Freedom Flyer 6

The London Centre all-candidates meeting Friday morning at Catholic Central High School was a far cry from the dull to the point of cancellation meetings the candidates have become used to.

When London Centre Liberal Assocation president Tom Kelly, representing David Peterson, was introduced, the 150 students in the school cafeteria whooped, whistled and clapped like the studio audience for a Johnny Carson show.

Conservative candidate Bill Rudd had to concede he noticed the difference on the "applause meter" between the reception afforded Kelly and the more restrained welcomes received by himself, New Democratic Party candidate Peter Cassidy and Marc Emery, campaign manager for Freedom party candidate Michelle McColm.

"This is a Liberal school," a student bellowed as Emery tried to give his closing statement over the din of notebook shuffling, fake coughs and sneezes from the audience.

Emery was responsible for generating most of the fireworks, especially when he referred to the other candidates at one point as "weasels."

It must have been apparent to Emery early on that he was talking to a generation fully conditioned to living with government organized social programs.

Emery expounded the Freedom party line that wants government out of everything from medicare and education to labor negotiations and cleaning up pollution. "We want to give you back your freedom of choice ... these other three candidates all have the same opinion. They want you to put up and shut up and do what they want."

"I don't understand how the heck you can say that," one student responded.

At another point, Emery insisted that government was responsible for pollution in Pottersburg Creek because riverside lands in the Thames watershed are owned by government agencies. "The whole Thames system should be given back to the people whose back yards butt up against the water. Then they can sue the s.o.b.s who pollute it."

Beer and abortion seemed to be much on the students' minds.

Kelly received a cheer when he said bluntly that a Peterson-led Liberal government would allow sale of beer and wine from corner stores. Quebec, which has allowed such sales for years, has lower rates of drunk driving and alcoholism than Ontario with its tightly controlled outlets, he said. "The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) obviously doesn't work."

Kelly didn't get nearly as friendly a response when he told a female student he would not express his opinions on abortion and launched into a lengthy explanation that Peterson supported existing abortion laws, but that the whole question would eventually have to be dealt with by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Cassidy said he fully supported the NDP's long-standing policies of equality for women, accessible day care centres, tough environmental controls and a ban on extra billing under OHIP.

"I support the NDP stand on access to abortions on demand. You may not like it, but that's my position."

Rudd warned the students against allowing any party to mortgage their future by promising expensive social benefits now.