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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-02-16, Page 44 Exeter Times—Advocate Wednesday, February 16, 2005 =CNA Editorial Opinion TIMES ADVOCATE PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing casts. Jim Beckett Publisher and Editor Deb Lord Production Manager &Published by Metroland Printing, rt Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Metroland 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850 Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (519) 235-1331 EDITORIAL A one-party nation ith a recent poll placing the federal Liberals close to enough support for a majority government, you can almost call Canada a one-party nation. The poll, published by the Toronto Star Monday, gave the Liberals 40.2 per cent support nationally, an increase from the 36.7 per cent they gained during last summer's election. On the other side of the coin, the Conservative party has seen its support slip from last June's 29.6 per cent to the current 26.5 per cent. Support for the New Democratic Party has increased from 16 per cent to 19 per cent, while support for the Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party has remained stable since their election totals. These results bear repeating: in a country where seemingly nobody has anything positive to say about the Liberal Party or Prime Minister Paul Martin, the Grits are still the favoured choice over the Conservative Party and Stephen Harper, a man who has failed to capture the imagination of Canadian voters while the liberals were at their most vulnerable after Adscam. Harper can't shake the image of a right wing social conservative, something Canadians are uncomfortable with. His stance on the same- sex marriage issue has done nothing to change that. He also comes across as a man who has no solutions, but only offers criticisms. What have the Liberals done since last June's federal election to warrant this increase in popu- larity? Nothing, really. Martin has proven to be an uninspiring leader, most recently allowing himself to be bullied by Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams and upstaged by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien at the Gomery commis- sion into Adscam. Blame the Conservatives for being unable to convince Canadians the Liberals don't deserve the job anymore. You can also blame voters for lacking the guts to vote for a change in govern- ment, but it seems Canadians prefer the devil they know over the devil they don't. Harper should be turfed from his party's lead- ership if the Liberals regain a majority govern- ment in the next federal election. His inability to seize the moment and capitalize on this coun- try's anger, disillusionment and fatigue with the Liberal Party makes him unfit for the job. In the meantime, the Liberals just keep cruis- ing along until somebody can invent a political party Canadians prefer. I CAN'T SHAKE THIS FEELING THAT NOBODY CARES... 2nn9 n +, I +P (I ,, rnnnrl nn a,.tnata Tnr Why should we care? Another day, another league, another juiced -up ath- lete. This time it's Jose Canseco, former Bash Brother saying in his tell -all book he injected the former home - rim king Mark McGwire with steroids. These days it seems as if athletes are doing more of their training in laboratories than in the gym or on the field. The question is why should we care? While some leagues turn a blind eye to what athletes are doing, organizations such as the Olympics are tough in their attempts to catch the dopers to maintain the `purity' of the sport, to the point they are testing chess players and curlers. But whatever purity the Olympics ever had started to fade quickly when the Soviets decided to have Central Red Army do a year-round training camp. It was finished off when the East German women's swim team stopped off on the way to the pool and picked up a few weightlifting medals. The rest of the world took note as they watched the winners on the podium and the steroid race was on. But in the world of juiced -up athletes there are two constants. The first is that the cheaters are always ahead of the testers, not just with the latest in `roids' but in the methods on how to beat the system. The other is the athletes always know who is cheat- ing, because there are no secrets in the dressing room, (unfortunately for guys who are, shall we say, built like me). What athletes in every sport have to decide is what they are willing to do and sacrifice to win. With an average 25 goal scorer or 30 home rim hitter able to pull down $4 or $5 million, is it worth sacrificing health to com- pete for the top dollar? Or should they start to decide it's better to stay clean, and keep everything the proper size, shape, colour (and number) even if they are number two. The question the rest of us should ask is why should we even be concerned. We should worry more about a politician keep- ing a bottle of Crown Royal in the top draw- er, a nurse or police officer working a 12 or 16 -hour shift or a soldier squeezing his weapon a little too tight after taking his government approved malaria pill. Let them do it. In the end, they are only hurting themselves. PAT BACK VIEW BOLEN 40 About the Times -Advocate Address & Office Hours Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on Holidays. 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For example, Jim Beckett's e-mail address is <jbeck- ett@southhuron.com> Our general e-mail address is ads@southhuron.com. The Times -Advocate Team Publisher/Editor Jim Beckett ext. 109 ADVERTISING Deborah Schillemore ext. 112 REPORTERS Scott Nixon ext. 105 Pat Bolen ext. 113 Stephanie Mandziuk ext. 107 CUSTOMER SERVICE Sue Rollings ext. 101 Sherrie Thomson ext. 102 COMPOSITION DEPARTMENT Manager Deb Lord ext 114/103 Sharlene Young, Dianna Hardy ext. 103 ACCOUNTING STAFF Anita McDonald ext. 104 Ruth Slaght ext. 106 Christina Scott ext. 108 Marg Pertschy ext. 111