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Candidate likes rural people SR, a ET MERRITT a or enn come, There's some question as to whether Mike McMurter should be giving this inter- view: as an employee of the Ontario government -- he works as a computer systems analyst at the Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia -- the 37-year-old Simcoe North NDP can- didate is one of 70,000 public employees in the pro- vince whose right to take part in politics is curtailed by law. ~ McMurter has already fallen foul of this particular law once, when he acted as campaign manager for can- didate Tim Tynan in the 1984 federal election. Now, he is reconciled to the fact McMurter that he will have to postpone the start of his personal canvass until the writ. for the upcoming federal election is issued. In the meantime, as long as he works, he cannot can- vass door to door or other- wise become publicly in- volved in his own campaign for Parliament. The provin- cial law, and its federal equivalent (which was recently found to con- travene the Charter of Rights and Freedoms), are something McMurter wants to see reformed. Chris Harries interviewed the NDP candidate, married and the proud father of 3-year-old Aaron, at the McMurter home in Oro Township. Following is ex- cerpts from that interview. eeett Harries: What prompted you to run for the nomination? McMurter: I am deeply concerned about what this Tory government is doing to our country. They are selling us to the Americans. There's no doubt that, under the Free Trade Agreement, our na- tion's sovereignty will be seriously jeopardized. And that means that our Cana- dian way of doing things will be seriously jeopardiz- ed. For example, our abili- ty to direct development grants to particular regions, where there is high unemployment perhaps, will be lost. We are giving up control of our own country, selling off resources and not leav- ing anything for the future. And it's a bad bargain too, even for free trade sup- porters: the government was so anxious to get a deal, any deal, that they made no attempt to resolve some of the fundamental questions, like acid rain and arctic sovereignty, bet- ween us and the U.S. government. There's a political crisis in this coun- try. This is a very impor- tant (upcoming) election, which is why I am happy to have the chance to throw all my energies into it. Harries: Your Tory oppo- nent, Doug Lewis is not on- ly, to all intents and pur- poses, the incumbent, but he's also a Cabinet minister. Doesn't that give him a great advantage? McMurter: On balance I don't think that it does. Mr. Lewis's name is known and he does have a high profile in Ottawa. But that means that he has to bear his share of the respon- sibility for this - govern- ment's record. The issues are what are important in this election, and as a member of the Cabinet, my Tory opponent has a lot to explain. Harries: Doesn't Lewis's position mean that he can use his influence in the local interest? McMurter: Well, I don't see a new federal prison here. There is still a lot of unemployment in the areas beyond Southern Ontario. Harries: Voters in rural areas tend to be more con- servative. How do you feel about campaigning in the countryside? McMurter: I am looking forward to it. I grew up on my grandfather's dairy farm near Belleville. I-feel very comfortable in this area and very comfortable talking to rural people. This government's policies are having a terrible effect on rural life. I grew up in an area where every com- munity seemed to have a cheese factory. They are gone now. And the post of- fices are being closed up, there's talk of closing smaller schools. closing so much in our smaller communities. We're losing so much. Cont'd on pg. 9 We're. _Les Petits Ange de Penetanguishene The French' nursery" school in Penetanguishene starts on September 19th, 1988 for children between 2' and 4 years old. Registration at the Centre d'activités fran- caises, 2nd floor between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Call 549-3116 Ou The Townships of Tay and Tiny and the Village of Victoria Harbour have now joined Midland, Penetangui- shene and Port McNicoll in a curo side Blue Box recycling program. If you have a blue recycling box, please participate. It's part of an important community project to help reduce the household waste that goes into landfill sites and to conserve our precious natural resources. Simply collect and store news- papers, glass bottles and jars, beverage and food cans and plastic Blue Box! soft drink containers in your Blue Box. Then put it at the curb for pick-up by 8 a.m. on your regular garbage collect- ion day. BZ = place them ina grocery bag on top of, or beside, your Blue Box. To avoid attracting pests, remember to rinse e allnewspapers y and inserts or Please bundle Wik Recycling. It only works if we all do our part. out containers. Our recycling program will only bea success if and Your If you have any questions, call the "Blue Box Line" at 526-0625. e® © 4 ga The soft drink industry and its container suppliers -- supporting the establishment of recycling programs throughout Ontario. Wednesday, September 14, 1988, Page 7