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o tCMAE Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager Beaver, published L, Oakville, is c Ian Oliver Publisher i4 Ewmfimnfl f : l .L a i Robert Glasbey Advertising Direc torate before they head off to the polls tomorrow. And what they have found should give us all great cause for concern. If the predictions hold true, we could be looking at a Parliament comâ€" posed of a Liberal majority government looking across the floor of the House of Commons at an Official Opposition led by Lucien Bouchard‘s Bloc Quebecois. The national political polisters have taken their last pulse of the elecâ€" It would be a nightmare come true and one that the voters outside of Quebec have very little control. If the Bloc Quebecois sweeps Quebec, including the seat of Liberal leader Jean Chretien, it will mean the country could have an Opposition leadership dedicated to the interests of Quebeckers and only Quebeckers. The rest of the country will have to fend for itself to have some alternative voice to the government in the House of Commons. one another. But also of note has been the fact that there have been two women leading national political parties. That‘s good news for all girls in the country who need the kind of positive role models portrayed in this elecâ€" tion by New Democratic Party leader Audrey McLaughlin and Prime Minister Kim Campbell. Some political observers have said that the issue of gender bias has been an underlying issue in the campaign although none of the other maleâ€"led parties have dared to voice that observation publically. Noâ€"doubt some of those comments would be aimed at Reform Party leader Preston Manning whose fundamentalist Christian beliefs see women in roles many would describe as traditional. It‘s no surprise then, that women do not play a prominent role in that party. Only 23 women have been nominated among its 207 candidates. This compares to 113 women out of 295 candidates for the New Democrats, the highest number ever in Canada. If this does occur, we will have witnessed a milestone in the history of Canadian politics and one that would, more than any other event in the past 100 years, lead us down the road to a newâ€"look Canada. Monday October 25th. It should be quite a night. Politics should be regarded as genderâ€"neutral and a career girls and young women should be able to consider on the same basis as their male counterparts. If nothing else, having a strong female presence federal election makes a powerful and positive image for girls who may not have seen national service as an option Just how many of these role models will be left after tomorrow evening, however, remains to be seen. I‘m for provinceâ€"wide testing since without it, we‘ll have no way of knowâ€" ing when our school system begins to improve. Furthermore, if there are schools within the system that need help meeting provincial standards, we‘ll have no way of knowing without provinceâ€"wide testing. Are you for or against provinceâ€"wide testing in schools and why? he federal election, has had some very positive components. It has reâ€"awakened politics as the topic for discussion in countless Canadian communities and has actually seen Canadians talking to Waiting game 467 Speers Road, Oakv‘lvé, Ont. LGK 354 845-3 824 Fax: 845â€"3085 Classified Advemsmg 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 A sampling of the best answers will be published in the next Weekend ediâ€" tion of the Oakville Beaver. What should be the first order of business for the new federal governâ€" ment? Give us your opinion on this topic by calling $45â€"5585, box 5012. All callers are allowed 45 seconds to respond and must provide their name, address and phone number for verificaâ€" tion. P d a P 6 wb is Brian Smith Reform Party does have detailed policies Have you read The Reform Party‘s Blue Sheet detailing the policies of the Party? Do you know what the fisheries and environment policies of the old line parties are? If these policies exist, have they worked in the past? * "The kefomrl’any is nsmg in pubhc support pri-‘ the old line r I would s Sheet and s your commu 'Ap;at- m n Jt N m Your editorial on October 10 in reference to The Reform Party truly shows your colors. You criticize The Reform Party for not having a fisheries and an environment policy and you support your statements with partial quotations from Preston Manning. Preston Manning is offering hope by promising that he will eliminate the deficit in three years. The reality is that this can not be done with out having a devastating impact on the social services which this country now offers. Manning wishes to trim $3.5 bilâ€" lion from old age pensions. According to a report in the Globe and Mail the only way to save this amount of money is to clawback every cent given to seniors who have an income in excess of $35,000. No magic solutions to country‘s woes Dear More than in any past election, many people have continuously stated that they will cast their vote for the candidate that offers them the most hope for the future. Jean Chretien is offering hope by offering jobs. The reality is that according to the Ottawa firm, Global Economics Ltd. this will add $4 billion to the debt, half of which will be borne by the provinces and municipalities. Although this in itself is not a bad thing, voters must remember to add a dash of reality when listening to what politicians are saying. 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: As a result of my active involvement with ratepayers groups, I have had the opportunity to see our mayor in action over the years and have not always agreed with her views or decisions. Since April 1992, our organization has spent significant effort in attempting to derail the proâ€" posal to implement Market Value Assessment. Mulvale and her council have similarly worked tirelessly to the same end to prevent financial hardship to all citizens of Oakville who could, even now, still be sadâ€" dled with massive tax transfers from Burlington. The Regional Council has yet to implement MVA largely because of the dedicated efforts of Mulvale. In my view, she has continued to demonstrate an intensity of determination to achieve an acceptable, beneficial solution for the residents of Oakville, rather than leave their Kim Campbell is offering realiâ€" ty by suggesting a slower paced deficit reduction that will in turn save the safety social net that this country has grown to enjoy. No conflict of interest with mayor running Dear Sir: In the interest of fair play, I must respond to recent letters criticizing the mayor‘s "dual role" during the election campaign. Concerns regardâ€" ing her potential conflict of interest are legitimate, but without full knowledge of the facts, also unfounded. Rather than criticizing Ann Mulvale for supposedly demeaning the office of mayor while campaigning, I would propose a vote of thanks for a lady who continued to discharge her municipal obligations to the Reality states that there are no marily because of their clear statement of policies. There may be a few areas that require work, and in fact Preston Manning is the first one to admit this. However, in the past few years the members of The Reform Party have put together significantly more detailed and more constructive policies than any of the old line parties. I would suggest you consider reading the Blue Sheet and spend more time getting in touch with your community rather than practising the politics of Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 (See ‘Mayor‘ page 9) easy solutions to the country‘s problems. The wave of a Liberal or Reform magic wand will bring neither overâ€"night success nor longâ€"term prosperity. B"Manh Blair Hains