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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-06-08, Page 1.. :.. .. ,.:.. ... :: •::::;:::•:: .. .. .. i..lx.:^.:...,.:v.:.:..r;..nk•:;.+,.:.......//:.ir<%:�"r ':::;; yri:;:i:::,;;:.1: r.:<•,ci •:;.i•:.i::l:::<y'•::S;:l -...........,.....:......................:.:v!.;.,.;:.Y:t;£:e:•ik:%:a.;+:<?.'•<:;Gi4:f>i.f:;?iS:kxg:;>'•:,.SS%cai:;% i,..:;.:f::::v..,:. ,:.: ,�;:.., •: :.v,N.;:.. } ...:.{•S / •:v 4 4 f iv:vt;; Wil:•;:..;.: is FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1977 Price Per Copy -2- Cents Huron -Middlesex wrap-up Candidates agree, Five weeks of election cam- paigning are over today as the three Huron -Middlesex can- didates give voters a chance to voice their opinions at the polls. The three candiates agree that the campaigning has been tough. "I had anticipated a tough campaign and intended to make it that way", said Conservative candidate Anson McKinley. Liberal incumbent Jack Riddell said "there have been numerous debates this year that we haven't had before." Last campaign there was one public debate sponsored by the Federation of Agriculture and one debate at the high school. This year there were four high school debates, an open -line show with Bill Brady, and two public campaign was a tough one all -candidates debates, he said. NDP candiadate Shirley Weary said the campaign has been tough because "I've been working full- time and that's not the type of thing one should do!' Predictions for provincial and local election results among the candidates varied along party lines. Riddell was optimistic POLITICAL PANEL — The three Huron -Middlesex candidates in today's provincial election participated in a panel discussion at South Huron District High School Thursday night sponsored by the Huron Federation of Agriculture. From the left are F of A president Allan Walper, NDP Shirley Weary, Conservative Anson McKinley and Liberal Jack Riddell. ' Staff photo All candidates meet in Exeter Anson McKinley, the Progressive Conservative candidate in the Huron - Middlesex riding said Thursday night that he played a responsible role in preventing the closing of the Clinton Hospital. McKinley told about 500 spectators at an all candidates meeting at South Huron District High School in Exeter that he had been contacted at the time of the closing order by members pf the Clinton Hospital Board to determine if there was anthing he could do about it. He continued, "I was not very hopeful of being able to do anything, but, I phoned some prominent people in the provincial government and asked what would be the best thing to do to keep the hospital open. They said to test the legality. I phoned this information to the Board and the testing of that legality was what kept the hospital open." This statement was challenged by incumbent MPP Jack Riddell who said, "I find it rather ironical NURSING GRAD — Charlene Regier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Regier, RR 2, Zurich, recently graduated from The Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities Nursing Assistant Centre, London. Charlene is now employed at South Huron Hospital, Exeter. that Mr. McKinley would start by saying he thought there was no hope and end up saying he was responsible for keeping it open." "No one worked harder than the people of Clinton. I think they were responsible for keeping it open, not Anson McKinley," he added. In retort, McKinley said, "I said no such thing. I told you where I stood. At the time I felt as helpless as can be. That's why I'm in this campaign, to give Huron -Middlesex an effective voice in Toronto." Quoting from Hansard, the Conservative candidate said the Liberals had introduced an amendment to the Throne Speech which condemned the Govern- ment for closing hospitals and then had voted against the NDP amendment. Riddell quickly denied this saying, "Never at any time was there a vote taken on hospital closings." He continued, "If the Liberals had voted in favour of the amendment to the Throne Speech it would have meant defeating the Government and causing an election. Who ever caused an election would have been punished by the electorate and we did not want to give Davis back his majority." New Democratic Party can- didate Shirley Weary told the large audience that there were many NDP representatives on the committee to save the Clinton hospital. The subject of regional government was brought up and the candidates also showed disagreement on this subject. The Liberal incumbent Jack Riddell voiced his earlier cam - Liberal victories on the Weary predicted a minority provincial level and in Huron- Conservative government and a Middlesex. doubled NDP vote in Huron - The Liberal party is rising Middlesex. nicely to its peak," he said. "We The candidates agreed that all - stand just as much chance of candidates meetings are a forming a minority government beneficial part of the election as anybody, and whoever wins campaign. "All -candidates meeting give the people a chance to see the candidates in action," said Weary. There is nothing educational about the political advertising on television because each party presents its own view of the campaign, said Riddell. All - candidates debates provide people with and opportunity to weigh both sides of the issues", he said. the provincial election will have a minority," he said. Riddell predicted a tight race between the Liberals and Conservatives in the provincial results with the NDP finishing a definite third. McKinley predicted a majority Conservative Provincial government and was optimistic about the Huron -Middlesex election results. "It's the first time I've been in an election like this and I'm optimistic", he said; McKinley and Riddell said Liberal and Conservative support has been strong throughout the riding but suggested areas where they would like to see stronger support. McKinley hoped his home area would be predominantly Conservative. Riddell hoped that Lucan and Bayfield, Conservative areas in the last election, would swing towards the Liberal party. McKinley questioned the role of all -candidates meetings in shifting votes but added that "it lets voters and young people play a larger role in campaign." McKinley said all -candidates meetings could be overdone because of the repetitious debate over the same issues. "It's the same old thing for us but it's not the same old thing if it's a different crowd," he said. Only two accidents investigated this week The area accident total was low again this week, with only two collisions being investigated by the Exeter OPP. At 4:30 a.m,, Saturday, a vehicle driven by William Montgomery, Wonderland Road, London, struck a bridge barrier on Highway 83, two and a half miles west of Exeter. The driver sustained minor injuries in the collision. OPP Constable Bill Osterloo in- vestigated and set damage at $2,800. The other accident occurred a t 2:45 a.m., Sunday, when a vehicle driven by Cheryl Turkheim, Zurich, struck a tree on Highway 84, about two miles west of Zurich. Damage was set at $550 by Constable Frank Giffin. No in- juries were reported. During the week, the local detachment officers laid 17 charges under the Highway Traffic Act, 11 under the Liquor Licence Act, eight under the Criminal Code and one under the Narcotic Control Act. Meals on Wheels begin Tuesday, June 7 marked the delivery of the first "Meals on Wheels" in the village of Zurich. Leroy O'Brien delivered the first meal at noon Tuesday. The purpose of the Meals on Wheels program is to give elderly residents of the Village a break from preparing their own meals. For $1.40, they can purchase a complete balanced dinner which they perhaps would not take time to prepare every day for them- selves. Tanya Erb is the co-ordinator of the Zurich program and can be reached at 236-4280 if you would care to take advantage of this excellent program. paign statements that if the Conservatives were given a majority, they would waste little time in imposing regional government across the province. McKinley said this was not so, adding, "It has never been the plan of the provincial govern- ment to impose a blanket regional government policy across the province." The PC candidate continued, "The Liberals are the only ones on recordsaying regional government should be applied across the province. You have to give Jack Riddell credit for changing that, but, he has had little more imput." Riddell quickly responded, "That's absolutely untrue." After a similar meeting earlier the same day in Clinton, when the same statement was made, Riddell said he phoned former Liberal leader Robert Nixon who said the Liberal party had never called for regional government. He added, "In fact we are the only party that has consistently opposed regional government. Questions from the floor were on the subjects of political commercials, unemployment and social behaviour. About commercials, Shirley Weary said, "From the ones I have seen, I'd have to say they do not educate society to the issues of an election. They are so repetitious, they turn people off." "I don't know about other people, but television com- mercials don't have much effect on me", said Anson McKinley. Riddell said commercials do not educate the public because they do not present all the facts. He added, "It is only the facts the party wants to present which are shown. This is very misleading." The Davis government was Please turn to page 2