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Jelinek, who was first elected in Toronto‘s High Park riding in 1972, said it "has been a great honor‘‘ to repâ€" resent the people of Oakvilleâ€"Milton. "I thank them for their support and assure them that I will continue to serve until the end of my term with the same enthusiasm, energy and dediâ€" (Continued from page 1) A tearyâ€"eyed Jelinek told reporters he was retiring from politics to spend more time with his family. Maplegrove United Church 486â€"8742 48 MUSIC Available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Available at Queen Street, Bloor Yonge, Brampton, Cloverdale, Eglinton Square Woodbine Centre, Burlington Mall, Oakville and Oshawa. .»i:“u 6 monthsâ€"3‘/; years old Register now Classes start MARCH 29 Young Children‘s Creative Music Movement Classes® PURCHASE ANY ONE OF OUR TEMPTING ENTREES* AND YOUR GUEST WILL RECEIVE A SECOND ENTREE* OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE... For babies or very young children Musical Beginnings Dance Beginnings» (est. 1972) ‘s decision to retire from politics came late This offer in effect during Bay Day Week, March 22nd to 27th only. Available in participating restaurants from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. *This offer applies to the purchase of hot food and charbroiler items only. All other items excluded. Coupons and other discounts not applicable with this offer. BAING A FRIEND FOR LUNCH "I left Ottawa earlier this week to go back to my home town and advise my riding executive that I would stand for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. I was committed to run. The support on the home front was and continues to be enthusiastic," Jelinek said, choking back tears. Instead, Jelinek surprised everyone by saying that despite widespread political and financial support from the private sector, he had decided not to seek the leadership of the party and that he would not run in the next fedâ€" eral election. He said his change of heart was very sudden. The announcement shocked memâ€" bers of the press, on hand for what many believed would be an Jelinek‘s announcement to seek the leadership of the federal Progressive Conservative Party. cation as I have over the last 21 years," he said. | YOUR BETTER PRICE ADVANTAGE | "I was set to go until I ran into these guys. My wife and my two boys aged 10 and 5 years old," he said, pointing to his wife Leata and sons Jamie, 5, and Misha, 10, who accomâ€" panied the 52â€"yearâ€"old cabinet minisâ€" ter to the press conference. "Suddenly life‘s reality hit home and hit right where it counts, in the heart. Because these children have been growing up with a partâ€"time father," he said. "I‘ve been a member of Parliament since 1972. (He first represented the Halton riding, now Oakvilleâ€"Milton in 1979) I‘ve held five cabinet positions. I‘m over 50 years old. My kids are young and my business opportunities in the private sector still exist today. They may not four or five years from now," said Jelinek. "Because of this and the fact that the (leadership) candidate field is still widening, and will widen further, I have over the last 24 hours, and I emphasize over the last 24 hours â€" I haven‘t been leading you on over the course of the last two weeks â€" Over . Bay Fompany . the last 24 hours made the very diffiâ€" cult, very emotional, very gutâ€" wrenching decision not to seek the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada," he said. "And I took that thoughtâ€"process further into the future and for exactly the same reasons that I have just menâ€" tioned I have decided as well not to run in the next federal election," Jelinek said. He said his decision had nothing to do with his chances of winning the leadership. He said he believes he would have had as good a chance of winning the leadership as any of the other candidates. "In fact, I‘m proud to have been part of the decisionâ€"making process that has led to the difficult and necesâ€" sary policies and programs and been implemented over the past few years. I am and will be forever thankful to Brian Mulroney for his tremendous leadership and also for his confidence in me," he said. ‘"There are new challenges ahead for Canada. New challenges that can only be met with new faces, with new ideas and new energy. Something this "Polls don‘t mean a thing when a leadership campaign is two or three months away. It had nothing to do with polls or my commitment to the party. And it certainly is not â€" as some members of the opposition suggest â€" that I don‘t believe in the programs and policies of the current governâ€" ment," he said. : OAKVILLE PUBLIC FILLED WITH SOFAS, SOFA BEDS, LOVESEATS, WING CHAIRS RECLINERS, WING CHAIRS, SWIVEL CHAIRS, PICTURES, LAMPS, BEDROOM/DINING ROOM FURNITURE, LEATHER SOFAS, MATTRESSES AND MUCH MORE! The results of a Feasibility Study examining: access for the physically challenged; v costs/benefits of renovation options will be presented. Call 827â€"3321 to register. Woodside Branch Library 1274 Rebecca Street 827â€"3321 Please attend... Woodside Branch Library Public Meeting Sunday, March 28, 2 p.m. Open Sundays noonâ€"5 p.m. SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT ... 15,000 SQ. FT. SHOWROOM leadership campaign will provide for the party," Jelinek said. "I believe that there‘s jockeying for position and there are enough potential leadership candidates that will satisfy my concern for full politiâ€" cal representation. There are other names which will be coming forward over the next week or so. I will back everybody," Jelinek said of the leadâ€" ership race. "These new challenges cannot be met with old faces, old ideas or old policies represented by yesterday‘s people," he said. "The next leader of this party â€" and don‘t count anybody out, because it‘s a wide open race, regardless of the polls â€" will be the next prime minister and will be the prime minister after the next election," Jelinek said. He said Defence Minister Kim Campbell â€" who is an early favorite to succeed Mulroney and is expected to announce her leadership bid next week in Vancouver â€" "will make as good a prime minister as any of the other contenders. "There‘s a lot of other support out there. I can tell you from my own experience I‘ve had unsolicited supâ€" port financially to the tune of half a million dollars. That‘s why I was ready to launch a campaign a day ago. There‘s a lot of support which is undecided in Ontario and in other parts of the country. As the leadership contenders settle into place that the support will start being distributed a little more evenly," said Jelinek.