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4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 23, 1985 editorial commen Political Cynicism A very recent poli 'conducted for' a Toronto. newspaper shows that support for the Ontario Conser- + vatives has slipped to 41 per cent. The same poll shows that Ontario Liberals are holding their own with about 33 per cent of the decided vote, while the NDP has gain- ed to about 26 per cent. There may be several factors contributing to what appears to be a softening of support for the Conser- vatives. The campaign by Frank Miller has yet to really get off the ground as he has been forced to the defen- sive on some positions. And let's face it, the guy is no Bill Davis when it comes to oiling up the campaign machinery. And the campaigns being waged by Liberal David Peterson and New Democrat Bob Rae, while unspec- tacular are solid and workmanlike. That is gaining for them some credibility among the people of this province. There is another factor that is difficult to measure, and that is a sense of cynicism in Ontario about politics in general, and more specifically about the federal Con- servatives in Ottawa, whose first eight months in office have been disappointing, to say the least. Is the Mulroney factor spilling over into the current election campaign in Ontario? Probably. Brian Mulroney was elected last September with the largest majority ever given a federal Party in Canada. He promised change and clearly the Canadian electorate was demanding change, while giving the Liberals and Pierre Trudeau a needed kick in the pants. But Mulroney's eight months in power have been confusing and a tad unsettling for the people of Ontario. He has negotiated a new energy deal with the oil and gas companies and there is the very real suspicion that the cost of this through higher energy prices will be significant. : He had a March get-together in Quebec City with | U.S. president Ronald Reagan, and while it made great television with the two of them kicking up their heels, Canadians hoping for some breakthrough action on acid rain were disappointed. There has been the question of patronage appoint- ments. Mulroney made a great fuss (rightly so) over the practise when Pierre Trudeau was handing out plum jobs to everyone in sight at the end of his term, but the Con- servatives have managed to find a few jobs here and there for their own in the last eight months, and it's little wonder the Canadian peoplee are cynical. Mulroney has been involved in a head-line grabb- ing squabble with with Liberal leader John Turner over repairs to Stornoway, the offical residence of the Opposi- tion leader. Cost figures in excess of $300,000 have been bandied about, and the average Canadian must be wondering why they don't just sell the joint and move Turner and family into new digs. Just last week, Mulroney handed over a cheque to the treasurer of Canada for some $4000, for his fami- ly's grocery bills, thus keeping one promise, anyway. That's nice, but the money will pay about a month's salary for one of the dozens of extra bodies he has add- ed to the prime ministerial staff. ul Mulroney has had a few problems with Cabinet ministers as well. A defense minister who resigned; an environment minister who seems to be way out of her league in a very sensitive and important portfolio; Joe Clark coming up with the incredible statement that get- ting involved with Star Wars could mean 7000 new jobs in Canada. When jobs are tied to an expansion of the arms race, we are all in trouble. Finance minister Michael Wilson was put on the defensive this week when it was revealed that his brother-in-law received a government advertising contract. Back in September, Canadians were looking for a big change, not just in substance, but in style. The pro- mise was there, but so far, Mulroney has been spinning his wheels, caught up in a lot of little nagging problems, the same kind that accumulated on the shoulders of his predecessor. Frank Miller may very well be feeling the fall-out. There has been the suggestion that important federal decisions which will have substantial impacts 'on Ontario, are being delayed until after May 2. There is a growing cynicism among Canadians and Ontarians, who quite simply don't seem to like politicians of any stripe these days. Healthy? Not really. But can the people of this country and this province really be blamed for the way they feel? Hardly. by Cathy Robb chatterbox THIS IS SO BORING I've never been so bored in my life. This election campaign is enough to put a diet pill addict to sleep, no kidding. o The election is, what, about a week or two away and I haven't even given a thought as to who I want to vote for. Never mind to what the issues or, what kind of human beings the candidates are or ... or anything for that matter. I just don't care this time around. The other day I was heading down the road in my La-dee-dah, listening to country music on the radeeoh station, when the disc jockey comes on and says, "Just in case you weren't aware of it, there is an election on May 2nd. To repeat, there is a provincial election May 2nd." . His announcement hit me like an electrical shock. I felt like it was the first time I had heard about the elec- tion and it came as a complete surprise. It shouldn't have, mind you. Come election time, the newspaper office starts a-humming with activity and me and good old John B. start thumping it out to nomination meetings, campaign offices and all sorts of similar rubbish. Usually, when I spend all my free nights listening to various party candidates whiplash the other can- didates with wet bologna, I get election fever on the brain. Co impressed me about as much as a Bloody Caesar with no spice. Bor-ring. What's worse, each of the candidates has been mouthing off about the excitement in the air, a sense of greatpess, of change, of fresh ideas and a terrific future: Are they insane? The only change I smell in the air is swamp gas and the only fresh thing I've seen around is manure in farmers' fields. Nuff said MILA MUNROW It's spring and my cat is in heat (can you say "heat' in the Port Perry Star?) Her name is Mila but I've changed her name to Mila Munrow since all she does, all day long, is say "Munrow, munrow, munRRROW." : The poor dear 1s obviously in agony, confined to my apartment when she'd like nothing better than to seek out cats of the male persuasion in the great outdoors. Or Crandell"s. Whatever. I know, I know, if she was FIXED, I wouldn't have to listen to her complaints all day long. My boyfriend - like the old joke ---- what's black and red and goes 50 ~ rocks, no less. Not this time. Their unfettered political rhetoric has says if she was dead I wouldn't have to listen to her at all. But what does he know. A cat lover, he ain't. swear all he does all day longs think up ways to kill my cats (There's two, Mila and her friend, Scoop). He likes the one about Mila in a blender (you know, miles an hour?), but he's also pretty keen on teaching Mila and Scoop to swim. In a burlap sack filled with The other day I heard this WHACK-THUMP sound and came running out of the bathroom to find Scoop wandering around like she was hit by a truck and my illustrious male friend with a large grin on his face. Which he quickly swallowed, as soon as he saw me. '""She was biting my feet," he said. Straight-faced. "I only meant to knock her down, not knock her against the wall." I looked at Scoop, who was staring into space, no doubt seeing stars from an imaginary galaxy. I wonder if Farah Fawcett would star in a movie about cat beating? GEE THANKS, vs A lot of people thought I was pretty disgusting to write an entire column about cold sores. Obviously, they're not the kind of people who GET cold sores. The ones who do get those pesky legions overwhelm- ed me with ideas on how to zap cold sores right off the face of the lip. And on two separate mornings I came into my office to discover expensive commercial cold sore preparations on my desk, donated by caring fellow cold sore sufferers. Anyways, enough about cold sores ---- I think I've grossed out enough people already. All I wanted to say was thanks to everyone who offered advice or medicine. It's people like you who almost make cold sores worthwhile. And as for those who thought my cold sore column was disgusting, well, I guess everyone's entitled to their opinion. (May a thousand cold sore viruses infest their bot- tom lips). : a i ue ence - ¥ " ch * Ragas on SR on " a i ere dee Eee os RH i nm A Te lO NN Si Sb