DECRIMINALIZING WILL COST, STRONACH SAYS

Conservative leadership candidate Belinda Stronach warned Thursday of
the economic threat posed by proposals to decriminalize marijuana.

The 37-year-old billionaire businesswoman told an offbeat Vancouver
radio show that liberalizing pot use would lead to increased searches
and delays in the flow of goods at the U.S. border.

I think it's a bigger issue than we're willing to admit if we
were to decriminalize marijuana, she told JACK-FM on the
popular morning Larry and Willy show.

If we were to decriminalize marijuana I think our great
neighbour to the south would have a lot of problems with that and I
think it would very much affect the Canadian economy.

Ms. Stronach said more than $500-billion worth of goods are shipped
between the two countries each year.

The political neophyte spent about 15 minutes talking to the wacky
hosts, whose station is the most listened to in the morning time slot
in the Vancouver area.

Ms. Stronach appeared slightly nervous when she walked into the tiny
studio crowded with reporters and photographers.

She took questions from one of the hosts and others from listeners who
asked how much weight she could bench press and her current marital
status.

"She's pretty hot and I'm wondering if she's married," asked one
caller.

Mr. Stronach joked she wouldn't be lining up any dates over the phone
right now.

On a more serious note, she outlined her main reason for seeking the
leadership of the party.

Canadians are hungry, are thirsty for a change, she said. I may lack the
political experience [but] I also lack the political baggage.

She got a laugh when she thanked the hosts for having her on the music
and comedy-oriented talk show.

"I came on the program because I heard you guys were wild and I
thought I'd try to make it more conservative," she quipped.

Ms. Stronach, who is divorced, said her 10-year-old daughter and
12-year-old son are also intrigued by her run.

His friend Adam said to him, "I heard they were talking about your mom
on the radio and they were talking about her being hot and sexy' and
my son was cracking up and having a hard time thinking of his mom
being hot and sexy.

Ms. Stronach also spoke early Tuesday by telephone with CBC radio and
was to speak at noon to the Surrey chamber of commerce. She was in
Winnipeg on Tuesday for a private meeting at a hotel.

On Tuesday night, she did the same thing at a popular pub in downtown
Vancouver.

On Friday, she is to speak in Calgary at an event that has already
been moved to the downtown convention centre to accommodate the
larger-than-expected crowd.