The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

O ak vi lle B ea ve r W ee ke nd , S un da y, J un e 4, 1 99 5 - CD OPINION Editorials Change for Ontario Before the last federal election, the voters were labeled 'cranky' by pollsters and politicians alike. In other words; they didn't like what they saw or heard from any of the parties. The result was the annihilation of the federal Progressive Conservative party and the ascendency of the Liberals in Ottawa. In Ontario, the Progressive Conservatives ruled for more than 40 years when they were unceremoniously kicked out by the David Peterson Liberals. The voters declared, through the ballot box, that the Tories had run out of gas and ideas so a change was needed. What followed during the economic boom of the mid 1980s, was a spend for the sake of spending philosophy and tax hikes to match that mood. Let the good times roll, was the phrase of the day. But it all came crashing down around Peterson's head when he went to the e lec to ra l w ell once too o ften . The 'cranky' voters not only tossed his party out on its ear, it also elected the first socialist government in Ontario history, with a massive majority. W hat happened next is fresh in the minds of Ontarians as we head to the advance polls and voting day on June 8th. So what is the choice for Ontario for the next five years? When Bob Rae and the New Democratic Party came to power, they promised to carry out their mandate as the champion of the average Ontarian. They prom ised no Sunday shopping, then changed their m inds. They promised no casinos since that would disrupt family life. They then changed their minds. They promised affordable piovincial auto insurance and then went back on their word. They promised responsible government and what we got was scandal after scandal in various government ministries. We also got higher taxation and an incredible nine fold increase in the provin­ cial debt thanks to inept fiscal policies. Even given the difficult recessionary times, Rae's performance has been wretched. We expected fairness at Queen's Park, instead we got 'closure' on many debates thus shutting off criticism of government programs. That's what a majority will do for you. Ontario can't afford any more of Bob Rae or his government. He has run a lacklustre campaign devoid of policy and remarkable only for its view that he is the lesser of the other two evils, namely Liberal leader Lyn McLeod and Tory boss Mike Harris. The current Liberal leader has offered a variety of plans that are lesser clones of those proposed by Progressive Conservative leader Mike Harris. Where Harris proposes a 30% tax cut, McLeod says 5% is more realistic. Both have their own views of welfare reform with the Liberals seeking their own kind of 'workfare' touted by Harris. McLeod has had five years to come up with policies but they, in the form of another 'Red Book' came at the 11th hour before an election call. Where has she and her party been for the past five years? All of which brings us to Mike Harris and his much-vaunted 'Common Sense Revolution'. There's no doubt that Harris features himself the Ralph Klein of Ontario. In fact he has had talks with Klein about how that premier has changed the face of Alberta. We applaud Harris on his plans to repeal employment legislation that in effect puts quotas on companies for hiring minorities. Even the groups affected by the legislation aren't impressed by given more consideration than others sim­ ply by their heritage and not necessarily their abilities. The Tories have also said they will keep health and education at current lev­ els while slashing government costs elsewhere. The main loser here, however, is again the middle class which will have to pay more medical fees to retain the status quo. Harris has argued that his tax cut plan would offset any fees handed down Ontarians. We're still skeptical. So which party is worthy of your support? For us the choice is clearly betw een the L iberals and the Progressive Conservatives. Bob Rae has simply no credibility left and he has given absolute­ ly no indication of where he would lead Ontario for another term. He's got to go. The Liberals, who once had the middle ground staked out, have had that posi­ tion taken up by the NDP so they too have moved to the right. As appealing as McLeod's Liberals might be to support, there's that nagging feeling that she won't be decisive on critical and tough fiscal issues. In Mike Harris and the Progressive Conservatives, Ontario has a chance for real change. Whether or not these changes will work, if he's elected, is unclear, at least he has had policies in place and he stands by them. He deserves a chance to show what a new approach can achieve. Decision O ntario V otes THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Ian Oliver Publisher Geoff Hill Gradation Director Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Ten Casas Office Manager Norman Alexander Editor Tim Coles Production Manager 467 S peers Rd., Oakville O ntL 6K 3S 4 (905) 8 4 5 -3 8 2 4 Fax: 8 4 5 -3 0 8 5 C lassified Advertising: 8 4 5 -2 8 0 9 Circulation: 8 4 5 -9 7 4 2 or 8 4 5 -9 7 4 3 Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing also indudes:Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, Etobicoke Guardian/Lakeshore Advertiser, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist and Sun, MkJand Penetang Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Mississagua News, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Orilia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Oarington This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond Hill/ThornhiH/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, StouMk^Uxbridge Tribune, Today's Seniors i k Bosnian standoff # i i i n *i i 111 z -i ^ m __IT U T H After Martha, lifejust won't be the sam e Laid low by the uncom­ mon cold, I dispatched my wife to work, shipped my sons off to school, then dragged my beleaguered bronchitis and sorry sinuses up to bed. That night, when my wife returned and asked what I'd been up to all day, my guilty conscience would not let me lie. I had to face up to my wife, and fess up to my awful indiscretion. "I spent the day in the hay with Martha," I blurt­ ed. My wife, nodded, taking the news stoically, especially considering she'd introduced me to Martha in the first place. "Martha's an amazing woman," my wife said, biting her lower lip. "She's more a woman than I could ever hope to be." I tried to console my poor wife. I advised her not to be too hard on herself, told her that it was in no way her fault, that she wasn't really inadequate - that, sadly, no woman anywhere could ever hope to measure up to Martha My wife left the room, probably to find a quiet comer in which to contemplate reasons to go on liv­ ing. I crawled back under the covers with the mar­ vel that is Martha. Wait! Stop the presses! Rereading the previous paragraphs, it occurs to me that it is altogether pos­ sible that the more perverted persons perusing this piece could mistake what I've written to mean that I was up to no good with a woman named Martha. Never! Martha's not like that The Martha with whom I spent a sick day in the hay was none other than Martha Stewart - and I didn't really have M artha In The Flesh in my boudoir. No, into my sick bed I'd snuck my wife's copy of Martha Stewart's aptly titled magazine, Martha Stewart Living. For the wretched unfortunates who have never seen Martha Stewart Living, let me say you're sure missing a treat. Featured on the glossy magazine's cover each month A M n V *s a P*cture ° f Martha; on the A i l U I front of the May issue, Martha li IN IP F R was caPtured in her bright, yel- v U l l i n C n low raincoat - in a fabulous --------------------------- field of flowers. On page six of Martha's maga- . zine is Martha's Calendar, with significant, die-if-they're for­ gotten reminders, such as: Pick asparagus daily to encourage production (May 4th); Spray roses with Epsom salts and soap (May 5th); Begin bi-weekly lawn mowing (May 6th); Make rhubarb tarts and crisps (May 8th); Today Show appearances (May 10th and 24th); Weed shade gar­ den (May 19th); Clean out garage (May 28th). On page 10, in a feature headed "A Letter From Martha," Martha notes how she divides her time betw een her W estport, Connecticut, and East Hampton, Long Island homes. Which may make some jealous sadsacks moan that not only does Martha have her own magazine, Martha also has money. Hey! Maybe, M artha's money explains why Martha has her own magazine. And why she always has her picture on the cover of that magazine. It might even explain why she's Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of that magazine, and why on top of her "Letter" in each issue, she also has a regular col­ umn. As I sniffed and sneezed my way through my day in the hay with Martha, a few feverish thoughts came to mind; Martha is truly amazing. But she has tons too much time on her hands. Andy Juniper Living Calendar; Watch NBA playoff game on TV (June 4th); Read newspaper (June 5th); Clean gunk out of bellybutton (June 6th); Walk dog (June 7th); Clean up after dog (June 8th); Dig up asparagus garden to discourage pro­ duction (June 9th)...