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the HERALD Page 18 Political Forum Wednesday August 21 1M Ottawa Report A changing Canada sparks MPs inner fires It hard to believe the summer Is almost over but with the CNE on and shots of red appearing in the old maples along the road side the evidence is there As far as politics goes this should be quite an autumn It showdown time in many ways the eleventh hour for Ottawa First there the economy to set right Sure interest rates have come down and most economists are forecasting recovery In fact the Conference Board says Canada will have the strongest growth in the western industrialized world next year But if you re out of a job in Georgetown or Bolton the pro jections don mean anything So the real task over the coming few months is to make conditions right so people buy more cars and houses causing others to get their jobs back Part of the process will mean making the economy as a whole more efficient doing things like attacking overlap and duplica among governments educating and training people more effectively removing trade barriers and getting the dollar and interest rates down In a few weeks we 11 hear a lot about something called Prosper through Competitiveness That mouthful of words only means Ot tawa has an overall plan for get ting the economy going again this time not on a boom and bust roller coaster but in a way that can be sustained It would be nice for example if autoworkers and construction workers have to be laid off regularly every six or seven years instead if we could have sustained economic growth like we experienced in the 1950s and Sixties When all the details of this plan are together 1 let you know ex what is proposed I d like to have your feedback perhaps through another set of Town Hall Garth Turner MP Hallon Peel Progressive Conservative meetings around the riding Part of being prosperous is also having our act in gear as a coun try And this fall is going to bring big news on the national unity front Because a lot of people are sick and tired of worrying about what Quebec going to do there s some good news we re rapidly coming to the end of the process In about a year there s going to Queens Park Report Legislative committees tour province In addition to all the committee meetings and public hearings happening at Queen s Park and across the province an event has also been ed for this week at my Milton of nee In order to allow you easier access to my mam constituencj office I have decided to move from the upstairs unit of the pre sent location to downstairs Some of you have found the stairs diff cult to negotiate Although are still necessary to allow for complete wheelchair access the new location will eliminate the need for you to climb the stairs when you choose to visit the Milton office Many of the files have been packed in boxes for the move and the telephones will have to be relocated so I apologize for any inconvenience created over the next few days by the change in location A couple of weeks ago I men tioned that different legislative committees would be touring the province to hold public hearings on various issues including the provincial budget The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs began making its way across Ontario in late ly and has met with positive responses from many sources The Chief Economist at the blue chip Conference Board of Canada has already called the budget a confidence builder And Har vard University s renowned economist John Kenneth Galbraith support Ontario decision to use public investment to boost economic growth n hard One key address to the public budget hearings signed by Canadian economists ses Treasurer Laughren s decision to fight the recession not the deficit The report states that he made the right choice I know that many of you are concerned about the size of the billion deficit and I share your concerns But I reiterate that because Ottawa has con tinued to refuse to pay its share of health care education and social assistance costs Ontario has been forced to step in and pick up the slack We could have drastically cut services but these ccuts would have affected you and your family your friends and your coworkers not just so meone else And such cuts would not have been a matter of eliminating a few hospital beds or shutting a couple of wards It would have meant closing entire hospitals Instead as one exam pie of our government s recession program we allocated funds o necessary repairs and improvements to the Milton and Georgetown hospitals Due the recession the cost of programs has skyrocketed while revenues have fallen Econom estimate that under any government and with no new programs the deficit would have risen to more than billion Raising the deficit was the most responsible move we could make this year given the economic and f seal conditions we inherited as a new government And our new spending to maintain and create jobs and to improve Ontario s in frastructure has been quite modest The province financial situation remains healthy and we are determined to keep it that way For example Queen s Park currently pays about cents of every dollar to service the ac cumulated Ontario debt By con those charges consume cents of every dollar spent by Ot And that after years of cutbacks downsizing and privatization by the federal go eminent DJ use JOCKEY SERVICES Weddings Jack Jills Company Parties Dances Kevin Harris 8731068 DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS ENJOY OUR OUTDOOR PATIO Across From GO Station 37 King St Georgetown 8773541 VIDEO PLUS West of Georgetown Fru t COMING THIS WEEK JUST FOR row Book Love Hidden Agenda Home Alone True Colours it as BRINGS YOU LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EVERY THURS FRI SAT THIS WEEK ROGER TRUEMAN KING ELVIS CALL 226 Queen St E Brampton be a referendum in Quebec We know there will be a vote but we don know what it will be on If the federal government does nothing then the referendum will ask if they want to be Independent or part of Canada But if Ottawa in the meantime makes a new Constitutional offer then the vote will be on whether to accept it or reject it That final process starts next month The government will offer up a bunch of suggestions on how to change Canada because it isn t only Quebec that s out of pa The West wants more power through an elected Senate The wants more guarantees of economic help On tario wants an end to the uncer tainty which hurts investment and Jobs The native peoples want self government The list is growing Some days it seems that Canada Is break down into a collection of geographic self interest groups each grabbing for as much as they cart get That saddens me I have no idea what Joe Clark and the others will come up with I certainly want Canada to stay whole and I agree with those people around here saying let Quebec go now and negotiate later No thanks it took too much to hammer this country together 124 years ago for that But neither can we save Canada at any cost Federal powers should not be gutted and the interests of one or two regions put ahead of the rest of us There has to be compromise sure but on both sides Will it come Let hope All I know is this is some time to be an MP IF THE SHOE FITS But if not you should have shopped in HILLS We all know that exchanges can be a hassle especially if you have to go out of town to make them Smart shoppers know they save time money and avod incon vemence when they shop with local merchants Keep part of the dollars you spend in HILLS 4JPHfcOSEFRQM Choice of Colour SOLID OAK PEDESTAL TABLE 4 Oak Side Chairs 1 15 Leaves Other Specials Include Buffets Hutches Sofa Sets Bedrooms And Much More Or 20 per month at monthsOAC financing 25 Down Tax and Delivery Inc Hvy 7 Unit 53 BRAMPTON Solid Wood Bed Table MONTUES 106 WEOTKURS 109 SATURDAY 108 SB m Oft Hwy 7 Bypass 1 a St