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Croo WeklTimes, Wedrieàday, May...1,, 1994 - 3ý Mr Stan Faund and his son The presentation was made by Stephen received the Jack Mr. Tom Barrie (lefi) last Cruickshank award for bestiniit.he Wednesday evening ai the annual Durham Central Agricultural dinner meeting of the Agricultural Society field crop competition Society held in the assembly hall held hast year. ai the Newcastle United Church. Queen par] from Gord Milis MPP Durham East The Budget of last Thursday, was the highlight of the wcck. This weck's column will centre mainly around thai. Right on target, did wc expeci anything less? was the aîiack on the budget from ithe "experts" ai the Toronto Sun, Linda Leatherdale et-ah. Along with iheir neo right wing judgement, came criticism from the leader of the "revolution" Mike Harris, and, irying desperaîely ta become known in Ontaria, via a $600.000 "makeaver", Liberal Leader Lyn McLeod. Sa, let the truc facîs shine through the gloom. Our econamy is getting strong. Growth in 1993 was the best in four years, hitting 5.3 per cent in the hast quarter. Our economic grawîh is expected te lead the w orld between now and 1997. Over the next three years, 350,000 new jobs will bc created. The deficit has been reduccd by 30 per cent over the pasi twa years. We have reduced the size of the public service by 4,500 positions, with alinosi no layoffs, and we expecita achieve aur target of 5,000 this year. We continue ta reduce government spending. Lasi year the cosi of gavemnment programs felI - for the first time since 1942. And tbis oa ur program spending will ýdecline again. Ontario's labour costs are competitive. Afier adding health care cosns, Ontario's hourly labour casîs in manufacîuring range from $ 1.02 ta $5.80 lower than those in competing jurisdictions in the United States. Ontario is the leader in the share of its workforcc with post sccondary education. Ontario's cambined k Report corporate incarne tax rate of 35.3 per cent is over four percentage points lower than the U.S. average of 40 per cent. Sa much for those who cdaim wc are driving businesses oui of Ontario ta the U.S. through Bill 40 and high taxes. A wide range of indicatars confirms ihat the Ontario econamy is gaining strength. New mator vehicle sales in Ontario were up 21.6 per cent in January and February from a year carhier. Housing resales in January and February wcrc up 30 per cent compared ta a year carlier. Ontario's international exports in January and February were up 9.7 per cent fromn a year ago. Over the flrst two months of 1994, Ontario retail sales increased by 3.4 per cent from a ycar carlier. We came ta office ai a ârne of great ceconomic and fiscal challenges. I wouhd ihink aur apposition would agree with that. To mcci those challenges, the Govermcent adopicd a thrcc-part plan: ta invesi in jobs, preserve vital services and lower the deficit. Today, the plan is demonstrating cancrete resuhis: jobs arc bcing creaied, services are being maintained- and the deficit is on a steady dawnward track. The. Governments appraach ta cosi control is clearhy working. It has met the goal of lowering programa spending for the second straight year. Fourteen out of 20 ministries will have lower budgets this year than last. Since 1991-92, the cosi of operating government has been reduced by $1.2 billion, or 16 per cent. Air pilais in government service have told me, that due ta the frugal use of govcrnment planes by this gavernment, the pilais are keeping current with the use o uf nightsimulators! Remember thé Conservatives in office and the huxury corporate jet? Lasi year the number of ministries was reduced from 28 ta 20. A far cry from <the Liberal and Conservative gavernments when almost everyone was a minister af some sart or 'another. Our streamlining of government has resulted in a permanent annual savings of $42 million. Social assistance contraIs are facused on coçtrolîng cosns and geîîing people back in the work farce. Cosis ate being controlled through ibe recovcry of overpayment anid fraud detectian. Enhanced verification of eligibiliiy. Benefit and entitiement changes, and better business pracilees. Recipients arc now required to provide greater detail in documenting such areas as assets, incarne, and medical disabiity. Unemplayable 16 and 17 year ohds living ai home are now ineigible for benefits; and benefits have been reduced for single parents under 18 living ai home when iheir parents are not on social assistance. Last year, the Government combincd îhrcc ministries - Education, Coîheges and Universities, and Skills Devehopmcnt - ia i he single Ministry of. Education & Training. That bas nat onhy saved $11 million in direct opcrating conis but iî has also contributed ta greater cooperation among educational institutions, leading ta new efficiencies. Access ta student -support through the Ontario Student Assistance Program has increased. In the 1993-94 programn year, more than 180,000 students will receive assistance compared ta 160,000 in the 1992-93 programa year - an increase of 12 per cent. SMost people I spoke wiih, prior ta the budget, told me ihey didn't want ta sec services cut ta the banc in order ta reduce the deficit in a dramnatic fashian. We lisîened, but alas this decision will make the big boys of Bay Street angry. They may punish aur government for this wiîh a credit rating drap and subsequent highcr cosns of carrying the debt. As it is, hardly a week goes by wiihout an arganization or group, funded by the government, cames ta sec me over the present cuis îhcy are asked ta live with. If we had dccidcd ta cut and slash, as Mike Harris would have donc, the burdcn would have been unbearabhc for all those who pravide services, mostly ta the most vulnerable of aur society. Our quesita lower the deficit even further than the 30 per cent wc have achieved was severely hampered by the federal governments shortfall ta Ontaria ta transfer paymenis previously agrced ta. The federal government's share of the cosi of social assistance, which we didnt get. is $1.7 billion this ycar alone! Add ta that the loss of $500- million in tabacco tax. Land iransfer taxes fell $90 million belaw budget plan, and the Employer Health Tax was $55 million bclow the Budget forecast. An information brochure Field Crops a Specialy £Activities , at Orono publie Sehool The creative playground is being construcîed this Saturday alang with a Walk Trail. Anyone wishing ta voluntcer ta assisi wauld bc welcomed and according ta Jef Greer the work is ta start at seven a.m. Kindergarten Information Night is beîng held on Tuesday, May l7th. The Junior Schools in Clarke includîng Orano will be iaking part in a Three ?itch Tournasnent on Thursday, May 26. The event is bcing held ai the Newcastle Public Schaal. Mrs. Caron's Musical Groups will be entertaining the seniors ai the Durham Senior Citizen's Lodge on Friday, May 27th. The Kinsmen Bike-A-Thon and Roadea is being held ai the Clarke Hligh School on Saiurday, May 28th. The Head Injury Society of Durham visited the school on Tuesday af this week speaking on the importance of wearing. safety helmet while biking. on all aspects of this year's budget can be picked up ai the co nstituency office during this week. The full budget repart -can be ordered as wcll. Until nexi week - if you yearn for the gaad old days this summer, turn off the a/c. SHOP AROUND, GET YOUR 1BEST PRICE THEN CALL US FOR YQUR I 24 ýHR. SEWIcýE 1 Students at the school will take part in a World In Motion program starting May 16 and continuing through ta, June 9. It involves 9 teachers, 2 parents and 2 G.M. volunteers. It involves students from Grades 4 to 6. This pilot praject is sponsored by the Society of American Engineers and General Motars of Canada. The students will learu abaut the engineering professian. * Fo Canhed Our U,,seBasement nt DrNo CoslExaation Or Livicang Repars' 2a- e Lo Basýemenç Phone (905) 508-0083 or 1-800-563-5727 Authorzed Installer Basm=te-ttcWateing SysteioT - Weed Spraylng - Fertilizlng - Inseci Spraylng - PIug Coraeration See the Dffference Quality Makes 983-5598 (Orona, Newcastle) CALL (905) 983-5647 MOBILE (905) 432-4834 RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL - Enuironmentally Frie ndly - Owned and operated by Dwayne and Alvin Souch.