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WHMBY 1'E PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1,1ý988, PAGE 21 Tourangeau:, Free trade agreement willfl be watched by world By Debbie Luchuk Çoncern about possible adverse effets fromn the free-trade agreement is unwarranted, accor- ding to Vanessa Tourangeau, who spoke at the Whitby Charnber of Commerce dinner last Tuesday night. "It's a lot of noise about a smal issue. Already 70 per cent of our trade is with the U.S.," she said. Tourangeau spoke on free trade as it affects ber as president of Canadex, a -source of Canadian goods and services for overseas recipients of Canadian develop- nment assistance. Tourangeau was a last minute replacement as guest speaker at the chamber meeting after John McDermid (MP Brampton- Georgetown), parliamentary sec- retary to the Minister for International Trade, was unable to attend. Tourangeau has been involved in promotion of the free trade agreement with a group known as the Canadian Alliance for Trade and Job Opportunities. Although ber company does not seil in the U.S. and imnports very littie from that country, she says the free trade deal will affect international trade, including the transactions in which ber coni- pany is involved. "We will be setting an example by free trade and the whole world is really watcbing," Tourangeau said. She used New Zealand and Denmark as examples of coun- tries that have benefited from free trade and have acquired larger international mnarkets. "We hope in the long terni (that free trade) will improve our acces to General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) coun- Durham police in Torch Run Since 1981 the International Association of Ohiefs of Police and the International Special Olympics have been working together to nDromote and support the znentally hanclicapped. In 1987 the Ontario bpecaI Olympics and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police sponsored what was to become an annual law enforcement "Torch Run." The purpose of the Run is te raise money for the more than 300,000 mentally handicapped people in Ontario. Ail money goes te the mentally handicapped. There are no administration fees. In order to raise this mnoney, an 'Adopt-a-Cop' pledge program has been adopted and involves al police personnel in the province. A relay, carrying a symbolic terch, will start from six separate locations in Ontario, converging on Hamilton on the evening of Friday, Aug. 12, at the opening of D)urhamn House Child and Faniily Centre, 1521 Sirncoe St. N.~ Oshawa is searching for voluntfer drivers to, transport childiren to and foSni suminer ,progrm. Mileage wll be paid. Par mare information please cal 67942021 or 686-4353. ,- tries," she added. If the free trade agreement is established, Tourangeau believes that it will cut down on the amount of paperwork involved in cross-border trade. "In theory, lower"duties allow industry to lower selling prices for the whole package that our coun- try puts tegether to send over- seas." Free trade will also mean that Canada will be able te become more competitive and able to seli more goods on the export market, she claimed. VANESSA TOURANGEAU Tourangeau believes that Cana- da will benefit from investment in the U.S. (made possible by the free trade agreement). She asser- ted that free tirade will make it easier than it is now to access Amnerican funds and industry. "Our country is large; our economy is not," said Tourangeau, who warned that protectionism is only going to make our economy smaller. Some businesses will be unable to survive in a free trade deal, she said, but "Business is the survival of the fittest." She aàdded.that Canadian companies will become more com petitive and, therefore,, produce a better produet. For ber company, she said, the competitive spirit means winning more contracts. "We have to compete inter- .2ationally with 1 or 1 companies. "This (free.trade) is a tremen- dous opportunity if we go and grasp it. We have the experience and the attitude, and we can't rely on the domestic market." I I F 'We have the right ta Umit quuititie s Sale pnices iefféetwhIequan ttie Iat. eg.pres charged tmosi local nurseri