WIITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1985, PAGE 5 "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." - Thomas Jefferson THET CROW'S NEST by Michael Knell Searchingfora leader I note, with some degree of interest, that the Ontario Progressive Conser- vative Party is still seeking a suitable successor to former premier Bill Davis. What's that, you say? Didn't Frank Miller, the man from Muskoka take over the helm from Brampton Bill? Did he? I don't think so. The brief and futile leadership of Frank Miller didn't make sufficient impact on the party, the government and the people of Ontario to eclipse the popularity and attractiveness of man whose personal standing with the voter was always greater than that of his party. The futility and ineptness of the Miller ad- ministration paved the way for a long stretch in the political wilderness that will prove anathemic to power hungry Tories. You see, Miller perpetuated the myth that the Tories had the divine right to govern in Ontario - they snickered at David Peterson, never admitting to themselves that he could snatch the rug out from under their comfortable, well planted feet. And when he did, they cried foul. Their attitude was one of "you can't do this to us!" Well, Peterson did it. At the same time he turned the New Democratic Party into a band of patsies, who will now have to rely on Peterson's personal generosity and tolerance for their political survival. Sitting here in Whitby and looking out over the expanse of Ontario I have come to the opinion that Tories fumbled away their 42-year-old dynasty because although Miller held the title and the office, Bill Davis was still, in all reality, Premier of Ontario. The mark of his legacy still governed the Tory Party. They couldn't change. They weren't prepared for the sharp political manoveuring of a man they all discounted as being without principle, without direction and ultimately, without following. So, now they have to find a suitable successor for Bill Davis. They have to find a man (or a woman) who can take on David Peterson face-to-face and come out smelling like a rose. The next leader of the Tory Party will have to be as smart, as well informed, as able and as compassionate as a man whose potential is get- ting greater with every passing day. Furthermore, they have to find a leader whose vision of Ontario is as clear and as purposed as is Peterson's. The other things the Tories have to do is force an election as quickly as possible. If Peterson can ride out the two-year pact he signed with Bob Rae, he will probably have proven himself as Premier. For example, Peterson shone at the last Premiers' Conference. He took on the giant power of Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed and held his own admirably. Now that Lougheed and Quebec's Rene Levesque are on their way out, Peterson could easily step in the national power vacuum they will leave behind. After ail, no other provincial premier seems to have what it takes to be the leader of the provinces. B.C.'s Bill Bennett has too many problems of his own. New Brun- swick's Richard Hatfield is too busy fighting for his own political survival to lead the premiers on the national scene. The others don't have a high enough national profile to fill the void. And that brings us back to David Peterson. He will probably become what Bill Davis was - first among the provincial premiers. When the federal government needs provincial guidance, they'll be turning to Peterson. When the other premiers want a voice to speak for them in front of a tough, no nonsense and unbudging federal government, they'll also be turning to Peterson. And that is what the Tories are going to have to overcome. A Liberal Premier of Ontario with a national power base. And it all happened in the space of a few short months. Miller, as we've all seen, couldn't fill Davis' shoes. Evidence of the party's self-delusions can be found in the lst election campaign. The Tories have three candidates for leader. Alan Pope from Northern On- tario was first off the mark. He has a reputation for hard work and for being a reasonably able administrator. Then we have Dennis Timbrell. This man is so bland he gives new meaning to the word. I heard him speak for all of four minutes at a function held at the Dr. J.O. Ruddy General Hospital earlier this year. He practically put me to sleep. I can't see Timbrell holding his own against either Peterson's or Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's bright, warming and aggressive media style. The Tories hoped to win the last election by putting the voters to sleep. They can't get re-elected with that attitude. After all, they're now in opposition. That leaves us with Larry Grossman. I've met him two or three times and the man hasn't put me to sleep yet. He's bright, able, forward thinking and the only possible competition the Tories have for Peterson. But every time I met him I felt the ruthless streak in his political nature. This guy ain't going to pull any punches. I also think he's the man the Tories should have chosen to lead them in the fir- st place. I have a feeling that electing him leader now is too little, too late. He may not be able to eclipse Peterson's rising star. They are very much a like. Both are well educated, young, politically adept, speak and project themselves well and have a good understanding of the realities and complexity of government in the 1980's. But Peterson has a distin- ct advantage - he's in the driver's seat. He is Premier. He is continually on the provincial and the national stage. Grossman has been shifted to the sidelines. And so long as the Tories are disorganized, Peterson will have time to prove himself in the nation's second most powerful job. Even Grossman's massive and impressive talents may not be enough to lead them out of the wilderness. WITH OUR FEET UP By Bill Swan She's a runner, nota jogger An amateur cook once asked a master chef for his secret to making the perfect souffle. The chef was reluctant but eventually led the cook to a corner of the kitchen and whispered. "To make the perfect souffle one must ..." He listed all the ingredients, the order in which one combined them, all the details and the subtleties for which chefs are famous. The cook had all this written down, had checked the details and double checked them, and was ready to exit. "Just one more thing," the chef added. "What's that?" "The souffle will be perfect every time. As long as you never... "Yes?" ...think of carrots while you do it. "Carrots?" "Carrots." Of course, the cook could never make the souffle, for every time he tried, he thought of the chef, and then he thought of the carrots, and then his souffle would fail. One gets the impression from talking to Ann Emmett that she thinks the same way about run- ning. Ann, a Whitby resident, dental assistant, housewife, mother, also is a runner. Not a jogger, please, although Ann would likely be happy with that description. Just one run with Ann would erase any possibility of confusion. Joggers plug along, putting in time or distance as a sentence and admit it's tough. Runners do it for fun. A training run for Ann in past weeks has taken her up to20 miles at sometmes under 7 minutes a mile. Joggers would be pressed to keep up for half a mile. But although she runs for enjoyment lately she has been having trouble. The problem? Well, she keeps going in races and darned if she doesn't keep winning prizes. On Saturday, for instance, she went to Sunnybrook Park in Toronto and ran in a 5 kilometre (3.1 mile) road race for Masters Women. This is a race for women over the age of 35. She won. That, and a few other results Ann has managed of late have a number of people excited about her racing potential. Brooks, the sporting goods people, have approached her about supplying her with shoes and other equipment. For someone who runs in mis-matched colors of a comfortable pair of shor- ts and top, that's heady stuff. A couple of track clubs in Toronto have made approaches, would like her to run for them. "I'm under no great illusion," she said. "Winning one race doesn't mean that much. It's not as though I'm any Sylvia Ruegger (the Newcastle native who represented Canada in the women's marathon in the 1984 Olympics)." "In fact, I was disappointed in that race on Satur- day. I'd hoped to break 18 minutes, but had to settle for 18:40." At that, she led by 40 metres at the one- mile mark and never looked back. "I'm pleased I won, but it doesn't make me any better. It's mainly the luck of the draw. There are a 101 women runners who could have beaten me." Maybe. But Ann's modesty about that win can be modified slightly when one realizes that she entered that race as part of her training program for the Toronto Marathon next weekend. (Sunday, start time 9 a.m.) Those who know say she now has the conditioning and speed to run the classic distance in under 2:55. The interest in running is a family affair. Her husband, Terry, is a veteran of several marathons, several around 2:46 and his best under 2:45. Ann's first and only other attempt at the 26.2 mile course happened in July '84 in Espanola, near Sudbury. There she ran half way at a brisk downpour. Discouraged, she sat on the curb and decided to quit. But after two or three minutes at curbside it dawned on her that Terry had the keys to their joint locker, and if she quit she would have to wait, in the rain, in sopping running clothes, until Terry CONT'DON PG. 14