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WHrrTBY FIEE PRESS, WEDNEpAy,' J4'NUARY 20,. 1988, PAGE 5 John Turner and Gary Hart now have more in common than one ever would suppose: ask either about the right to privacy these days. Hart, as we have been told, stumbled in front of the pack of presidential hopefuls when his affair with a model was made public. Now, John Turner faces a similar image problem: A television journalist, Pamela Wallin, asked Turner, in a convoluted way, if he has a drinking problem. Worse yet, the Tôronto Star carried a front page story on Sunday detailing the question. The Wallin interview was aired 'on CTV's Question Period Sunday at 3:30 p.m. (Channel 9, cable 8). The only saving grace in the Star story lày in the fact that it failed to give the time the inter- view would be broadcast. That's little grace enough, since CTV displayed·the question on drinking in newscasts throughout the day. Turner said in reply that he does like a party, but he's never let such things-interfere with any job he has to do. Loosely interpreted, that means he does like a drink, but no, he doesn't think this is really a problem. Think aboutit: a man who has been Prime Minister of this country, and who stands a very good chance of becoming PM again. Should his drinking habits become public knowledge? Do people in public life have the right to any privacy? If the answer tothose questions seems obvious, it may be because they are the wrong questions. It is not the lack of privacy that counts. For example, ask-any public ser- vant what she/he had for breakfast and you will not likely meet with any embarrassnient. Why? Few voters are swayed politically by cold porridge or scrambled eggs. Since it doesn't matter, then the answers can be forth- coming. WITH OUR FEET UP by Bill Swan Attack by gossip But it is in the area of sensitive questions that jour- nalists -and voters-sit up and pay attention. And it is sensitive questions -those about sexual deviance, drinking habits -that public servants find most difficult. Wallin didn't really ask the question. She sort of presen- ted it, like a chamber maid who cornered a dust ball under the bed: There's talk.... But once Wallin raised the subject, Turner was trapped. It was the quintessential 'Have you quit beating your wife yet?' question. No matter how he answeredit -even if he were a teetotaller -Turner was blind-sided with an elder- berry pie. The stains will be with him for a long time. As a very young journalist, I was one confronted by a ticklish situation. A senior editor came down hard with an adage:·never publish a rumor even to deny it. That is, in denying a rumor, you've done just as much damage. In this case, Wallin has gone one step furthep:.she has repeated gossip, and given it credence. But no matter how viciqus the Ottawa gossipis; no mat- ter how true the stories are; no matter how late Turner returns from lunch: nothing excuses attack by innuendo. If Turner has a problem; if Turner is indeed a drunk; if Turner works often with reduced capacity -then let newshounds document it. If he is nailed driving while drunk; if he takes a swing at someone in the HQuse; if he stumbles. in public and embarrasses those around him -let the news be reported. The difference between Hart and Turner lies.in repor- ting. In the Hart story, an attempt was made at reporting. Some facts were gathered and presented to Hart. (I still have some difficulty justifying that intrusion into a private life, but let that go for now.) The pertinent point is that Hart then lied. Some reporters had evidence to point out the untruth. Liars don't make.good presidents, one would hope, although there may be some evidence that adulterers do. But no matter -the damage was done. In the Turner casè, no one had. presented any hard evidence. Wallin chose rather to repeat gossip. That makes the whole journalistic performance a shoddy af- fair. Wallin should be ashamed. But it's all a tempest in a tea pot. Anywhere else in the world, such<suggestion would ruin the chances of any politician. But not here in Canada. The cat may be out of the bag, so to speak, but Canadian voters won't let those smart-arsed journalists ruin their buffoons. St. John forced to eut back service The 1988 allocation for Whitby's St. John Ambulance has been cut back by about $10,500 because of the shortfall of funds in the recently completed United Way campaign. Shirley Spicer of the Whitby branch says there will be a "drastic cut" in services by divisions of the volunteer brigade because of the lack of funds. The brigade, make up of junior and adult members, receives financial funding from donations received from the public, with the balance from the United Way. Operating expenses in 1987 were about $90,000 with $23,599 of that amount from the United Way. The cutback in service comes in the year when the branch marks its 25th year of service. There are now more than 65 volunteers in the Whitby branch. The branch began in April, 1963. Computer stolen from school A Commodore 64 computer was stolen from a portable at E.A. Fairman school at 620 Walnut St. sometime on the weekend. No estimate was given of the value of the computei. It operated out of a room on the second floor*of the Centennial building from 1976 to 1985 before moving to the existing location at 110 Ash St. to meet the need for in- structional services. In 1987, Whitby St. John trained 1,452 students, a jump of 942 studen- ts from 1986. Volunteer members odnated 3,578 duty hours-in 1987, with 93 casualties treated on and off duty. Celebration events for the 1988 anniversary year include a stret- cher race for health care personnel, pancake breakfast and tug of war, and anniversary dance. For more information contact Spicer at 668- 9006. FAMILY WELLNESS CLINIC \\\ The Chiropractors Farnily Welness Clinic Sis now open and accepting patients for chiropractic treatment. OP E [N Our skilled professionals include four O Chiropractors, aMassageTherapist, a Nutritionist, and a Reflexologist. REGISTER NOW for our fitness classes and testing, yoga, and Tai Chi instruction. Let us help you to be more active, relaxed, and feeling weil. P. WYSOTSKI, D.C. 728-5251 R. ENNS, D.C. 579-9180 SALLY SHLAPAK, B.SC., D.C. 723-7573 KEVIN McLAUGHLIN, B.P.E., D.C. 436-2134