The Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-01-20, Page 5fE.ature
Sem110811 Widaemilay, jemmy 2.012 -tiffs 5
Discuss JVDPprospects with leadership hope
and counsellor atTrent. University, Peterbor
Oogh..
He said the poor showing by the NDP in
the Inst election reflects its "severe discos-
nection" from many of the people of Ontario
and goes hack to the 1970s, when theparty
chose to rely on the image of its leader,
Stephen Lewis, rather than build the party
structure at the grass roots. level..
The party also got too deeply involved,
during the periods of minority government,
•'with pressuring the Tories to pass progres-
legislation; and it missed several golden
opportunities: to force elections • on issues it
could have used to good advantage, he said.
The party's • apparent lack of appeal to
voters stems directly from its failure to gest.
involved at the Local level with local issues,
he added. Unlike the Tories and Liberals,
there are few New Democrats involved in
municipal governments, boards or farm
organizations. `
"One of the major failures is that there is
no connection with the farm community. The
party never concentrated on goingout and
getting the rural vote, either in organiza-
tional terms or in terms of the type ofIleader
it elected. It thought. of itself as 'an urban.
party."
He originally came from the Fergus -Elora
area, and doesn't buy the . idea the . NDP
cannot appeal to rural voters, he said.
Like Foulds, Johnston called for interest
rate and mortgage assistance for farmers
B�ivihig: scores
Youth .Bowling
January 7th
Senior high single; Bruce.
Elliott 191; senior high triple,
Bruce Elliott 477.
Junior high single, Tim
Becker ' 225; junior high
triple, Tim Becker 605
Bantam high . single, Luke
Cranston 204 ° bantam high
triple, ' Luke Cranston 490.
Team points: Corvets . 8,
,.121%; Cadillacs 12, . 127;
Laniberginis 6, 126; Fire -
birds 15, 132%; Z28's 6,.:64;
Ferraris 16, 104.
January, 14
Senior high single; .Duayne
Allan 194; ' senior high triple,
Leslie Livingston 423.
Junior high single; Brad
, Priestap. ,179;,. junior high
triple, Brad Priestap 428.
Bantam high single, David
Elliott 1206 bantam high
triple; David Elliott 503.
Team pointsvFirebirds 14,
146'/%; •:Cadillacs 10, 137;
Corvets.151, 1361/2; Lamber-
gins• 8, 134;' Funds (3, 112;
Z28's 8, 72.
Lucknow-Dungannon
Marg . Hackett had high
single and triple with 279
single : and 559 triple.
Ladies• over 200: Marg
Hackett 279, Susan I. Steven-
son 216.
Men's high single, Gerald
Rhody 247. Men's. high'
triple, Gerald Rhody 605.
Men . over 225: Gerald
Rhody ' 247. '
Team standings:. Chip-
munks 40, Tigers 49, Goph-
ers 39, Squirrels 56, Wol-
verines 37, Kangaroos 52.
and home owners, as well as other policies
leading toward self-sufficiency for *grind-
hire- The 'party also needs: to talk to; farmers.
and find out what they want, he said. It has
contacts with the Ontario Federation of
Agriculiure, but never reached -out to the
"'secondary leadership" at the. Local level.
He suggested the NDP should paint the
Tories as op ' `_tits of the family farm,
since, despite rhe ' ►•.,"their policies
are systematically ' s
New Face Weal De lk
Johnston said he has no illusions that
bringing. _ the NDP to respectability and'
developing voter confidence in its ability to
win elections will be an overnight thing. It
will not be a miraculous 'transformation -= "a
new face as leader won't do it" - but it is
necessary toget out and start talking to
voters.
A basic reorganization is needed to break
the Liberal hold as the alternative party. and
then the NDP can go to work on replacing
the Tories in government, he said.
"A lot of young farmers are very angry
and looking for answers." The NDP needs to
harness that anger and propose answers.
Coalition of interests. k•.
Probably the highest profile leadership
candidate is. Bob Rae, whose post as finance.
critic has ensured high media visibility., At
age 33, he has held the Broadview -Green-
wood • seat , in Toronto since reaching the
Legislature in, a 1978 by-election.
Before entering politics, Rae, a lawyer,
Team standings: Oldsmo-
biles 5, 66; . Fords 2,' •"43;
Mustangs 5, 47; Dodges 2,
42; Pontiacs'5, 55; .Buicks.2,
62.
Ladies . 6:30 p.m.
Betty Stanley bowled the
high single with a 234 and
also the high triple with 622. -
Games 200 and over: Betty
Stanley 202,, 234, Barb Ross
229, Fern 'MacDonald ; 204,
222, Jennie McPherson 222,
Sue Mengers 231, Bernice
Kemp 204, 201, Bertha Olson
209,. Grace ' Elliott 201, Kay.
Crawford 208.
Team points and stand-
ings; . Pumpkins 2, 70'
Carrots. 7, 76%; Beets 5, 72;
Beans 7, 59; Tomatoes0, 38;
Peppers 0, X61. '
Ladies 9 O'clock
High single, Marg Wilson
272; high triple,' Marg Wil-
son 583.
Games over 200: ' Marie
Scott . 203, Barb Tyler, . 219,
Marg Wilson 272, , Dianne
Carter 229.
Team points: Crocus 4,
Hyacinths 0, Tulips 3, Daffo-
dils 0; Iris 7, Snowdrops 7.
Team • standings: Crgcus
48, Hyacinths 32, Tulips 42,
Daffodils' 58, Iris' 47, Snow.
drops 46.
Men's. Bowling
High single, Ron Stanley
321. High triple, Gerry Ross
708..
Games over 225: Ron Stan-
ley 321, Gerry Ross 261, 229,
Allan Stanley 250, Bob Greer
249, Jim Lavis 241, . Jim
Springer 230, Clarence Greer
226. 1i
04' W4.TEYARY hAlL
a
worked with the United Steel Workers Union.
and taught labour relations at trade union.
schools and the University of Toronto. •
• He said the challenge facing the New
Democrats is toshow themselves as i party
whichwelcomes new members, understands
problems and speaks for many different
kinds of people.
He called for building a new coalition of
interests with farmers and people in small
towns, ,people who don't vote . NDP or who
didn't vote before. He said the party should
build in its populist rootsand traditions, and
promised to everything �he can to build a
network of interest and support
Asfinance critic, he' met with farmers and
farm groups to talk about the really serious
problems of interest rates, land ownership
and protecting the rural way of Life, he
reported, singling out the high prices of land
and money as 'the key issue in agriculture.
He said he senses more interest in the
'party now than . before, and promised" if
elected leader to spend time outside , the
Legislature meeting with groups to establish
personal contact with people 'who are
frustrated with both the Liberals and Tories.
In the past .the NDP has been too
,preoccupied with urban ridings ' and has
tended to ignore rural Ontario, he comment-
ed, and it has suffered the consequences.
Now it must expand its base. ' The labour
Movement will remain part of the coalition of
interest, but the NDP, also must bring in
other . groups "whose interests are not
servedby big business oriented. goIrern
meet".
What must the party .do to win.° an
election? Rae suggested that first the voters.
of Ontario must want to see a. change in'
government, and the NDP must replace the
Liberals as a credible alternative: • The
Liberals are ha ``ng problems with credib-
ility, he claimed, they have not made the
"urban breakthrough" and are more 'and.
more a version of the Conservative party.
Bade Inver Jabs
Like Johnston, Rae called for establishing
networks of communication with farm and
rural organizations so the party could speak
out more clearly on a number of issues..
A basic issue is jobs, he said: The NDP
has .some credibility in., the economic. field
and must build on that. Also, it must 'push
the quality of life, health and education,
which "are going to come under incredible
attacf" in the days to come. .
"We must show ourselves as progressive
but more rooted inthe diversity ' of Ontario d
than in the past."
He also commented that the partybadly
needs to buy)1 membership, "which would
enable it to resolve its chronic financial
difficulties without selling out :to the corpora-
tions.
It will not happen overnight, he said, ' but
he is confident that it can ' happen.
Ontario New Democrats will meet at the
Harbour'CastleHilton in Toronto February 4
- -7 to . choose their new leader.
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