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| Legislative Library
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“Serving the
Progressive
Northwest

Eleanor Erickson: holds: her leap year ‘baby,
Atexander Theodore, who made his arrival at
é 20 p.m, on | Feb. 29. Alexander also weighs 7,

‘pounds, °6. ounces ‘and’ like’ ‘other leap year .
babies, will be celebrating his: birthdays every .
four years. ;

“Here Is the first baby to arrive on Leap year.
Teidje Francis Noonan was one of two boys to |
_ be born. on Feb. 29. He is shown here with

Mom, Deanria.- Phil Noonan, father, is a
constable In the Terrace RCMP detachment:
He weighed In at 7 pounss, é6aunces. —

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OTTAWA (CP) — Prime Minister Trudeau signalled the

Wednesday, announcing he will quit as soon as the Liberals
kind someone to take his place. >
Trudeau surprised the tountry with his decision and, in.

tthe playful manner that has become part of his trademark,
” told reporters he made up his mind after a night of studying -

“snowflakes, listening to his heart and ‘searching | the sky f for

igns of destiny.: .--...

Trudeau smiled. and appeared tiappy “that the: un

erlainty, which some Liberals said was hurting his party,

_ finally ended when he wrote Liberal-party president ‘Iona
_ Campagnolo on Wednesday to tell her. of his plans. ;
[ “Tlistened to my heart and saw if there were any signs in

my destiny ia the sky and there were. none, there. were just
lnowtlakes,” Trudeau,-, 64”: told. reporters outside his
ariiament Hill office, =.

’ The prime minister annouriced his decision’ to close aides
early Wednesday morning after private talks with friends

and a night spent walking through. a late-winter biieard

ithat had gripped the capital.

. ; Campagnolo Immediately called a meeting of the party’s

‘paional axecutive for. Friday and’ Saturday in Ottawa to

decide when a convention will be held. to choose Trudeau's
-successor., Campagnolo Indicated the most - ‘likely date
Kvould be near the end of June,

Former finance minIster John Turner, widely seen as the

; strongest contender for. Trudeau’s spot, quickly issued a -
statement from. a, holiday spot in: Jamaica to praise
frrudeau’s record and promise a decision on: ‘tis own future

March. 16, _
Energy Minister Jean’ Chretien, who: hus been ‘openly.

interested in the job, said.he:is studying the question.
! Former finance minister Donald Macdonald. was

‘unavailable for comment, but “made it very clear” when

he agreed to head a royal ‘commission on the economy that —
he might resign to take @ run at: the country’ a. ‘top jab,

. jeommission member , William Harnilton eald.

tT WHEN USEDWILE pol

may RUN:

* Treasury Board ‘President Herb Gray, ‘peonomi"
‘Development Minister Don Johnston and Indian’ Affaira. «
‘Minister John Munro said they are considering rusting.
‘ “11 certainly have to think about‘that |... but 1 haven't
‘made a formal decision," Munro said.

amet

_ Transport Minister toy Axworthy, one of ihe only two ;

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Liberal MPs west of Ontario, told reporters | in ‘Winnipeg he

is not eager ‘to run, but did not rule it oul, saying é a western

» candidate is needed.

Finance Ministér Mare - Lalonde ‘and Caihpagnoto, m
_howeyer, quickly: rejected suggestions that they: Want ta .

. Yeplate Trudeau, who has won four elections, and ‘Jost one.
* realize his dream of a bilingual Canada, referring to the.
‘recent fight over French-language rights‘in- Manitoba and

since he became leader and prime iminister. in 1968.

.As well as removing some uncertainty about.the Liberal _:
party's direction, Trudeau's detision also narrows down the:
possible timing of the next. general election. It ‘could be’
-ealled immediately after the leadership convention: for a.
Jate-August vote, or sometime soon after Pope John Paul's —

September visit to Canada. for a late fall vote...

Reaction to. Trudeau's announcement “was. ‘almost as. :.

surprising as the announcement itself. - Baa

Stock markets surged, oilmen and businessmen: cheered.

But-even poiitical foes credited him for the tnique stamp he
has left on the country’s history. as .

“To be very frank — yes, I'm sory,” wa Quebec

“ Premier. ‘Rene’ Levesque, a determined and often bitter

opponent of Trudeau’ a single- “mninded efforts to keep Quebec
within Canada. +>.

. “Because: he: ‘sure made things: more’ ‘interesting, not
necessarily more appealing, but more interesting.”

But Levesque, said Trideau had, in any ways, failed to..

to Ontarlo’ 5 Teluctant stand on official bilingualisih at the ;
provincial ‘level.

“The attitude of. Ontario and the capitulation of Manitoba :

show :this:total failure.of Trudeau's’ dream, except for:
Quebee’ where he imposed it unilaterally,” Leveaque said. .

Some! Liberals said they were disheartened by Trudeau’ 8
decision,

Sendtor- Keith Davey, a key ‘adviser to Trudeau
. throughout - the years, called.it a “sad day for Canada,
‘sadder. still for the, Liberal parly.” -.

, Liberal election: hopes,, dampened : how by the 2-pin

Canadian’ businessmen cheer

- Bay. Street cheered and-the ‘Alberta oil. patch rejoiced ,

- Wednesday as Canada’s business leaders ceiebratéd the
end af the Trudeau era by tinkling champagne glasses and
breaking out in. Spontaneous applause. - neal

- News that the prime minister i is quitting: ‘after ‘more than

15 years in office also. touched: aff an explosive tally on the |

Toronto stock market. oe

The business community haa’ never: ‘hid: its disdain for
Trudeau, Tn fact; some corporate ledderss iil view:him aga

closet Marxist, bent on imposing aoverninent control over ”

the economy,

So the giant. collective sight unlenshéd in’ the corporate
“world after. ‘Wednesday's’ -Annouhcement. Wasn't a big
surprise. ; we.

Nowhere. wis ‘this more dvident’ than in Alberta, where
the news: parked hopes that the West might get anew deal
from Ottawa. Se.

In. Calgary; the posh Petroleum ‘club distributed free
champagrie to ‘meinbers and about 300 executives at an

_ ehergy: ‘conferetice cheered’: and-° “applauded,” as did .
”. Shareholdérs at thé’ annual meeting of, Poco Petroteums.

CLEARS THE WAY
"The feeling is that the ( penal regain clears the
Ip" betwéen Alberta and Ottawa,

sald analyst: David Brygon of Moss Lawson and Co, Ltd.

On the ‘Toronto, Stock Exchange, share prices surged
-ahéad by more than 20 points in the hour after, the an-

~ rouncement before: easing oft in later trading as Wall Steet

- prices dropped. Serge

" Energy stocks ied the rally ais ‘invigstors were excited
‘ about the prospect. that Trudeau's exit could lead to a
revision’ or sctapping of the national éilergy program. At

‘the close; enatgy storks had risén w their best level in more -

than a month: .

4 Daye

Some- business grdups were nervous over what may
become.of legislation currently before Parliament, but:
most were relieved that the question of Trudeau’ ia future
has finally. been resolved. fo,

And: some spokesmen were optinaistic that ance
Trudeau's successor has been chosen, the ailing economy
will become top priority. - he tas,

Laurent. Thibault, executive vice-president of the
Canadian: Manufacturers’ Association, saw | ' Trudeau’ 8

resignation ‘as the: start of a renewal process” that will .
give. Canada "a new vision, anew sense of direction anda.

hew sénge of-purpose.

‘There's no question the prime minister has been kind of
a lightning fod for an ‘awful lot of the country’ 8 problems _
he's béeii-a divisive force.”
NEW. OPPORTUNITY

. Trudeat didn't appear to ‘have much concern for the -

economy, Thibault added, saying this will perhaps be a new:
opportunity” to address economic concerns. ;

Sam Hughes, president of the Canadian Chamber of
Commerée, said his group, the country’s biggest business’
lobby, . questions how the resignation: is going to affect
legislation coming down.

He added that until a successor is named, “we're going to
be in a state‘of legislative uncertainty — and uncertainty is
usually bad for business.’’

Meanwhile, -John Bulloch, president of the Canadian -

Federation ofiIndependent Business, said he's disappointed
about the atinouncement because jt comes al a time when
the pount} haa serious economic Issues lo address.

“Our. main:concern is that the next six months will be
dominated by politics and not economies,”

But Hughes and. Thibault both disagreed, saying there’ 8
been do much preoccupation for the last six months on when
Trudeau:would' 4 depart that nothing will change 1 much. :

@ “decson after studying snowflakes —

* lead held by Brian ‘Mulroney’ 8 Progressive Conservatives
in public opinion polls, could be helped by the attention that
will be given to the leadership Tace,- “Campagnolo told
reporters.

But Mulroney, on holiday i in Florida, said Liberals would *,
be engaging in “wishful thinking” if they belieye the party’ 5

fortunes will. rise with: Trudeau's resignation. .
* Mulroney said the Conservatives: will bé reassessing the

political situation for. ‘timing and strategy." He. Tepeated .

his contention that Trudeau is “clearly head and shoulders
above anyone else... in termsof leading the Liberal party.”
New Democrat Leader Ed Broadbent, also vacationing in

Florida, was to rélease a statement on Trudeau's move _

after his return to Otlawa.

But NDP House Leader’ Ian, Deans predicted the! yo
departure “will be goad for the Canadian‘political scene”
_ and will help both the Liberals and the NDP, also suffering Te

dramatically in the polls.
LONG EXPECTED —

Trudeau's announcement had been expected for months.
after he promised in the- 1980 ‘election campaign that it.
- would be his last. i

But as late ag last week, the prime ‘minister was still: .
dismissing the speculation, even: thaugh it appeared his’.

final major act —:the international peace Initiative which:
he began last fall -- was over.

The announcement: came as- growing “qumbers of, ,

Liberals, even those supporting — his leadership, were |
becoming anxious for. a decision a8. they approach the
election..

Aides, some of whom were moved to tears when Trudeau

. told them he planned to quit, described Trudeau-as relaxed:

and cheerful after he finally made his decision.
New. Brunswick Premier Richard Hatfield, who met:
Trudeau after the announcement to discussa conference of:

first ministers next week on aboriginal rights, shared the’
view,

Trudeau conveyed the same cheer to reporters, kissing :
one and asking her if she was‘going to propose to him
because 1984.15 4 leap year.

Asked why he chose Wednesday, Feb. 29, for the an-
nouncement, Trudeau replied:

"Well, because it is a good day, it is the first day of the
reat of my life."

. yoy Pw - “

“He was happy, content,’ ** Hatfield sald, : |

Sports. + pages 485°
Comics” page 6
Classifieds ‘pages 689 |