Townsman, 1991-02, Page 9says. The government has planned
a fair tax commission for a prolong-
ed study of the tax system.
Living in the largest centre in the
riding, Haslam says she has to
battle the perception of people in
the outlying parts of the riding that
they are left out. There's an
imaginary line people in Listowel
and the north end of the riding seem
to draw that makes them feel they
are in the forgotten north. She says
she tries to combat that by spending
as much time as possible in all the
centres of the riding, holding spe-
cial constituency days in Listowel
and St. Marys. She also tries to
combat the perception of govern-
ment ministries that Stratford is the
automatic centre of the universe in
the riding. She has suggested to
ministries that they look at Milver-
ton or Listowel or Mitchell or St.
Marys when they're looking to set
up an office to serve the riding.
"I'm glad I waited for the county
polls because I won the county
polls," she recalls of election night,
"and I went to Toronto as the Perth
candidate, not the Stratford candi-
date."
Both Haslam and Klopp are
members of the NDP caucus' Rural
Advisory Committee which includes
all the members of the government
from ridings with rural portions.
They fight for things not just for
agriculture but for issues like rural
day-care, Haslam says.
For Paul Klopp, the biggest
impression on moving from the
outside to being on the inside is the
length of time it takes to make
changes. "You just can't go in with
a big axe, although sometimes you
need to leave the impression you're
going with a big axe." There is a lot
of strong lobbying on both sides of
issues and sometimes you have to
choose with the side of the powerful
despite what you have argued all
along.
For the two rookie MPPs, the life
in the big time is just beginning.
Both came through their first ses-
sion of the house and now that the
house had adjourned, have been
busy with committee meetings.
They've got four years to prove it
wasn't just a fluke of history
persuaded voters on Sept. 6 to elect
NDP members in ridings where in
the past, people would never dream
the NDP could win.
Looking for
challenging
part-time work?
town E f N 004'.41.0 S Get/Sy 00011/t MAGA ! i N[ •
Smarr
is looking for part-time, commissioned
sales persons for the Stratford - St. Marys
and Hanover - Walkerton - Kincardine areas
Apply to
Keith Roulston, Publisher
P.O. Box 429,
Blyth, Ont.
NOM 1110
TOWNSMAN/FEBRUARY-MARCH 1991 7