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00n natjunalpost.coni Luxur) COTILLUW CLAIMS OSCAR FOR PIAFROLE amid the bombs CRITICS ASSAIL 'WEAK' TORY PC leader takes hours to decide to stay on S15M high-end hotel being built in Kandahar Brian Hutchinson in Kandahar City, Afghanistan i i-cit) in SyIl He has built it, and Muhammad Abid now hopes they will come intrepid foreigners, willing to throw caution to the wind and book rooms at the Royal Afghan, this city's first and only luxury hotel. It's an unlikely endeavour. By Matthew Coutts and Lee Gutenberg John Tory defended himself against accusations of weak leadership yesterday after taking 3Vi hours to decide that the 66.9 support he received in a weekend review was enough to remain as the leader of Ontario's Progressive Conservative party. Mr. Tory made no apologies yesterday for seeking consultation before making a decision, but his critics said it was a sign of indecisiveness th.it has marred his time as party leader.

"I don't think people should confuse thoughtfulness with indecisiveness," he told reporters in London yesterday. "I took a grand total of two or three hours, but I did hear from many party members during that time. In fact, I didn't get a single bite to eat at thettable in the time I was sitting there, because people were coming up one after the other and telling me to stay. And so I did exactly what I said I would do." Not everyone agreed with that assessment. "The whole question on the weekend was about leadership.

One of the components of strong leadership is someone who takes decisive action," said Rueben Devlin, a former party president and one of Mr. Tory's more vocal detractors. The vote held at the Conservative Party of Ontario's annual conference in London found that 874 of 1,308 dele The five-storey, $15-million hotel is the most attractive new building in southern FP Therein lies the problem. It's in southern Afghanistan. A war zone.

IMAGINE THAT Artist proves firms can think big, stay small. FPl There are few foreign faces here, aside from 21,000 soldiers representing such nations as Canada, the United States and Britain. In Kandahar province, troops travel from one protected military compound to another in armed convoys. They don't walk the streets of Kandahar City, let alone stop for meals or spend a night in COMMENT ASIA RISING Why we need to keep an eye on China. 12.7 GABRIEL BOOTS AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE GETTY IMAGES Marion Cotillard accepts the Oscar for best actress last night for her role in La Vie en Rose.

Full Oscar coverage in our Arts Life section and online at nationalpost.com. Flaherty turns to Guinness to avoid talk of budget a local establishment. It's considered too dangerous. No matter, says Mr. Abid, a self-described "farmer" with land in Kandahar.

Somehow, he found the means to build his extravagant palace. A group of Afghan investors, whom he preferred not to name, provided the funds for his aluminum-clad hotel. "Our guests will be internationals, people from nongovernment organizations or other institutions working here," says Mr. Abid, sitting outside in his hotel's landscaped courtyard, next to a concrete pond filled with koi. But most internationals have left, thanks to a rising threat level from insurgents and violent criminals.

The unsolved abduction of an American wbman last month was for many the last straw. The few foreign civilians who remain make themselves invisible. Like the soldiers, they don't tend to lallygag. See HOTEL on Page A6 gates were against holding a review of Mr. Tory's leadership.

The position was in question following a dismal failure in last October's provincial election, for which a humbled Mr. Tory accepted responsibility. "I let our caucus and party down and most of all, I let the people of Ontario down," he told the crowd of delegates before the vote. It was not the overwhelming mandate Mr. Tory had hoped to see from his leadership review, but it was enough to claim a victory and quiet party dissidents, at least for now.

Party rules say he needed 50 plus one of the vote to avoid a leadership vote. "It was in that kind of grey area that was pretty awkward, I think, for Mr. Tory," said Dr. Paul Nesbitt-Larking, a political professor at the University of Western Ontario. See TORY on Page A9 nationalpost.com EX CtASSIFIEDSll.FPll GOVANI AL3 CRITCHLEY FPJ LETTERS A13 DESOUZA A14 REMEMBERING AL9 DIVERSIONS ALIO WEATHER S12 EDITORIALS A12 WORLD All Finance Minister's dog more interested in food home about political choices; Mr.

Flaherty defended his battle with Ontario and told his sons to think about what kind of future they want for their province. The Flaherty boys are likely more aware of politics than most teens. Their mother, Christine Elliott, is also a Conservative politician she won Mr. Flaherty's provincial riding when he moved from Queen's Park to federal politics. But they are typical teenagers.

"They're interested briefly," Mr. Flaherty said during a telephone interview as he headed home to Whitby last week. "They're more interested in how the Leafs are doing, which isn't good. One said to me, "We're 16-year-old boys. What do you See FLAHERTY on Page Ai school and teenage angst But they did notice his spat with Ontario Premier Dalton Mc-Guinty last week.

"You really went after him," they told him. Mr. Flaherty attacked the Liberal Premier just days before the federal budget, which is to be unveiled tomorrow. He blamed Mr. McGuinty for Ontario's sluggish economy and criticized the province's 'lack of innovation" and "lack of leadership." It led to a discussion at the Flaherty family's Whitby Published by the National Post Company, a subsidiary of CanWest MediaWortcs Inc.

Return undeliverabte Canadian copies to 300-1450 Don Milts XL, Don MWs, OnL M3B 3R5 By Julie Smyth OTTAWA Jim Flaherty's children do not usually pay much attention to his work he may be the Minister of Finance, but his triplet sons are 16 and caught up in sports, 0 "00050 Pubiicatioo Mall Agreement Number 40069573 Saving lives in Halifax, A6 SiLjn inioioisMittJoi; 1 v-V.