PC LEADERSHIP RACE GOES TO POT

TORONTO -- Three of five candidates vying to replace Premier Mike Harris
for the leadership of Ontario's law-and-order Conservative party say
they've smoked pot -- and one even joked he's yet to exhale.

It's an admission that might once have caused political ambitions to go up
in smoke, but attitudes both about the use of marijuana and expectations
about honesty from politicians appear to have changed that.

"Only at Argo (football) games . . . when you had to," said Ernie Eves, 55,
breaking into uproarious laughter when questioned about his marijuana use.
"There were some pretty tough years in the Argonauts history . . . oh,
jeepers . . . That was back when I was in university."

It only happened on "one or two occasions," said Eves.

Jim Flaherty, the finance minister who made a name for himself as attorney
general pushing his tough-on-crime agenda, has also toked. "Yeah, in my
teenage years," said Flaherty, 52. "A couple of times."

A poll conducted for The Canadian Press last year found 38% of Canadian
adults had tried pot, while 47% supported legalization.

"Soft drugs are becoming more acceptable within our society," said Dave
Scholz, a vice-president with Leger. Still, two of the Tory candidates deny
ever smoking up.

One is Tony Clement, the health minister, who has made much of being the
youngest of the candidates at age 41 and standing for the "next generation
of ideas."

While Environment Minister Elizabeth Witmer, 55, might be known as the
opiate of Ontario politics for her low-key, even soporific style, she also
denied ever dabbling with marijuana.

"No, I haven't," said Witmer, laughing. "Never, ever! Sorry. I've never had
any desire to do so."

Labour Minister Chris Stockwell, 45, who is known for enjoying a good
party, had to think when asked. "I never exhaled," Stockwell responded in a
nod to former U.S. president Bill Clinton's famous and widely ridiculed
assertion that he had smoked marijuana -- but never inhaled. "Yes, sure,
when I was in school I did."

And besides, he said -- no one would believe him if he denied it.