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Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager Are you in favor of permitting long trucks on our highways? Yes: 6 No: 28 Polls can mean just about anything depending on your interpretation but the most recent survey that found Tory leader Kim Campbell‘s star ascending after uneven performances since she took office from Brian Mulroney, must have Chretien concerned. But regardless of Campbell‘s changing fortunes, Chretien must be buoyed by the apparent disintegration of the federal New Democratic Party under Audrey McLaughlin. The NDP‘s popularity continues to decline in all polls and it appears as though it will lose most of its seats to the other mainline parâ€" ties. And it‘s these NDP seats that has both Chretien and Campbell licking their respective chops. Especially vulnerable are Ontario ridings currently held by the NDP. The best advice for candidates in these ridings is to get their resumes in order. And for that matter, McLaughlin might do well to look at other employment opportunities since some pundits are suggesting the NDP may even fail to win the necessary number of federal seats for full political party status and all the federal financing that affords. That would truly be a disasâ€" trous showing for McLaughlin and the NDP. The Conservatives had to find a ‘name‘ candidate to try and offset the retirement of Jelinek and they did so in enticing Oakville Mayor Ann Mulvale into the fold. As far as the New Democrats are concerned, they haven‘t been able to find anyone willing to throw themselves on the coming election pyre. The poll found that an increasing number of people who said they‘d never vote Conservative under Mulroney, have now changed their minds now that Campbell is in the leader‘s chair. The NDP leader‘s response to this is to reply that her party will win a record number of seats in the House of Commons. Anyone with some good swampland to sell might give Ms McLaughlin a call. McLaughlin is so fearful of having her party decimated in Ontario, that she took to television Wednesday night in an hourâ€"long ‘town hall‘ format that saw the leader answer questions from callers and the studio audience. She‘s going to need more of the same if she‘s to better the 43 seats her party won in the 1988 election. In Chretien the Liberals have a proven politician, a veteran federal cabinet minister and someone who still fashions himself the champion of the average Canadian. But these are different times from 1988 with a vastly different electorate, high unemployment a soaring national debt and an Ontario whose economy must wait for the next provincial election before it will improve. Despite the mixed messages being seen in the political tea leaves, Chretien‘s visit here may have been prophetic...but don‘t count on it. RESULTS OF LAST WEEK‘S | Cast your ballot by calling 845â€"5585, box 5008 to vote. Results of the poll will be published in the next Friday edition of the Oakville Beaver. Should Ontario hospitals help treat injured children in the Bosnian conflict? Callers have until 12 noon Thursday to register their vote. Secondly, the lack of refreshment stands or kiosks. While mom was taking advantage of the sidewalk Dear Sir: Congratulations, Oakville, on your 2nd Annual Waterfront Festival. As a recently arrived newcomer, it gave me good reason to be proud of my new home. I would like to suggest some ideas to make our third annual event even greater. Firstly, those $5.00 buttons â€" a terrific idea for local residents who could attend all the festivities. But not for visitors to our town who may be just passâ€" ing through. It was disheartening for one family with four children to have to pay $35 just to visit Coronation Park for the afternoon. Needless to say, I was reminded that neither Milton nor Georgetown had asked me to buy a $5 button to attend their festivâ€" ities. If anything, these professional drivers should have first call and priority on the road to get his/her job done. They do not generally travel at tremendous speeds, and they have not taken over the road. Remember, they may, in fact, be hauling the furniâ€" ture you just bought, the food that‘s going to your local grocery store, the Bbuilding materials for your The Minister of Transport finally did something for the truckers and the environment. I agree that QEW is "wall to wall" traffic, but surely not just trucks! There are thousands of passenger cars â€" often with only one person in it, going to and from work, or hauling 35â€"foot recreational vehicles, or just drivâ€" ing for personal reasons. But in most cases, the roads are not their "place of work"! Everybody has their own reason for travelling the roads in general and the QEW in particular, but the road is the truckers equivalent of the office or factory â€" it‘s his place of work. Dear Sir: The Ontario Government‘s decision to allow trucks to utilize longer trailers and combination trailâ€" ers on the province‘s roads ought to be applauded. Ontario truckers can now finally compete on a level playing field with the truckers of other provinces. Waterfront festival could be even better in ‘94 Longer trailers needed in trucking industry The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be signed and include the writer‘s address and phone number. Letters should be typed, doubleâ€"spaced and addressed to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 354 en n e n en T; Refreshment stands or concessions could be a way to raise funds. There is certainly a need, and it would be more festivalâ€"like. Think about it. Let‘s start planning next year‘s festival â€" to make it the best ever. Now, I‘m sure the organizers put much time and effort into planning and preparation and that there was good reason for the $5 button. However, please accept my input and give some consideration to alternatives â€" maybe charging separately for activiâ€" ties, or charging a lower daily admission fee. sales, the wee ones were impatiently awaiting some promised treats, but we could find none. Even the pastry shops were closed. Eventually, we had to head for home, because dad â€" a diabetic, was having an insulin reaction, which a snack would have cured. To Judy Levy, if you cannot share the roads with your "link to life", then I suggest you take a bus!!! Marci Westfallâ€"Stella A Truckers Wife There are many other facts in support for the longer trailers, but the above should suffice to show the importance of the "knights of the road" in supâ€" plying all of us with the necessities of life. 3. Drivers must take their road test every three years and pass a physical to get their class "A" license renewed (at a cost of course). Every time you buy something, think about it... how did it get there? If it was not for truckers driving 10 â€" 12 hours a day, seven days a week, sacrificing quality time with their families and friends, scraping out a living, the things you buy would not be there. Here are a few facts that most people are unaware of, unless they are in the trucking industry: 1. Ontario was the only province which did not permit longer trailers and Bâ€"trains (combination trailers). 2. Your passenger car plates cost $90 â€" plates for a power unit cost about $2,600 and more! house, or the fuel so that the fourâ€"wheelers can go for their Sunday drive!