The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Opinion/Letters Page 5, News, Tuesday, Aug. 11,1992 > *~ The fall of the Peterson government NORTHERN INSIGHTS Last week, I began to share some personal recollections of David Peterson, to commemo- rate the second anniversary of his last provincial election call, July 30, 1990. They came back to me as I was reading Not Without Cause: David Peter- son's Fall From Grace, by Georgette Gagnon and Dan Rath. My second personal encounter with Peterson hap- pened years after the Hydro flip-flop I told you about last week. This one happened after he had won his sweeping majority in 1987. The event was the Second Conference on Northern Business and Entrepreneurship at the Valhal- la Inn, Thunder Bay. As Presi- dent of the Thunder Bay Press Club, I had been negotiating with Peterson's office for over a month, trying to arrange an informal get-together between the Premier and members of the Press Club to coincide with his attendance at the confer- Our original idea was for an informal "'off-the-record" ses- sion over some beer. Peterson's office agreed to the meeting, but insisted that it had to be on the record, and open to any- one--not just members of the Press Club. "We can't risk alienating the Toronto media," his handlers insisted. As a result, the event became a full- dress news conference. Peterson strolled in 20 min- utes late. Face aglow, he looked like a cat that had just feasted on canary stew. As moderator, I had just finished | explaining to the waiting throng sweating under TV lights, that questions would be taken from Thunder Bay Press | So acs > oat , by Larry Sanders ,Ow Club members first, then any- one else. Peterson took his place behind the waiting forest of microphones, and reached out to shake my hand. "I thought this was going to be a quiet get-together over some beer with the Thunder Bay Press Club," he quipped, get- ting a chuckle from the crowd. "That's not the way your han- dlers wanted it, sir," I snapped back, somewhat miffed, and called for the first question. Incidents like that reveal Peterson's major weakness--an emphasis on style over sub- stance. In Not Without Cause, Gagnon and Rath establish clearly that there was no one BIG mistake that led to Peterson's downfall--no "smok- ing gun." Rather, it was a long series of bad judgement calls, compounding and feeding on each other. Mistake number one was Calling the election in the first place. On election night, September 10, 1990, Shelley Peterson is quoted as telling her husband, "This elec- tion was like 'Whack-A- Mole'--that game they have at fairs, where the little mechani- cal moles stick their heads up and you hit them with a ham- mer. You were the first mole to stick your head up after (the death of) Meech." But Gagnon and Rath make it clear it wasn't "awl voter frus- tration with Meech that defeat- ed Peterson. The election call fed a growing cynicism with ALL politicians. Peterson, who voters saw before the call as someone who might be trusted, lost his "believability" with an election called because the polls said he might win a sec- ond majority, even though he could have governed for at least another eighteen months. Mistake number two was running an overly-centralized campaign team, headed by Kathy Robinson. Spooked by disastrous media leaks early in the campaign, Robinson "tight- ened up" on the flow of crucial information for the first three weeks of the campaign, refus- ing to share disturbing polling data with other members of her strategy team, Liberal MPPs running for re-election, or even with Peterson. Daily poll num- bers compiled by Martin Gold- farb showed the trend early. The NDP was hitting home with its negative campaign commercials. Tory ads, asking voters "If you're thinking of voting Liberal, think again" were softening Liberal support, and sending voters to the NDP. But Robinson failed to share that polling data with Peterson or anyone else until it was too late for the top-heavy Liberal machine to mount an effective counter-attack. The finger of blame isn't just pointed at Robinson, but also at Peterson. He did well in his minority government peri- od (1985-87), running an continued age 12 Sail DENT ere = Emergency Calls accepted, Evening and Saturday appointments upon request. Senior's discount, new patients welcome. NEW TOLL FREE 1-800-267-9183 59 N. Court St. Thunder Bay 807-344-1541 Just in time for the Fall Fair and back to school "Sp THE SEWING NOOK is having a Dre-Inventory Sale 25% - 50% off on crafts, supplies & fabrics, laces and ribbons wedi store specials for your Rainy day Crafts * "Buy 1 mt at reg. price and get 2 free | Christmas Craft © Sewing courses will be poe available this fall. Check your Recreation Center and register carly! COME JOIN ELISE ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 16TH FOR A CRAFT SEMINAR Geared to kids 12 © Up (Must know how to sew by hand & use a glue gun as some crafts are a bit complicated. For more information contact the Rec. Centre SEWERS ¢ Cra Ap Kits will be available at the course. Group opposing changes to Trees Act Recently, the Minister of Natural Resources requested public input for a proposal to extend a revamped Trees Act to all organized municipalities in Ontario. The deadline for such input is Sept. 30, 1992. This enabling legislation would allow councils to pass by-laws regulating the cutting of even single trees on private lots. Property owners could face tree cutting applications, stop work orders, and fines of up to $500,000 for infractions under the Act. The MNR says municipalities would have the "choice" of deciding whether to invoke the Trees Act regulations. Would this ultimately be the same kind of choice the MNR gave councils when they forced them to adopt Hazard Land, Pit and Quarry, and Aggregate policies? Councils and the property owners they represent should be aware that every tree by-law regulation and amendment proposed by a municipality would have to be approved or rejected by the Minister of Natural Resources. And the sole funding committment from the province for this program is for the training only of tree by-law enforce- ment officers. Landowners should also be aware that the Trees Act proposal is only one component of an MNR approved policy initiative called "Private Woodlands Strategy for Ontario's Private Forest Lands." Under this strategy, the MNR, as lead Ministry, would coordinate a Private Land Forestry Program that would rely on "incentive, regulation, and self help" to win over landowners. Other strategy proposals include the establishment of advisory committees to "target resources" on private lands that could be used by the public to enjoy "fishing, hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing and cross country skiing," etc. This Association strongly believes that the adoption of the Trees Act and the other proposals contained in the Pri- vate Woodlands Strategy would destroy the property rights we now enjoy. That is why we have undertaken a "Preserve our Property Rights" campaign in coordination with truck- er/logger, farm and other groups across the province. David M. Bak President, Northwestern Ontario Trucking and Logging Association TOWNSHIP OF SCHREIBER PAVING TENDER, RP 92 - 02 DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK New Road construction, fine grade and/or excavate 150 mm granular B sub base, supply and place granular A base course, and supply and place 40 mm of HL-4 asphaltic concrete on Peary St., and Figliomeni Cr. All work located in the township of Schreiber. This work includes, cutting and tacking all existing asphalt surfaces where joints are made. Work located on Peary St. and Filiomeri Cr., with estimated quantity 2191 square metres. TENDER CLOSING TIME AND DATE: Tenders, sealed in envelopes clearly marked as to their contents, will be received by the Township until 3:30 p.m., Friday August 21, 1992. Tenders will be opened publicly in the Council Chambers, Township of Schreiber, at the hour of 4:00 p.m., Friday August 21, 1992. Contact A.J. Gauthier, Clerk-Treasurer Box 40 Schreiber, ON POT 2S0 (807) 824-2712