opinion

THE momentum pro-
pelling the federal gov-
ernment and the coun-
try towards an election
has now reached a
point where it’s proba-
bly unstoppable.

Media speculation is at a
feverish pitch; the party
machines are fully primed;
political hounds are straining
at their leashes. All that
remains necessary is for
Prime Minister Chretien to
make it official.

In advance of the shot
from the starting pistol, let’s
take a sneak preview of our
two North Shore ridings.

At the time of the last
election, in 1993, the
Reform tide swept over the
North Shore, as it did over
three-quarters of British
Columbia. Ted White was

-elected as MP for North
Vancouver and Herb Grubel
was victorious in Capilano-

. Howe Sound. Was this

breakthrough for the Reform

party an aberration, or the
start of a new political tradi-
tion?

Ain answer to this ques-
tion will depend largely on
the results of the looming
election. But let's take a
closer look at the political
customs of North Shore vot-
ers, for these habits may shed
some fight on the possible
outcome of the 1997 federal
election. :

The truth about political
campaigns, usually over-
looked by politicians on the
hustings and their campaign
workers, is that the larger
trends in party support
count for much more than
the calibre of local candi-
dates or the quality of their
organizations.

No disrespect to Messrs.
White and Grubel, but their
success in the last election
was due primarily to the
strength of the Reform vote
in B.C. And for as long as
anyone can rem. -mber, when
it comes to federal elections,
North Shore voters have fol-
lowed this consistent pattern.

North Vancouver pro-
vides a good example: prior
to 1993, North Vancouver
had voted Conservative for
almost a decade and a half,
embracing Chuck Cook as
the local, outspoken maver-
ick Tory. It’s no surprise that
these were years when British
Columbia was also strongly
leaning in favor of

Perennial Sale

” - Over 5000 4“plants te choose from
‘reg. to $2.49 - $1.79 @a. Saturday and Sunday

--PLANTS GALORE
AT EATON’S - PARK ROYAL

BEHIND THE MARKET
Steer and Composed. manure

reg.$2.69 — $1.25 a bag no limit !

Park Royal
Eye Clinic

General Eye Care
‘ Contact Lens

Children’s Vision Service

Dr. Alan R. Boyce

Dr. Colieen Gill ¢ Dr. Kim Wiliiams |@

« Dr. Gordon .Wong

-Park Royal North + 921-1393

a,c

and B.

Progressive Conservatism.

Now, it’s necessary to
take into account that North
Vancouver used to be
lumped together in a federai
riding with much of
Burnaby; therefore, prior to
the mid-1980s, these federal
election results aren’t exclu-
sive to the North Shore.

In the 1970s both the
Liberals and even the NDP
won the constituency. And
when Trudeaumania hit
town in 1968, and the
Liberals swept B.C., the
redoubtable Ray Perrault
won the seat for the Grits.
Generally, as the province
went, so went North
Vancouver.

But it wasn’t much differ-
ent over on the other side of
the North Shore. Of course, ,
it’s important to keep in
mind that the new riding of
West Vancouver-Sunshine
Coast, and its predecessors,
has always included much
more than West Van. And its
voting pattern in federal
elections has invariably mir-
rored the province as a
whole. Prior to 1993, West:
Vancouver supported Tory
MPs — Mary Collins and
Ron Huntington — for
almost 20 years.

This fact may surprisc
some old-time West
Vancouverites, who tend to
think of their community as
Liberal in terms of its poli-
tics. It’s true thar way back

in the 1940s and 50s the
powerful Grit cabinet minis-
ter Jimmy Sinclair represent-
ed the riding. And, during
the Trudeau era, the well-
liked Jack Davis served as the
MP for Capilano. But all of
this is ancient history now;
in more recent years, voters
across the North Shore have
opted for conservative politi-
cians in federal elections. By
and large, so have most
other British Columbians.

It’s too early to predict
which way the province will
vote this time around. And.
in an age of multiparty poli-
tics, it’s possible that there
won't be a clear consensus.

If B.C. as a region divides
its support among a few dif-
ferent parties, the nwo North
Shore ridings could bec6me
very tight contests. And
while we haven’t had any
local cliff-hangers in recent
memory, there have been
some notable two and three-
way races in years gone by.
For instance, Ray Perrault
won the 1968 nail-biter by
only about 140 votes out of
40,000 ballots cast.

In the campaign on the
near-horizon, my gucss is
that both North Shore con-
stituencies will be very close-
ly fought. In this kind of a
campaign, candidates and
party organizations can and
do actually make a differ-
ence. In the weeks ahead,
therefore, political contes-

HARRISON

GALLERIES
Present an exhibition of new works by

Celia Coliin

ee

Opening reception & meet the artist

Saturday April 19

2:00 - 5:09 pm

Show runs till April 29, 1997
Musical interludes by the Harmonia String Quartet

1471 Marine Drive, West Vancouver

926-2615

Friday, April 18, 1997 — North Shore News — 7

N. Shore federal fight wili be close

tants and their campaign
teams are likely to come
under extraordinary scrutiny.
And isn’t that what elections
are supposed to be all about?
— ‘the North Shore News
believes strongly in freedom of

speech and the right of all
sides in a debate to be beard.
The columnists published in
the News present differing
points of view, but those views
are nor necessarily those of the
newspaper itself.

(COLLISION SPECIALISTS)

B.C.A.A. - A.R.A.

Our -39t
° APPROVED CENTRE

-. collision repairs

““IFETIME
GUARANTEE”

4AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR CAR

> G TALKING 4» Estimates &

DON TAYLOR: YELLCW PAGES °
Same owner, same high Vfd222.2000 Consultation
tech equipped shop /MEI7(41515.. 985-7455

TRVLoRMOTIVE™ ee erenne ane “A 74 Pemberton Avenue
- fAYLORMOT v ES » (4 bIKs. south of Marine)”

And you thought your
hotel room was expensive.

Aik

$89
Hotel/per night Hospital/per night

“OUT-OF-PROVINCE © |
-EDICAL INSURANCE

For as low as $10.00, you can get extended
medical coverage for your weekend
getaway. Isn't that better than paying
$1,500 a night for a hospital bed?

Call for details’ BCAA Insurance AGENCY

TRUST US TO MAKE INSURANCE BETTER

Park Royal North
(exterior location ye Canada Trust & The Bay} 2 68- 5 6 50

Undarwritten by BCAA Insurance Comporation

Portofino Clay Pot

From our best-ever collection of
international pots and howls...

Bright

JSlowers

bloom. all t
summer long.
Lovely, fresh
new stock,

Four plants per pack:

“WITH ALL WE KNOW, IT HAS TO GROW.”

MAPLE LEAF

GARDEN CENTRES

OPEN SEVEN DAYS: MON-SAT 9:30 to 6, SUNDAY.10 t0 5.» ©
NORTH VANCOUVER: 1343 LYNN VALLEY ROAD 985-1784.
WEST VANCOUVER: . 2558 HAYWOOD AVENUE © 922-2613

a sa Neo

Excellent cool-weather garden
flowers in a wide range of colours.

ee