Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 29, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba A4 the Federal election Winnipeg free october 2000 pm avoids major stumbles Days miscues add Lustre to pms Campaign by Aldo Santon it was a former political foe who Best summed up Jean Chretien and the liberals first week on the elec Tion he didst make a said one time Winnipeg tory my Dorothy Dob Dobbie was commenting on Chretien speech to the Canadian club in Winnipeg earlier this week but it could just As easily have been applied to the first week of the Chretien flew from one end of the country to the touting the Bene fits from the recently announced tax the hefty billion Dollar surpluses and the thousands of jobs Treyve creat bragging about the Deal his govern ment struck with the provinces on health care and portraying Stockwell Day and the Canadian Alliance As the greatest threat to the country a few stumbles there were a few stumbles along the like when he reflected on the Fate of his High school chums who ended up fac tory he suggested that had they managed to get a University scholarship they might have ended up As great leaving the implication that one be but that was reflective of his poor grasp of the eng Lish language and did nothing to shake the in political scientist Kathy Brock said that Chretien Campaign actually looked better than it was simply because of the gaffes that Day kept the highlight of the week for the grits was an emotionally charged rally before a partisan crowd of about in mis the event clearly was designed to show a unified front with finance minister Paul Martin and Chretien both singing the others its no secret Martin is anxious to assume the Brock said it appears that Chretien foleo press Chretien Waves after speaking to the Quebec Young liberals while campaigning in Quebec City appearances last week were carefully even the two occasions where he supposedly stopped unexpectedly to mingle with the people on the in Between a carefully crafted photo Opportunity at the fitness Institute and his speech later to the Canadian the Chretien entourage pulled to the Side of the Road to grab a cup of Coffee at the quintessential North end Pelekis of the Stop had been arranged the night before but it did catch the patrons by Surprise and they were genuinely impressed that the prime minister stopped to have a cup of Joe and shoot the even if every word was filmed and the same probably happened Friday when his entourage stopped in a shopping mall in shoppers said they were pleased to see both incidents were designed to show that Chretien is still a Man of the this week the liberals will Trot out their election platform but Brock said till Likely consist of the same promises Treyve been like targeting fur ther investments to High tech industries and changes to the employment insurance program for the Atlantic Chretien ignored the tories and new never once mentioning them by name until the end of the week when he said they were who teaches at Queens University school of Public policy in said its a strategy designed to keep a tight grip on the disheartened conservatives and he Doest want to say anything about them because he Doest want to antagonize them and risk losing those pc and nip supporters whole resigned to vote Brock and by focusing Only on the he continues to put pressure on those voters to stay with him through to the end of the with files from David Kuxhaus Clark keeps slogging smoothly Uphill by David Kuxhaus and Helen falling Calgary Joe Clark was looking for a Miracle when he ran smack dab into i just thought id come out and Greet said the Burly White bearded Fel Low in the red who was on his Way to a fundraiser at a Calgary Community Clark May not be ready to turn to Santa but that Doest mean Hes not above seeking a Little divine intervene in a Campaign speech Over the week Clark half jokingly equated a tory Victory with the Virgin unfortunately for the its a metaphor that int that far off the a recent poll has them at eight per cent Down three Points from earlier this Clark is even Trail ing Canadian Alliance my Eric Lowther in his own Riding of Calgary in an Effort to turn the Clark attended breakfast did to inter views and even spent a moments at a provincial Tor went Fri Day night where the crowd was overwhelmingly pro Stockwell yesterday morning Clark hit the streets the 60yearold former prime with about two dozen staff and reporters in jogged Down 12th Avenue reaching in to shake the hands of motorists backed up at a Stop and he banged on doors in the Middle class Rous ing sleepy residents still working on their first cup of Clark maintained yesterday that Hes Happy with his most pundits concur that of All the major Clarks Campaign is so far running the there have been no verbal like those that have tainted the Alliance and Liberal and the tories have offered voters the most the question is anybody listen ing the Only time Clark grabbed the front Page was when he was embraced by for Mer prime minister and rival Brian mul Roney at a posh fundraising dinner in Toronto last the tory unveiled the next served up a mix of tax cuts Bil lion Over five years and billion in new including billion for farm a solid it was for the most part relegated to the inside pages of at least remains in he went As far As to Sug Gest that forming a government was not out of the question claims that has some experts shaking their you cannot identify a single seat in Ontario where the tories have a real Chance of said Heather a political science professor at the University of in the tories Are still trying to find candidates in key yes spokesman Aaron Kowalson said he had two new excellent candidates for Portage Lisgar and but he could not yet release their five other Ridings remain without a tory Clark is not due in Manitoba until mid but his wife campaigned in Winnipeg this past in my Rick Boro Tsik is trying to hold Down the tory fort in the wests Only remaining conservative his personal popularity remains High after fighting hard for flood affected Farmers and Shiloh army but he knows that the Alliance candidate poses a real dont underestimate Gary Boro Tsik said after the Farmer won the Alliance Hes got a very Strong the sound big Bankc of a Osing visit the free press Booth at the Market Well be there october 28 its your Chance to win shopping spree at the Forks weather delays voting the Liberal nomination process for the Riding of Churchill was suspended yesterday because of bad weather at one of the polling the liberals had set up a series of polling stations through out the North but bad weather in Cross Lake prevented the Deputy returning officer from Landing and opening the station the ballots from the other stations had been collected and delivered to Thompson later in the Day but the votes we rent instead they were packed up and sent to spokesmen from the Campaign teams of Ron Evans and Elijah Harper said that the Cross Lake poll will open Tomor Row Between 11 and 2 and the ballots flown to Winnipeg where the nomination meeting will resume at 7 the nomination was rocked this week when the Evans team accused the Harper team of making out memberships to individuals without their an investigation by Provin Cial party president John Scurfield resulted in 137 names being removed from the eligible voters list in Garden Harper and Evans would not comment about the voting yes even with the disqualified it appears that Harper has a big Harper had signed up More than members compared to the 750 memberships sold by the Evans Harper won the seat in 1993 but lost it in 1997 to new Democrat Bev where the leaders Are today the free press Jean Chretien Ottawa departs for by arrives Pearson overnights at Delta Meadow Vale resort and conference Joe Clark 3 Ottawa attends Volunteer Ottawa departs for Montreal Stockwell Day no events Alexa Mcdonough 4 Ottawa departs for Toronto by 5 Toronto arrives air 8 Toronto arrives Colony cites Dueppe no Dps dilemma How far left to go by Kim Gul Ormson one week into the the nip is once again locked in a life an death Battle with its biggest foe As the party moves ahead to tomorrows Al important policy platform there Are those within who believe Leader Alexa Mcdonough has not done enough to define herself in the Polit ical spectrum or convince canadians the nip is a unique and Strong voice in the with the surprising results of the 1997 Federal election Long and the party in the single digits of Public opinion the rank and file Are speaking out before the Sonal Linton th6 Wem have Ste parties Are More bold in our chasing 83ch talk said Pat owner sails nip my for and the nip Winnipeg Cen get i think at eight cent in out of mat the polls we vortex might As Well say it loud and say it chairman for what we stand Canadian Centre for policy Errol alternatives an economics professor at Brandon University and an nip candidate in Brandon agrees that the party has to come out i think the nip needs to run an aggressive Campaign on the he i will i think party strategists bet Ter not some Tony new labour heading into this Mcdonough has failed to Settle an inter divisive and increasingly Public debate Over How far to the left in the political spectrum the party should despite a traffic Jam on the to Date the nip has shown a Lack of Clear University of Winnipeg political scientist Jim Silver says if the nip Doest build itself a Strong and distinctive there is trouble looming on election it has to be it has to distinguish itself very definitively from the other the other parties Are chasing each others tails and the nip needs to get out of that said who is also chairman of the Cana Dian Centre for policy they have a Golden Opportunity Here because theres a whole space in the Centre left vacated by every one Wishy Washines Silver said the Public expressions of displeasure Stem from frustration Over the Wishy Washines of the party of As it toys with every other party Favourite Issue tax Mcdonough spent the first week campaigning on her party safest issues health Home child the sur Veys say these Are the issues canadians care most but it has yet to be shown they will Sway voters at the Mcdonough speeches last week focused More on the importance of each Issue than what the nip pro posed in each including costs for a National Home care will come with the plat form announcement this some in the party believe the nip needs to go further Back to its socialist roots to find an electoral this View was espoused by Canadian Auto workers president Buzz who this month predicted the party will take a beating in the election if it fails to position itself on the others say the nip should move As provincial parties in Saskatchewan and Manitoba did towards the where the Vot ers seem to the pragmatic Side of the party says we have to be a Little closer to Centre to be Rob president of the Manitoba federation of to some degree the provincial parties and you cant argue with the Hil Fard says that even if people Arent entirely Happy with the party position on the political the nip Are the Only Choice for people interested in Vot ing for a Lef meaning and Hes concerned that if theres no Strong left voice in it will Only harm Ordinary because there will be no one talk ing about social ;