DAY SAYS HE SMOKED MARIJUANA

Ex-preacher thinks most people won't hold his past drug use against him

Sarnia, Ont. -- Stockwell Day, the former lay preacher known for his
strait-laced lifestyle, firmly cemented his baby-boomer credentials
yesterday when he admitted to smoking dope in his teens.

Mr. Day is seeking the leadership of the newly formed Canadian Alliance,
Canada's most right-wing party in terms of both its fiscal and moral
attitudes.

"Yes, I have done marijuana and I did inhale," Mr. Day said. "I haven't for
about 30 years, but, yes, I have."

He made the remarks in response to a question from a reporter yesterday in
Woodstock, Ont.

Mr. Day, who is 49, has had a varied past, which includes a stint selling
chickens from his father's old car in British Columbia as a youth.

He has also worked on a trawler on the B.C. coast and as an auctioneer and
an assistant pastor at a church in Central Alberta.

Mr. Day said he thought most Canadians wouldn't look askance at his
occasional use of pot as a younger man.

"I think most people will look at 30 years ago and high school and early
university, what a lot of kids were doing, including myself. I think they'll
see it in that context."

Asked whether it was okay for teens to experiment with pot, he said, "It's
best left alone, that's what I think." For the record, former Reform leader
Preston Manning, who is competing with Mr. Day for the job, has said he has
not smoked pot. Nor, for that matter, has Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Mr. Day was in Southwestern Ontario yesterday trying to cash in on his
youthful image by appealing to the province's voters in the contest for the
leadership. The race also includes former Reform candidate Joe Peschisolido,
Canadian Alliance MP Keith Martin and party activist Margret Kopala.

Ontario backroom strategist Tom Long is also expected to announce his
candidacy, and it was Mr. Long's supporters whom Mr. Day was courting
yesterday.

Mr. Day told a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Woodstock that he is a
veteran candidate with experience as a cabinet minister in the Alberta
government of Ralph Klein.

The qualifications contrast with both Mr. Manning and Mr. Long, neither of
whom has been elected as a member of a government in power.

"Right from the start, in terms of entering the race, I realized that that
would be something that people want to see," he said after the speech. "They
want to see a track record, what have you done and have you been successful,
and could you apply it at a federal level."

Mr. Day said that going from a private citizen to electoral office requires
that a successful candidate assimilate much information in a short period of
time.

"It's a very steep learning curve and you need to make sure you've got as
many people around you as possible, giving you advice along the way," he
said.

Mr. Day was also scheduled to speak last night to supporters in Sarnia,
which is Mr. Long's home town. Many believe that Mr. Long and Mr. Day will
fight it out for second place in the leadership ballot behind Mr. Manning,
leaving the other off the final vote. The first ballot takes place on June
23, with the top two in a runoff should no one win a majority of the votes.

Mr. Long has already stolen away some supporters of the Alberta cabinet
minister, including Val Meredith, a high-profile B.C. MP who had been a
supporter of Mr. Day before last week.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Day also drew a sharp distinction between his
treatment and Mr. Long's of Progressive Conservative Leader Joe Clark. Mr.
Day said that should he win the leadership, he would make an effort to bring
Mr. Clark onside for the Alliance.

"I can tell you that I view Joe Clark as a friend," Mr. Day said. "The
Stockwell Day campaign is talking about an agenda of respect that needs to
be brought back to the federal level. I will continue to respect Joe and his
decision."

Mr. Long has accused Mr. Clark of not being a true conservative and made a
strident speech attacking the Tory Leader at the convention of the united
alternative last January. Asked whether he agreed with Mr. Long's assessment
that Mr. Clark lacks conservative credentials, Mr. Day said he took the Tory
Leader at his word.

"He said he is [conservative], so I'm not going to question him on that,"
Mr. Day said.

"I have respect for Joe, I think he's served the country well and we're
clearly keeping a policy of open hearts, open hands to all Tories."

Unlike his previous trips into Ontario, Mr. Day was not dogged yesterday by
protesters or questions about his social conservative background. When
quizzed about it by reporters, he demurred, saying rank-and-file voters are
satisfied with his answers. "This is not coming from the people, this is
coming from the media."

Mr. Day is personally anti-abortion and supports a nationwide referendum to
decide the issue.