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The Citizen, 1987-09-09, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1987. Opinion Having it all ways Free Trade proponents, from Ontario Conservative leader Larry Grossman to Federal Finance Minister Michael Wilson have spent the last week giving the Canadian public the old “carrot and stick" routine: there are lots of good things to gain by free trade and a whole lot that will hurt you if you don’t go for it. The trouble is that the free trade supporters, in trying to cover all bases and defeat all the opposition, have undermined their own arguments. Mr. Wilson, Mr. Grossman and even local Conservative candidates have been trying to rebut arguments about the possibledangersofthefree trade negotiations by saying all the things we hold dear are not on the bargaining table. Marketing boards and their underpinnings (border controls and tarriffs) are not on the bargaining table, they assure us. The autopact isn't going to be bargained away. Canadian culture is safe. Canadian social programs will not be affected. We have been promised repeatedly, we’re reminded, that it will either be a good deal for Canada or there will be no deal at all. But then the free trade supporters goon to tell us what a heavy price we will pay if free trade doesn’t go ahead. Mr. Grossman, last week in Markdale, held up a foot-thick pile of documents he said were the protectionist measures proposed recently in the U.S. Congress. We’re warned repeatedly to not have a free trade deal will mean Canadian trade to the U.S. will be devastated by U.S. protectionism. We’re reminded how much of our production goes into U.S. markets. But the second argument seems to undermine the first. If we’re supposed to be so afraid of the results of turning down free trade, how can we afford to walk away from what the Americans offer saying the deal is not good enough for Canada. The thing that’s frightening most people is that a bad deal can look like a good deal under the circumstances. If a man asks for all your money you’d turn him down because it’s not a good deal. If he holds a gun to your head and says “your money or your life ’ ’, getting off with giving up all your money seems like a very good deal. The Canadian publicjust doesn’t buy the assurances that this government will walk away from the negotiations if there isn’t a good deal. They don’t trust the politicians, given their track record, and they don’t trust the negotiators. They aren’t sure that the negotiators rate many aspects of Canadian life as highly as they do. They aren’t sure that the interests of big business free trade supporters won’t hold more clout than farmers and small businesses and factory workers. As Eugene Whelan said at a meeting in Holmesville last week, “I don’t trust Simon Riesman as far as I could throw a 1400 pound, overweight steer by the tail." Way back when he first promoted free trade, former Liberal Finance Minister Donald MacDonald told Canadians they must be willing to take “a leap of faith’ ’. A growing number of Canadians just don’t trust the people saying “trust me". Independent thinkers wanted It is obvious from this provincial election campaign, if it wasn’t before, that our politics these days are dominated from the top down: that the leader is all important in our mass-media driven political world. Watch Premier Peterson come to the riding or N.D.P. leader Bob Rae and watch the circus of Toronto-based reporters that follows them and you’ll see what a lack of reality there is in this leader-oriented politics. Watching Bob Rae’s media show come to Clinton recently, one wondered if the reporters and camera men even knew what town or what county they were in. They just arrived in a large bus behind Mr. Rae’s bus, hurried cut and began shooting footage of him touring a factory. What’s as disturbing is that the parties seem to want it like that. NDP campaigners talk about the big book the party sends out telling the local candidate what the party stand is on any given issue. The local Conservative candidate sounds as if he’s trying to be a carbon copy of the tough-guy stance of Larry Grossman. Even Jack Riddell, the normally tough-talking Liberal member keeps talking about the premier saying this or that on such and such policy, instead of saying what he thinks himself. Whatever happened to the idea of sending free-thinking representatives to parliament where they battled it out with other free-thinking members to decide what was the best policy to follow? Are we now to be asked to make a choice between puppets spouting policies concocted by the advisors in the party leader’s office? Party loyalty seems next to godliness in politics these days. Independent thinkers are the bane of a party leader’s existence. Yet parties that make policy from the leader down and expect the members to accept it are asking for trouble (look at the Federal Liberals problems with approval of Meech Lake). It’sin everybody’s interest to elect members of parliament who can think for themselves, not just spout party policies. Mabel’s Grill There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the town hall. People in the know, however know [hat the real debates, the real wisdom reside down at Mabel's Grill where the greatest minds in the town [if not in the country] gather for morning coffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Filibustering Society. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: As the election draws nearer the potshots around the table at Mabel’s gets thicker than flies on a manure pile. Ward Black was telling Mabel if David Peterson loses the election she could hire him to work in the restaurant since he seems to be specializing in difficult election challenges like flipping pancakes or cooking at barbecues. Hank Stokes said if he didn’t cook maybe Mr. Peterson could entertain since he also seemed to be good on the drums when he played at Jack Riddell’s barbecue. Ward said that was a lot of noise but not much music. Billie Bean suggested that Mabel could always get Bob Rae to play the piano to accompany Mr. Peterson’s drums. Tim O’Grady said that with all the talk about education in the campaign, he really had to give Larry Grossman credit. It used to be, Tim said, he could never get his kids interested in politics and current affairs but after Mr. Grossman said kids should go to schoolonprofessional develop­ ment days, even his seven-year- old recognizes Mr. Grossman and boos every time sheseeshimon television. TUESDAY: People were still talk­ ing today about that world record Ben Johnson set on the weekend and also naturally how much money people say he’s going to earn. Billy was saying he wishes he hadn’t given up running quiet so early in his life. But Tim said that the fastest runners will always come from big cities like Toronto. “You have to run that fast just to make it across the street alive.” WEDNESDAY: Hank Stokes was saying he’s heard Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell worry about free trade meaning they might have to relax health standards on cattle and we might get hoof and mouth disease back. Hank says he figures Jack should be more concerned about the foot-in-mouth disease some of his colleagues have. He was mentioning the fuss that flew when Solicitor General Ken Keyes said the $1,000 a year homeowners saving plan for low income earners only amounted to saving the cost of a case of beer a year. Allthelow-income people immediately got upset that he was suggesting they could save more by drinking less. Hank says coming from a riding called Kingston and the Islands it’s to be hoped the minister can swim but after the earlier “booze on the boat" fiasco, he figures he’s already been down once and the next time will be the third and final time. FRIDAY: Tim says he’s going to findhimselfadesertislandorjoin a monastery. Julia Flint thought it might be that he’s been exposed to too much election propaganda but Tim said it wasn’t that. He’s always found it hard to live up to the image of a father Bill Cosby portrays on television, he said. The guy never gets mad at kids, only gets them to do what’s right with cool reason or good jokes. He helps clean the house and Continued on page 13 [Publishedby North Huron Publishing Company Inc.] Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Published weekly in Brussels, Ontario P.O. 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