la Citizens tax guide is hot off the press A few days ago I cam back from Ottawa to have a press conference in our little constituency office in Georgetown It used to house a sewing shop and people still come through the door with torn trousers As I mentioned here before ve been working on the proposal the feds have to reform taxes some more and create a new national sales tax It is a sweeping and dramatic change in the way we think about taxes shifting some of the burden from income to con sumption The good part is that with a con sumption tax you can avoid it when you buy less unlike income taxes which are impossible to avoid The other part is that most goods and On The Hill With Garth Turner services will be taxed including many which are now tax free The whole exercise at first will not be to raise taxes The money the new tax collects will be offset by the elimination of other taxes we presently pay and a lowering of the tax rate for middle class peo ple After studying the thing I think there a lot to recommend the change For me that s saying i lot because a year ago I afraid the tax would be tionary and hurt the economy Anyway I have been at the typewriter again this time to pro duce a 20page Citizen s Guide to the Sales Tax Finance Minister Michael Wilson has read it So has deputy Prime Minister Don and a bunch of other people in Ottawa So far the reviews are good On thing I promised during the election campaign Was to put my first loyalty to the people of this riding So the first media people in the country to get a copy of the Guide were those who came to our little office the other day Finished copies just arrived Turner announces council members HaltonPeel MP Garth Turner has released the names of local citizens who will be sitting as the initial members of the Advisory Council on Taxation With a sweeping reform of the tax system proposed by I think its essential people in the community understand what the government intends on doing Turner said This advisory com mittee will help advise me on the effects of the reforms while get ting valuable public input that I can relay to Ottawa The committee is one of several initiatives Turner is taking to spread the message of tax reform in the Recently he released the booklet A Citizen s Guide to the Sales Tax This 20page ex planation of the proposed reforms is available free of charge to any person who would like a copy The Youth runs into car A pedestrian on Mountainview Road ran into a car driven by an offduty police officer last week A Georgetown youth alleged ly ran on Road near Guelph Street striking the left rear door of a northbound 1989 Chevrolet Capris driven by a Halton Regional Police constable who resides in Mississauga The collision which occurred at 11 30 a March 3 caused minor damage to the car and sent the teen to Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital with light in juries The boy has been charged under the Liquor Licence Act with con alcohol while under age toll free line to order a copy is 180O46B4322 The basic thrust of reform will be to shift some of the tax burden from income to consumption Turner explained It will eliminate various existing taxes especially for middle class people and replace that lost revenue with a broadly based sales tax on goods and services The citizen s committee will hold regular meetings across the riding asking for input from tax payers and community groups and report to Turner This will enable me to well represent in government the sen timents of people in the constituen cy Turner said It will also give us lots of time to explain the government plans before the tax is implemented likely in With an important change m the way we re taxed everybody has a right to know why this is tak place My hope is that the com mittee will help me do that The Halton Peel Advisory Coun on Taxation initial members include JOHN DAVIDSON of Bolton who will act as the Council s first chairman John is owner of David son s Home Hardware and a member of the Rotary Club GRAHAM of Georgetown Graham is Senior Partner in the accounting firm of Goebell MacAdam Alexander JEAN KILLOWAY of Caledon Jean is a well known member of the community and a senior who is concerned about current levels of taxation ERIC GUDGEON of Burlington Enc is a retired chemical industry executive and operator of the Heights Golf Club COLIN McKINNON of Caledon East Colin is a chartered accoun and well versed in various aspects of international value- added tax systems Clothing ens Ladies ALTERATIONS REPAIRS I Jahnvince I Bulk Foods I FOR ALL YOUR BAKING NEEDS I MOUNT IN TIM MO INells DRIVING SCHOOL NEXT COURSE 4 Day March Break March 16 17 For Information About Courses or Private Lessons 930 a m 3 30 phone 8772671 from the printer last Friday and I be happy to send one to anyone who requests it Call me toll free at In have one favor though Inside your Guide you II find a response sheet asking a few simple some to be answered before reading the pamphlet and some after I really appreciate your in put as Michael Wilson has asked me to tell him how people in our communities feel about the propos ed changes We have a chance right now to influence the political process so lets go for it okay Helping me out in the area of tax ation are going to be five fine peo ple who will sit on an Advisory Council on Taxation This is the second committee ap pointed so far in Halton Peel to help me stay in touch with public feeling on issues and to advise me on what message should be taken back to Ottawa asking John Davidson a hardware retailer in Bolton to chair the committee and look for ward to working with him Other committee members in elude Graham Goebell of Georgetown Colin of Caledon East Enc Gudgeon of north Burlington and Jean Kelloway of Caledon 1 let vou CRAFT SHOP 11 MAIN STREET SOUTH ACTON 853 3949 Sears Agency know when their regular meetings start TOWN HALL MEETING There time for another one before I have to head back to Ot tawa for a while As with the other meetings the premise is simple I rent a hall and you come to tell me what your MP should be saying and domg to well represent you Bnng your ideas your concerns your family 1 11 be there The meeting is at the Inglewood Hall Wednesday March 22 at 30 AN INVITATION To come and join me in Ottawa for the opening of Parliament April 3 This is a special day when MPs stream through the corridors leading to the Senate hear the Throne Speech and then march back to the House of Commons It is full of ceremony and history and I am honored to be one small part You are invited to join me for a reception in my parliamentary of that afternoonj and afterwards for a tnp around the Parliament Buildings as I put on my Tour Guide hat Please try to come Dorothy and I would like to share our new life with you HYUNDAI OWNERS For Service Call 8731818 GEORGETOWN PROFESSIONAL ARTS is pleased to announce the OPENING of the GEORGETOWN MEDICAL WALKIN CLINIC NO APPT NECESSARY at 99 Sinclair Ave Georgetown Suite 102 Ground Floor on March 13 1989 Weekdays 5 PM 9 00 PM Saturday 00 A M 4 00 P M No 1 PET CENTRES Plaza Georgetown 96 Broadway AM 942 16S3 Stone Mall Gueloh 836 8020