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THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2008 14 ??????????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? Growing evidence sug- gests that the U.S. and other major economies are now in recession. Can- ada has weathered this downturn better than virtu- ally any other industrialized country. However, we are not immune from global developments, and the con- sensus among private sector economists is that Canada will experience a recession in the coming months. Canada is facing this per- iod of uncertainty from a position of relative strength, reflecting the soundness of Canadian financial institu- tions and the strong financial positions of households, corporations and govern- ments. Our Governments ear- ly actions have helped us weather the global econom- ic crisis better than most other economies. Last year our government introduced broad based tax reductions and significant new invest- ments into provincial and municipal infrastructure. These tax reductions and Faulty alarm A faulty detector is blamed for a false carbon monoxide detector alarm at 12 Holmesway Place at 8:11 last Tuesday morning. The tenant was advised to buy a new detector. Careless smoking A cigarette sparked a small fire in a pillow at 89 Poplar Avenue at 4:14 last Monday afternoon. The resident threw the pillow out of the house, which was ventilated to remove the smoky smell. By Rebecca Ring Bruce Pinder, owner of Jims Repair Shop in Rockwood, stuck to his guns and made the winning bid for a fully decora ted Chr is tmas Tree, complete with gifts. The auction was hosted by radio station CJOY to raise funds for St. Josephs Health Care Foundation in Guelph. The tree and gifts were valued at $1400. Bidding started at $50 and ended with Mr. Lube and Jims Repair Shop going toe-to-toe until the latter won it with a final bid of $1150. We thought it was a good idea and a good cause, says Pinder, So GIVE AND YE SHALL RECEIVE: Jims Repair Shops generosity paid off as they submitted the win- ning bid for this beautiful, decorated Christmas tree with gifts. Proceeds went to St. Josephs Health Care Foundation. Shown here are shop owners Bruce and Jeannette Pinder. - Rebecca Ring Photo Jims Repair shop wins tree and gifts we thought wed buy it and give St. Joes a boost in the arm. Gifts that came with the tree include tickets for performances at the River Run Centre, a Bola Ball game from CJOY, gift cer- tificates from East Side Marios, Ginos Transmis- sion, Play It Again Sports, Cherry Hill Entertain- ment, Charm Diamond Centre, Laser Esthetics, Zestys Italian Restaurant, Fashion Lighting, UPS, Hampton Inn, a duffle bag from Richler Products and a gift basket from Bath and Body Works. CJOYs Bill Dawkins, and Dave and Neals Mor- ning Crew helped set up and decorate the tree. Chamber says time to stop politcal tack The board of directors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, in consultation with local chambers from across Canada, has issued principles responded to the factors fuelling the financial crisis in Canada, such as the access to credit, stock market turbulence and currency fluctuations. I fully support these principles, and encourage MPs, in the best interest of Halton Hills and of all Canadians, to focus their efforts in a non-partisan manner towards advan- cing these principles, says Jamie Schumacker, president of Halton Hills Chamber, a statement to the media. The Chamber says the current situation is taking a severe toll on the residents of Halton Hills and on all Canadians. In this regard, Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce and its members find it extremely disconcerting that the discourse since the tabling of the Economic Update has been almost exclusively focused on political gains and posturing. Fire Report Time to set aside narrow partisan interest says Chong Mike Chong MP new infrastructure invest- ments have been and will continue to be a major stabilizing factor for the Canadian economy through the global slowdown. But more needs to be done. Our immediate prior- ities are to accelerate these infrastructure projects, help Canadians affected by current economic con- ditions, and strengthen our financial system. We will provide temporary relief to seniors with RRIFs and to federally regulated pri- vate pension plans, both of which have been affected by recent stock market con- ditions. We will continue to work toward the creation of a single national securities regulator. We will increase the cred- it available for Canadian businesses that are affected by the global credit crisis through our two Crown agencies the Export De- velopment Corporation and the Business Development Bank of Canada. We will consult with the provinces and Canadians to develop responses to short-term economic issues, while con- tinuing to implement our long-term economic plan. Finally, we are going to consult with the oppos- ition parties in the House of Commons, to seek their input into developing our governments response to this ongoing economic crisis. We are open to any economic ideas the oppos- ition parties may want to bring forward for the bene- fit of our country. We, as Parliamentarians, need to focus on the issues of concern to Canadians their jobs, their savings and their investments. In order to do so, our government requires the support of the opposition parties. This means that both the gov- ernment and the opposition need to set aside partisan ap- proaches and work together in the interests of all Can- adians. As a Canadian, I am dis- appointed that this has not been the case in Ottawa. Our government misread the oppositions support for our economic agenda. In response, the opposition proposed to replace our government with a coali- tion government, made up of Liberals, New Democrats and the Bloc Quebecois. This is not in Canadas in- terests. It is one thing for the members of a separatist party to fully participate in the legislative branch of government, it is entirely another thing to allow them access to the corridors of power in the executive branch. At a time of eco- nomic uncertainty, now is not the time for a change in government, and it is never a time for a coalition government that includes a separatist party. It is im- portant that our government remain in power to steer this country through difficult economic times. Canadians are concerned about their jobs, their sav- ings and their investments. In the coming months, I will continue to work on your behalf and make the case that we, as Parliamentar- ians, need to set aside our narrow partisan interests and work together in the broader, national interest of all Canadians. Michael Chong can be reached at chongm@parl. gc.ca or at (866) 878 5556