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NAFTA comes under public fire This week I want to give you an update on the findings of the Cabinet Committee on the pro- posed North America Free Trade Agreement. After just a few days of public hearings, the members are learning first-hand that the deal” isn’t very popular with many resi- dents of Ontario. Committee Chair, Elmer Buchanan, summed up the week’s activities by remarking, “Overall, people have been telling us that NAFTA is going to-hurt Ontario. Too many Ontarians re telling us that this is one trade déal that spells doom and gloom.” * The six-member Cabinet Committee, which includes Howard Hampton, Shirley Coppen, Gilles Bisson, Kimble Sutherland “and Irene Mathyssen, completed its first week of hearings March 10th in Windsor. Committee hearings had opened in Toronto on March 8th before traveling to Hamilton the following day. Last week, com- mittee members turned their sights northward as they set off for three days of hearings in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury. Groups and individuals who have suffered under the Canada - U.S. Free Trade Agreement say they expect economic conditions to deteriorate even further for working people if NAFTA comes into effect. In fact, in the first three days, more than:50 groups and individuals made presentations to the committee. Another 30 to 40 Queen's Park report Noel Duignan presentations were expected during ver northern leg of the committee’s While a handful of speakers spoke in favor of NAFTA during the first three days of hearings - arguing that Canada’s trade picture has improved under the Canada - U.S. Free Trade Agreement - a majority of the witnesses told com- mittee members that FTA has been bad for the economy and that NAFTA promises more of the same Perhaps the most moving evi- dence the committee heard, I’m told, was from Gary St. Laurent, the former union chair at Kelsey- Hayes, a wheel making plant in Windsor that shut its doors for good in 1990, a fatality of the Canada - U.S. trade deal. Speaking about his former co-workers, who found themselves out of work, St. Laurent said, “They’ve lost their homes, they’ve lost their boats to go fishing with, they’ve lost their cars, they’ve lost their families. I feel inside of me that we’ve had at least three suicides at Kelsey-Hayes since we went down in 1990.” In Toronto, Leo Gerard, Canadian Director of the United Steelworkers of America, told a large gathering at the hearings that Canada ‘should avoid signing any after a federal election. should be the democratic way to decide,” he said. Labor groups weren’t the only prearizntlone appearing tia com usitaicentalint; groups, farm groups, equity seeking groups and individuals also made their views known. A special high- light of the Hamilton hearings was the appearance by Arturo Salesas, a guest of the Hamilton & District Labor Council, who spoke about working and about environmental standards in the Maquiladoras (fac- tory zones) region for northern Mexico. Here’s a reminder that I’m hold- ing office hours in Acton on March 26th. Give my Milton office a call at 878-1729 if you want to set up an appointment to meet with me at the A.S.S.LC. offices. Town requests Activan subsidy A subsidy allocation of $38,140 from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation will be requested by the Town of Halton Hills to help offset the cost of operating the ActiVan service this year for physically disabled persons. The subsidy funding request was sup- ported by resolution at council’s Cou Briefs general committee meeting, Monday night. The projected total gross operat- ing expenditure for the ActiVan service is $77,680. Estimated rev- enue from user fares is $5,300. Quality Name Brand Products: %* BRENTWOOD % SKLAR PEPPLER * LA-Z-BOY %* DURHAM * ROXTON * SIMMONS * CITATION HOUSE * BODGON & GROSS wda_ New Owners Laie, Marvin and Dennis siviee you lo oir ic the celebration! PSTL. CODE: Halton Hills This Week 873-2254 | APRIL 1 APRIL 2 | APRIL 3 | APRIL 4 Halton Hills This Week, Saturday, March'27, 1993 — Page 15 FEATURE HOME $189,900 now! 877-5211 REAABX suburban (91) inc. $189,900 Custom built immaculate home in the Park District. Walk to downtown. 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