The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, Decmber 2, 1998 - 9 MI PARLIAMENT. H IL L Alex Shepherd It's furiny to watch the antlcs of Premier Mike Hanrs as hie travels around Onitario with his jar full of $260 in loonies. The premier is using the prop ta remember how many loonles there are Ii the jar because he sure isn't making any sense using it to illustrate how his goverrment is savirig middle-iricome familles' tax dollars. To me it borders on fraud. He should have another jar reflecting the mncrease i pub- lic sector debt, plus interest, Ontariaris will be saddled with because of is unwill- lngness ta elimiriate the pravince's annual debt. Harris' goverriment werit out arid borrowed that 30 per-cent-tax eut he said he was givng us and, as well, îs paying hefty interest on it. And you are golng ta get the bill for it. Some tax relund. He needs another jar with $742 loonles in it ta show what is beirig takeri away by bis goveriment from each tax filer in Ontario. Harris is not mentionlng this jar when he does bis math. Harris is also lettirig his imagination mun wild attack- mng the federal gaverrimerit on the issue of employment insurance premiums. He says the feds are ripplig off the average Ontario worker $195 annually. These kinds of statements are what make hlmi an aber- ration on the Ontario and national political landscape. Thlnk of It. An Insurance plan' by definition, has win- ners and lasers. Look at life insurance. Payment means yau're dead. Sa if yau're like me you would rather not col- lect. In the case of employment insurance collecting means you are unemployed and face an uncertain econamic future. Using Ortario as an exam- pIe there are communities that draw more than a dollar off the El plan, wbile there are others who draw less. Let's take a trip up north ta Mr. Harris' awn rlding of Nipissing. What do you think we discover? Well the unem- ployment rate is- 10.7 per cent. In Durham it is 6.8 per cent. When you compare the numbers the people of Durham are subsidizing the benefits of the people in Nipisslng. Bult Haniîs is mute on that aspect of the issue. 0f course I understand the nature of Canada's El system and that there will be pockets of chronic uriemploymerit across the counitry. The federal goverriment reformed the system and iricreased what is known as the irtensity rule." This means chronic users receive, Some workers haven't corne to the full realizatiori of this yet. They are going to find filirig for EI very stressful indeed. Ontario has always been a strong link in the Canadian federation. Federalism has afforded Ontario the privilege of economic prosperily. But Ontario has the responsibili- ty and the obligation aswell - to understand how and why this country came together. This is the issue, so pro- foundly mïssing, in Harris' petty attempts at cheap poli- tics. Is Harris a frugal premier? 1 don't think so. He can spend millions of your tax dollars on advertising addresslng issues that coricerri about only 10,000 people. 1 cari write this column, in the space this paper provides-to me and reach the same amount of people free of charge. Ontarians don't need pre- miers with props, or politi- cdans who think they have pizzazz. Premier Haris' antics are indeed strange. A Young Drivers of Canada Qift Certificate! Just about the perfect present for, your favourite teen. Available in any amount, and spendable just about anywhere in Canada. A gift that's equal parts învaluable skill and priceless experience. The ability to drive and survive DRI VING SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 0F ONTARIO D» emergencies, as taugiht bu no other driving course on earth. Something a teen will neyer lose, out-grow or shove in a cupboard and forget. And an unforgettable thrill to open Christmas morning. Young Drivers of Canada EU Your licence to survive. Course #153-98-14 Starting: December 5 Time: 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. z»Course #153-98-15 Starting: December 28 Time: 9 arn. to 4 p.m. WHERE TRAINING COUNTS Sat & Sun (2 Wk> Mon to Thurs (4 Day) Office located in Bowmanville on GO' Bus Route between Courtice and Newcastle - (905) 623-7017 The only thing a teenager wants for Christmas that isn't dangerous, loud or several sîzes to o large.