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Page 6 — Halton Hills This Week, Wednesday, September 29, 1993 Acton all-candidates meeting gets mixed reviews from audience By Oksana Bi Almost’200 eke lis- tened to five federal candi- dates announce their plans ‘or Canada in front of a backdrop of five tombstones, last eieed evening at a Meet the didates session at McKenzie-Smith School in Acton.The meeting adjourned to the song “Achy-! -Breaky Heart.” Fitting, or a coincidence? Hosted by. Halton Hills amber of Commerce, the meeting began with the can- didates stating their positions on Canada’s current situation and its future. undertake to alleviate our problems, including the deregulation of banking, reduction of the deficit with- out “taxing the workers to death,” downsizing the gov- ernment and not using unem- ployment insurance to “fix the mistakes of the govern- ment.” Reform Party candidate Dick MacDuffee’s sugges- tions of a recall provision on voting and elimination of the deficit in three years was also greeted by applause. MacDouffee said the time had come to “give democracy back to the —— ee Liberal can- “We will give people.” He didate Julian jored how Reed insisted people full time ¢ Canadians only “Canadians democracy” ee 50 days of want a count ¥ emocracy, where eps Dick MacDuffee Hanes an elec- live in hope, not fear.’ nm, to chose Norma Peterson described their next dictator. “We will the New Democratic Party’s _give-people full-time democ- job creation program. “We racy,” he added seriously. ist protect the workers and Progressive cones their way of life.” MP Garth Turner took a dif- Libertarian candidate ferent approach. His at Hilliard Cox agreed with Peterson’s dismal depiction of the Canadian economy, asking “if the government can’t manage a post office, how can it manage the econ- omy.” The audience began appaeng immediately. Cox listed various courses his government would remarks were focused on Acton. He admitted “Acton has to do what Canada has to do” and insisted “Acton will grow again - I give my mise.” Turner insisted he was concerned about the -environment, but also point- ed out there are “t special interest groups.” Although members of the . public applauded, Peterson demanded “what about the special interest groups of multinational i The’ meeting quickly reverted into criticisms of current ‘ogressive COnteexatie government licies. urner the public as “The Lord Collector.”_He was ques- tioned by fellow candidates and members of the audience on why he denounced the GST (Goods and Services Tax) in 1988 and later turned around to support it. Turner argued the tax raised $35 bil- lion which was used to reduce the national deficit. One member of the audi- ence pointed out the GST was created to reduce prices and claimed he has not wit- nessed any reduction of tices. Turner confidently listed various items which had dropped in price since -the introduction of the GST, and MacDuffee came to Turner’s defense, saying he had personally benefitted from many of these reduc- tions. He admitted, however, Reform party was against ree Reed argued the GST cost was higher than the PCs will admit and pointed out the Libertarians offer democracy to taxpayers The Libertarian Party of Canada has unveiled its answer to our complicated tax system and government spending they say is out of trol, Speaking in Toronto on Saturday, Party Leader Hill Cox (a Halton-Peel candi- date) commented that “...as long as we face this annual theft by government, there is no reason why it can’t be simplified. And taxpayers have some say in what gov- ernment is doing with: the money at the same time. The Libertarian system combines a number of ideas the party has promoted for many years into a single page tax return “without a handbook or accountant required to figure it out.” “You can’t have a simpli- fied tax return unless you have a simplified tax sys- tem” according to Cox. To achieve this, he says a flat tax rate applicable to all income is the answer. “Why should someone whose income is from investments get a better tax deal than the pene who is Paid a weekly salary?” He predicts the rate would be about 20 per cent at cur- Tent government taxing and spending levels. The rate could be lowered in line with spending, deficit and debt reduction. Citing Revenue Canada data, he also noted that “...if the rate was 25 per cent, we could get rid of the 7 per cent GST.” “Politicians seem to lack common sense when it comes to spending and it’s time to put a halt to it. I believe the best way to do so is to allow the taxpayers to decide using the menu” part of the system.” “Tax menu” is a term describing an option on the back of the return enabling the taxpayer to target where most of their tax dollars could =. é Alternatively, the tax filer could tick off an option which would let the politi- cians decide on the spend- ig. Government departments or proposals that did not get adequate tax dollars allocat- ed would have to be phased out and the cost savings passed on to the taxpayers in the form of reduced taxes, “For years politicians have promised to be frugal with taxpayers - to treat it as it if were their own. But it oe works that way” notes. “Politicians like the-demo- cratic process when it comes to getting elected. The Libertarian system will give some democracy to the tax-: payer by allowing them to “vote” on how their tax dol- lars are spent. They deserve it - after all, they’re paying the bills.” Meet the candidates The Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Meet the Candidates Night,Thursday, (tomorrow) 7:30 p.m. at Sacre Couer Hall, 39 Guelph St. in ‘getown. The University Women’s Club of Georgetown is sponsoring an All Candidates meeting Oct. 1 7:30 p.m. in the John Elliott Theatre at the Halton Hills Cultural Centre, 9 Church St. in Georgetown. Halton Cable, Systems will be holding a televised ‘Meet the Press’ evening involving the Halton-Peel federal election candidates, Thursday Oct. 21 starting at 7 p.m. With the election scheduled for the following Id be the tunity Halton Hills voters will have to hear the views and viewpoints of those challenging for -the riding. Colin Gibson, editor of HHTW, will represent this newspaper. Turner opens Garth Turner, Halton-Peel PC candidate and Minister of National Revenue, will offi- cially open the local Bolton office this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The office is locat- ed at Courtyards of Caledon, lower level, King Street entrance. “This election is all about a choice between those who want more government and those who want less,” Turner says, “and our Bolton office opening will symbolize the prime minister’s commit- ment to balance the books and cut government regula- Bolton office tions by 50 per cent. “Everyone’s invited to drop in as we cut a few of our own. A strong team of loyal volunteers will be staffing the office daily to provide people. with informa- tion on the election and on able to meet interested vot- Official Opening: Saturday, Oct. 2 at 10 a.m., Courtyards of Caledon, .lower level, King Street entrance. Liberal candidate Julian Reed (standing) outlined his party’s policies Thursday evening at MacKenzie-Smith Middle School in Acton. New. Democratic Party can Norma didate Peterson, and Reform Party candidate Dick MacDuffee (second from left), listened attentively, while other rival candidates’ attention was more limited. From left: ve Conservative MP Garth Turner, MacDuffee, Libertarian candidate Hilliard Cox and Peterson. -photo by Oksana Buhel/HHTW number of people now Tequired to manage the tax has increased from 1,200 people to 8,000. “Let’s get. our facts straight,” Turner shot back. He pointed out the number was Closer to 5,000 and said to create jobs,” he respond- ed, in an obvious contradic- tion of his earlier statement. The issue of Turner’s Sept. 13 press conference involv- ing Acton development sur- faced briefly and Reed would have the guts to repu- demanded to know why diate the Policies of the past aid. of parliament? And are we to assume the previous prime minister did not have courage and guts?” Reed jumped in. “Surely the number of people eligible Turner withheld a nine years,” for. exemptions has Department of Fisheries and The meeting ended in two i 5 7 ans internal hours but people milled Turner had “We have anew memo dated around afterwards, dis- to account for a prime minister July 6, stating cussing the event. statement “ the Region of “I think the meeting went attributed to With courage Halton would very well,” said Linda him in the and guts” te ber held~1 MicGregor of Terra Cotta. Hamilton untable for “A lot of good issues were Garth Tuer °° forefront.”. Spectator jen Garth Tumer ie citeration of brought to the he was quoted as say- ing that “government couldn’t create jobs and should not try.” MacDuffee agreed with Turner, saying the country was not ary by the but by fish habitat in Black Creek. Laurie’ Reed oof = This time a mémber of the Nassagaweya claimed the public came to Turner’s meeting was a “success.” defense, She advised Reed to “There were a lot of people “check his facts” before here, no one was shy and accusing Turner of political there was a lot of participa- entrepreneurs and pebsle. Cox was similarly compli- mentary. ke it like a true. Libertarian,” he quipped. Although the public laughed, they were not paci- fied and further questioned Turner about job creation. Turner stuck by his guns, insisting the only jobs gov- ernment could create would be in civil service. He reversed his course when asked by a member of the public what he will do to alleviate the growing need for food banks. “We’re going She also sug- tion,” he said. < Be Reed was being polit- Some people were not so ically oportunistic for slan- epproving, “Oh, you don’t dering Turner. The last of 40 interested speakers asked Turner why an elected PC government would be be any better than the one led by Brian Mulroney. “Well, for one thing, we have a new prime minister with courage and guts,” Turner responded. This amazed the questioner who asked, “Are you saying the “didn’t answer questions but prime minister runs the pees them to fit prepared country and not the members answ publish what I think,” insisted a man who ed to remain nameless. “I think the background (with the tombstones) was very appropriate for the political landscape of the provincial and federal governments. If they’re not in their graves now, they will be shortly.” He added he was disillu- sioned with candidates who the new prime minister _ f