scratch with expert instruction and lots of fun at the ‘‘Total Tennis Camps’’ on the courts of Deep Cove’s Myrtle Park, Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon — call Arleta, 929-7981 for info. ... brilliant 104-candle salute ioday, Aug. I, to West Van’s Lucy Eltiott — still in good form in her wheelchair, living at home with son Vincent. ... And many happy returns of Tuesday, Aug. 3, to North Van’s Ernie Earnshaw. WRIGHT OR WRONG: Charm is something people have until they start depending on