The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 13

AI3 QUOtGS 'oc Qubecois leader Gilles Duceppe said of the Liberals: "If they sense OT tn6 that it is going badly, they are going i to be like wounded animals. And G3y a wounded animal is dangerous." New Democratic leader Jack Layton, about Paul Martin: "He pretends that he wants to protect public health from Ralph Klein. That is like the wolf promising to protect the chickens from the fox. It doesn't work, because Paul Martin has a record." Paul Martin, during a rally in B.C.: "If you are thinking of voting NDP, I ask you to think about the implications of your vote. You may well help Stephen Harper become prime minister." 1LE LaSalle-limard has been Liberal as long as anyone remembers.

But despite Paul Martin's personal popularity, some voters are threatening to abstain or cast protest ballots Doubts rack even PM's ridin India finds way to cut legislative waste: trim MPs always voted Liberal. "For the first time in my life, who to vote for is a hard decision. "We'll probably end up voting for Martin not because we support him so much, but because who else is there?" Teresa Gallup, 21, says nobody she knows is paying much attention to this election campaign. She doesn't even know who the other candidates are, or what they stand for. Besides, she's concentrating on her "Martin will get in, but there will be a big decrease in his majority." Restaurateur Johnny Tzouvelakos J.

A 1 There's been rumbling in LaSalle-Emard about punishing the Liberals for the sponsorship scandal. Some voters are threatening not to cast a ballot at all. Others are considering the Green Party "out of protest." Throughout the riding, Martin's campaign posters have been embellished with horns and graffiti that read "Liar!" or "Where's the money?" "Everybody's focusing on the scandal. Maybe it's unfair to him to do that," Horge says. "He's always been a decent, personable family man and he's been mindful of the riding." With only a few days left to go before the federal election, many LaSalle voters say they'll probably end up voting for Martin "when push comes to shove." Better the devil you know than the one you don't.

That's how Alba Por-porinosumsitup. "Really, we don't know who to trust anymore. We're fed up and we don't think any of them worthy of our vote," says Porporino, who is active in LaSalle's Italian community and has SUSAN SEMENAK THE GAZETTE Olga Horge is walking at a clip, the other dozen or so members of her club close behind, as they complete their six-kilometre hike along the waterfront bike path in LaSalle. Then a newcomer drops the bombshell. How are you voting on Monday? Horge, a retired nurse and lifelong Liberal Party supporter, is visibly agitated.

So are a lot of her neighbours and fellow members of the Montreal Urban Hikers Walking Club, who meet twice a week in summer. The riding of LaSalle-Emard has been voting Liberal for as long as anyone can remember. The other local candidates in this election campaign are virtual unknowns. Horge even hosted "young Paul" as she refers to the prime minister at a grassroots meeting in her rec room when he first came to represent this southwest riding. This time, though, she says she still doesn't know how she'll vote.

with this election." At LaSalle Drive-In Restaurant, where the urban hikers have stopped for ice cream, everybody's fed up with politics and politicians of all stripes, says owner Johnny Tzouvelakos. "After going through the demerger votes and all this mess with the Liberals, people are fed up," he says. "Martin will get in, but there will be a big decrease in his majority." Herb Cohen says that's because everybody is feeling angry and "hard done by" It won't help the Liberals that they've been in power for so long, either. Cohen, 74, says he wishes Martin's handlers would just let him loose to be himself. "He's done a lot for Canada.

He conquered the deficit and brought the finances into order. It's what lets the others talk like bigshots about what they will do for us now," Cohen says. "But that doesn't seem to be getting through." ssemenakthegazette.canwest.com vacations, a new job and getting into shape. "People are talking about moving, about vacations, about all sorts of things that have nothing to do with politics," Gallup says. "It's only in the newspapers that they're all caught up r-jj-'jr 1 wrasse a jg.

m. -as-, me mswissipssi ANDY RIGA Dreaming in numbers. Last month India, a country with 672 million voters, elected 543 national representatives to its parliament. That's 1.2 million voters per elected official. Here in Canada, we have 22 million voters and 308 MPs or 71,400 voters per representative.

If Canada adopted Indian proportions, we'd have only 18 MPs (plenty, no?) and we wouldn't have to pay 290 extraneous ones. Lowly backbenchers make $141,000 a year, plus perks. So, if we cut 290 MPs, we save at least $41 million a year. That's $205 million over a five-year mandate, enough to buy 82 MRI scanners eight per province (and two extra for Paul Martin). Now, what shall we do with the gold-plated-pension savings? Resorting to violence.

A site called Whack the PM lets you pick up a mallet and smack the leader "who says the most irritating things" about abortion, same-sex marriage and defence spending. It's an equal-opportunity site even Green leader Jim Harris can be abused. After your most-hated leader is bruised and bleeding, click on Current Stats! to see how other Canadians feel. When we checked, the Aggressive Conservative had been whacked 9 million times, the Fib-eral 8.1 million, the Blockhead 6 million, the NDPee 4.6 million and the Tree Hugger 4.3 million. Next, click to "vote against" a leader.

Enter a postal code and you're told which candidate can beat that leader's party in your riding, www.whackthepm.com Electoral sing-along. Regular E-File contributor Ron Huza tells us what the leaders will be singing after votes are tallied. (Blame Robert Charlebois's Frog Song for the first one). Here goes: Gilles Duceppe: I'm a frog, you're a frog, kiss me. And I'll turn into a prince electorally Paul Martin: It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, die if I want Jack Layton: This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! Stephen Harper: Give us a place to stand and a place to grow and call this land Ontario.

A snack. "Eating a ballot, not returning it or otherwise destroying or defacing it constitutes a serious breach of the Canada Elections Act," Elections Canada says. The maximum penalty: a $5,000 fine and five years in jail. Hudson-born Layton is going Nigerian. Yesterday, he sent The E-File an urgent business proposal an E-mail plea for cash, featuring six clickable links to instantly donate to the NDP online Sounds like a Nigerian E-mail scam to us.

No, wait, that's not right. Layton is the opposite PIERRE OBENDRAUF THE GAZETTE Olga Horge (in pink) and her hikir.g-club friends walk along the streets of LaSalle, in the riding long held by Prime Minister Paul Martin. Chretien quietly votes Leaders of 3 major parties will spend Fete in Quebec HARPER PLANS TO CAMPAIGN IN ONTARIO Duceppe will join block parties in his riding; Martin and Layton itineraries still in flux vited to a reception at Montreal city hall, but neither has yet responded, Savard said. Martin's handlers have not yet decided his exact itinerary, but it will include stops in the southern and western parts of Montreal Island, "celebrating with all Quebecers," said Jacqueline Larocque, a Liberal Party spokesperson in Ottawa. Dennis Dawson, co-chairperson of the Liberals' Quebec campaign, said from Quebec City this is not the first time federal Big turnout reported at advance polls TIM NAUMETZ CANWEST NEWS SERVICE Ottawa Voters turned out in droves nearly twice the number as in the 2000 election to cast ballots in advance polls for the June 28 federal election.

Chief Electoral Officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley announced yesterday 1,244,739 electors voted in the three days of advance polling, compared with 775,157 in the last election held on Nov. 21,2000. Kingsley did not offer any explanation for the dramatic rise, other than to say that, in past elections, advance polls were primarily offered to employees who would be unable to vote on election day because of work schedules. A total of 22 million Canadians are eligible to vote in this election. If the advance polling is an indication of the turnout for the voting on June 28, Canada may be on the verge of reversing a sharp decline in voter participation.

Only 61.2 per cent of registered voters cast ballots in 2000. The turnout suggests despite the widespread impression this campaign centres on personal attacks and negative advertising -voters feel much hinges on the outcome. Advance polling took place last Friday, Saturday and Former prime minister Jean Chretien has already had his say in the federal election campaign although he apparently did it discreetly Chretien cast his ballot in the advance polls last week in Sha-winigan, a Liberal source confirmed yesterday He will be overseas Monday, when regular voting takes place. Chretien told reporters on June 10 he had just returned from Europe and would be heading back in two weeks. He made the remarks during his first public appearance of the campaign, after attending the official opening of an international art show in Shawini-gan.

"Me, I'm a Liberal, I vote Liberal, I want them to win," Chretien said. He also publicly threw his support behind Marie-Eve Bilo-deau, the Liberal candidate in the newly configured Saint-Maurice-Champlain riding. A former Chretien aide was blocked from becoming the Liberal candidate there, causing dissension within party ranks. The party said it wanted to reserve the riding for a woman, because Prime Minister Paul Martin wants to boost the number of women in Parliament. Bilodeau, 25, was an aide to former industry minister Allan Rock.

"She is starting and I am encouraging her," said Chretien, who was first elected in Saint-Maurice riding in 1963. "I am voting for Marie-Eve." New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton, who was raised in Hudson and studied at McGill University as an undergraduate, will also take part in various St. Jean Baptiste holiday events and will spend the night here, the party office in Ottawa announced. Ian Capstick, the NDP's campaign spokesperson, said the details of Layton's itinerary will be made known only today But being seen at various events in Quebec is a natural thing to do during a campaign, Capstick said. "The Fete NationaleSt.

Jean Baptiste is a massive gathering of Quebec pride. Naturally, on a campaign trail, you want to go to the places that have the most people. "We highlight festivals and community gatherings throughout the election campaign. The more people that can be introduced to Jack the better" As for Bloc leader Duceppe, he will be participating in block parties in his Laurier riding, as he does every year, party official Chantale Bouchard said. He is to be in his riding at 6 this evening.

Among neighbourhood activities, he will view skits based on Michel Tremblay plays. His full itinerary will only be made available today iblockthegazette.canwest.com IRWIN BLOCK THE GAZETTE All major federal party leaders except Stephen Harper will be in Quebec tomorrow celebrating the Fete NationaleSt. Jean Bap-tiste holiday The Conservative Party schedule has Harper campaigning in Sarnia and Belleville, key ridings in vote-rich Ontario, during the Quebec holiday Party officials in Ottawa said Harper's schedule is subject to change, but there are no plans for him to be in Quebec on June 24. The three other leaders will take part in the Quebec festivities, but as of yesterday, were not prepared to specify exactly where they will be. Officials in party organizations all said their leaders would be taking part in various events and had no problem being seen as politicking during Quebec's FeteNationale.

Luc Savard, co ordinator of festivities for the Societe St. Jean Baptiste de Montreal, said all are welcome to take part in the party Both Prime Minister Paul Martin and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe, who reside in Montreal, have been in- of the Nigerian E-mailer who promises a big payback if you entrust him with some money Lay-ton would take the cash then order you to pay more, in taxes. Harper is actually the real Nigerian, promising large sums (tax breaks) in exchange for helping free up money unfairly held by Ottawa. Thousands of Canadians are duped every year by Nigerian scams. If polls are right about 4.2 million Canadians will vote for Harper on Monday theefilecanada.com "The Fete Nationale St.

Jean Baptiste is a massive gathering of Quebec pride." NDP spokesperson Ian Capstick politicians have publicly celebrated the holiday "The reality is that it is happening during a campaign, and it will put more of a spotlight on it. "Most of the candidates running in Quebec City have all been participants at Fete Nationale activities over the past 15 years." Co to montrealgazette.com Click on E-File.