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2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER August 1,1973 AUTO PACT CRITIC OCONNOR Canada might be forced into using her natural resources as a bargaining position with the United States when the two c o u n t r i e s e n t e r negotiations on the Canadian-U.S. Auto Pact according to Ter ry O'Connor, MP for Halton and chief critic of the agreement for the federal Progressive Conservative party. Speak i n g a t the Suggests using resources as bargaining club monthly luncheon of the Oakville and District Chamber of Commerce, O'Connor said the 700- word agreement first signed in 1965 has proven more than favorable for the Canadian automobile industry and the United States is hinting certain safeguards should be removed. ECONOMIC ISSUE To them it has become more than an economic ■V«i t*' HOURS - 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Thurs. & Fri. till 9 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. • 12 noon 175 Lakeshore Rd. E. 845-3621 OAKVILLE HOURS - Tues., Wed. & Thurs. 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 70 MAIN ST. E. 878-5151 MILTON DISPENSING OPTICIANS Oculist Prescriptions Filled Contact Lenses issue, he said, " it is a symbolic and emotional issue." O'Connor pointed out that he had no specific suggestions for the government negotiators since " the ball really isn't in our court. Canada and the automotive industry is basically sa t i s f i ed wi th the agreement as it now exists. " It is the Americans who are insisting on changes and immediate negotiations. " I feel that our n e g o t i a t o r s should a p p r o a c h t he forthcoming round of talk fully equipped with an intensive knowledge of the auto pact , its background, its effect on both countries." POLITICAL FOOTBALL R e s p o n d i n g to a question from the floor, O'Connor agreed one proposal might be a p a c k a g e d e a l f o r negotiating the auto pact and natural resources together. It could be the political footbal l needed for Canada during the talks, he added, al though Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, Alister Gillespie, has said he will use it only if necessary. One thing Canadians must remember, said O'Connor, is that the auto pact can be terminated by either side within 12 months according to a clause in the agreement. " Then we're really in the pot. The effect on the automobi le industry would be disastrous," he predicted. One possible solution for negotiation could be the creation of mutual safeguards, he suggested, including put t ing a cei l ing as well as minimums on Canadian production levels. The first safeguard in the eight-year-old pact stipulates that three out / V \ " GET WHILE THEY LAST Pants...........$2 " Dress Shirts.....^ 3" Save 2 0 % on Blue Jeans Up To 7 5 % Off on the west side of Garvey & Willmott 183 Lakeshore Road, East, Oakville. ». j J i Local car dealer, J.F. Kennedy, discusses the Canada-U.S. Auto Pact with Halton MP Terry O'Connor. O'Connor, chief auto pact critic for the Federal opposition party, told the Oakville and District Chamber of Commerce meeting last week that Canada's natural resources could be a bargaining issue in the upcoming negotiations on the two-country agreement. of every four cars sold in in 1971 which represented Canada must be produced north of the border. The second is that companies have to maintain the same level of Canadian production in dollars as that achieved in 1964. PARTS " Under the pact, the number of cars produced in Canada has risen from P55,000 in 1965 which represented 7.5 per cent of the North American production, to 1.3 million 13 per cent of North American production. "Parts and accessories have risen from a value of $755 million in 1965 to $1.46 billion in 1971." E m p l o y m e n t has increased to over 100,000 jobs, he added and Canadian autoworkers have almost achieved parity with their U.S. counterparts. It still costs between $300 and $400 more to purchase a vehicle in Canada , he added, although it was the stated i n t e n t i o n of t h e agreement to narrow the price differential. In total, the agreement " has benefited Canada e n o r m o u s l y " s a i d O'Connor, and therefore Canada should " show s y m p a t h y and a comprehension of the U.S. problems" with "d e t a i l e d s p e c i f i c proposals waiting for detailed specific U.S. initiatives." Regional chairman Continued from page 1 council taking over their authority. Some staff members will remain at the local level, but will RED DRAGON C H I N E S E F O O D Pick-up, Free Delivery 8 4 5 - 3 8 6 6 PASSPORT PHOTOS While You Wait mccutcheon's CAMERA SHOP Hopedale Mall 827-6172 Not Available at Downtown Store simply act as advisory to the council. The county road system becomes a regional road s y s t e m wi t h t he institution of regional government and the f o r m e r c o u n t y responsibilities of health and welfare and homes for the aged are retained at the upper tier. However, the most prevasive change is in planning for the future. Tied in closely with other dictums of the act, section 54 authorizes the creation of a Halton Planning Area, controlled through the provincial Planning Act, Bill 128- 1973. Along with the power to plan not only for the region but for local areas, the regional council also controls the purse strings of development. Under the regional act, it becomes the sole borrowing agent in the region, empowered to sell debentures for itself, a municipality within its boundaries or both. That's a big part of St. C la ir's success. The trust we've built up with over 30 years of service. The trust our custom­ ers have in our free professional ad ­ vice. 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