Soete'tsSevenson take local rdings ByMke Johnston Progressive Conservative can- didate in Ontario riding Rene Soetens swept te victory in Monday night's federal election, defeating his nearest opponent by 11,000 votes. With 260 of the 263 polis reported, Soetens, 39, won 238 polis. Across Canada, unofficially, the Conservatives won 170 seats, Liberals 81 and NDP 44. "Fim elated witb the support. I * knew I had a good campaign but I thought this would be dloser," * said Soetens, a former Ajax councillor. He said bis victory was a positive vote for free trade. It is clear what the voters thought of free trade," said Soetens, adding that'he. wants te * see Prime Minister Bilan Mul- roney recall Parliament quickly te enact free trade. H 1e said negative comments about free trade did not work in * Ontario riding because it is more than -a one-industry riding. ."Saying that we would lose an industry because of negative free trade didn't hold water," said Soetens, who. noted that the a-reement will help many indus- tries including Lake Ontario Steel Co. (bis former employer). in Whitby, Dupont in Whitby, Andrew Antenna in Whitby and Chrysier in Ajax. SHe didn't agree with comments that the agreement bas affected Sidar-Peppler Furniture in Whit- by. The company recently SEE PAGE 4 RLENE SOETENS, secon receives congratulations victory in Monday night's Victo ry shakes d from left, tion. Also receiving congratulations is ion bis -PC Soeten's wife June, left. îfederal elec- ROSS STEVENSON cele- brates his PC victory in Durham riding Monday night.. Fre. Pr... photo DURHAM RIDING Former MPP nowfederal rnernber Surprise, surprise! BE¶TY WELDON reacts after hearing she was naiued' Whitby's Peter Perry winner by the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. Weldon received the award for her many involvements in the town. See story on page 3. Free Promu photo By- Debbie Luchuk Swept along by the Progressive Conservative party's easy victory in Monday's election resuits, Durham riding was claimed by Uxbridge area resident Ross Stevenson, a veteran of provincial politics. Stevenson won witb 24,064 votes, with Liberal Doug Moffatt second with 15,100. NDP Marg Wilbur earned 10,336 votes, Christian Heritage Party cand- idate John Kuipers 1,665, Harold Tausch of the Green Party 314 and Libertarian Rof Posma 324. Stevenson, greeted by about 200 supporters at a victory celebration in Port Perry Monday night, was quite pleased with the Conservative majority victory and with the> response te bis own campai gn. 1'We've ail worked very bard. We could certainly tell by gong. door te door that we hadi bottomed out after the debate. But we came back steadily since then., "There was no question that that was tbe low part of the campaign," Stevenson said of the televised debate among the party leaders. Stevenson pointed out that a rew notable Conservatives, former Cabinet ministers among tbem, were defeated in this election. "A few went down, for example Tom MacMillan. This is unfortunate not only for the party but for the wbole environniental movement." Wben Stevenson, a former provincial PC party critic on agriculture wben he was an MPP, was asked if be tbought a cabinet post was a possibility, be reponded: "One always bopes (for a cabinet post) in the future. It's unlikely be'll put a rookie, in cabinet, but if be (Mulroney) asks, I will be bappy to, do so." If posted -as a cabinet niinister, Stevenson thougbt that bis environmental and agricultural science background would Iend itself to the whole resource area." Stevenson had* positive comn- ments to make on the other parties' efforts in the election and their leaders. "I suspect that tbey (other leaders) will be considering their own position. I suspect tbat they SEE PAGE 14 A Supplement for Seniors CENTER PULLOUT SECTION A t t. & A t. tA At 44............. Free Press photo