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News/3 Wheels/Insert Honda is in its Element 30 years in French Eilt Canabtan Statesman ♦ Pressrun 24,150 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ MAY 3, 2006 ♦ 54 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $5/$1 Newsstand Tax cuts rule federal budget Durham residents get a break BY JEFF HAYWARD Staff Writer ^ DURHAM -- Tax cuts were the name of the game in the federal budget brought down Tuesday afternoon by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in Ottawa. The Conservative government lived up to its election promises promises and has slashed taxes in a number of ways including a one per cent drop in the GST, as well as higher higher tax exemptions for small businesses and -surtax elimination 'for corporations. > In total, Mr. Flaherty, Flaherty, Whitby-Osha- wa MP, announced a total of 29 separate tax reductions, reductions, hitting on consumption taxes, business taxes, corporate faxes and other federal charges. ' What results is cuts across the board. ' Randy Hickey of EDO Dun- woody (Uxbridge), feels the bud- •vget is a posiïivê' l 3iië T "f0raverage citizens. "There's something in it for everyone," said Mr. Hickey. "It's absolutely (positive) for lower incomes... a person (could save) up to $1,000 per year" based on the announced cuts. Jim Flaherty may hold off purchasing big ticket ticket items until the GST cut comes - into effect on July 1, but sees this as "temporary" and that a one per cent reduction won't cause hesitation hesitation in day-to-day purchases at all. But Mr. Hickey warned that "(the government) has to pay for it all somehow" and noted this budget announcement is likely only a prelude to a more detailed budget to come next year. "This is to get everyone on the (Conservative) side", he said, but noted to make changes to pledges the party already promised the last election, "would be.political suicide." i He believes small businesses businesses Were treated fairly, as were corporations. corporations. "They (corporations) (corporations) are people too," he noted, "There's a reason the government does this (tax cuts)... it's to benefit everyone." He noted that savings from corporations corporations and smaller businesses could be passed along as savings to the consumer. In addition to the cuts, the Conservatives Conservatives have boosted spending spending in a number of areas. There will be $5.3 billion more for the military over the next five years, $5.5 billion for infrastructure improvements, $5.5 billion to reduce wait times including a six per cent rise in health care transfers transfers and investments in students,, jobs and youth sports. There is Walter Passarella/ Metroland Durham Region Media Group Fight to the finish He said it's possible people See GST, page 5 NEWCASTLE -- Kirby Colts Tyler Rich and Orono's Ryan Lewis grapple with a loose ball during a round robin match of last Friday's tournament held at Newcastle Public School. Orono won the game 16-12 yet Kirby recovered in its other games to advance to the 'A' final. There, the Newcastle Red Hawks would cap an undefeated tournament by defeating Kirby. Orono would go on to prevail in the B final over Newtonville. General Motors sued over ' Courtice resident initiates $1.2 billion lawsuit BY IZABELA JAR0SZYNSKI Staff Writer OSHAWA -- General Motors Canada, and its parent company, General Motors Corporation, are being sued in what could become a class action lawsuit over an alleged faulty gasket. Launched by Courtice resi dent Kenneth'David Stewart, the. claim alleges that between the 1995 and 2003 model years, the company manufactured vehicles with a défective intake manifold gasket (IMG), which degraded, prematurely causing coolant to leak into the engine. Lawyers for Mr. Stewart are seeking class-action status that would allow other claimants vvith the same issue to join the' lawsuit. Colin Stevenson, who is representing representing Mr. Stewart, said it is too early to qualify the size of the claim, but estimates approximately approximately 400,000 vehicles may have been affected, By early this week, Mr. Stevenson Stevenson had already received hundreds of responses to the claim. The statement of claim alleges the company knew as early as 2001 about the IMG defect but failed to take any adequate remedial steps. "The conduct of. the defendants defendants in... concealing the IMG defect and deliberately exposing the Class members to considerable considerable expense and inconvenience is high handed and demonstrates an indifference to the consum : ers of their products such that it offends the moral standards of the community and warrants the condemnation of the court,"' the statement of claim states. Mr. Stewart is the owner of a 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport and a 2002 Pontiac Montana in which he claims the IMG has been subject to the defect, The claim, seeks an estimated $1.2 billion in damages from the company, based on the, amount of money the company allegedly saved by not fixing the problem in Canada. - The allegations have not been proven in court. Mr. Stewart is not alone in his attempt to get restitution from the auto giant. In January 2006, a similar class action case was launched in Missouri. Stew Low, spokesman for GM Canada, called the class action motion "unfortunate" and said it was brought on by a spillover of an overly litigious U.S. legal system into Canada. "Lawyers have grossly exaggerated exaggerated the situation with our customers through unsubstantiated unsubstantiated allegations in statements which have not been proven in court and will be vigorously defended," Mr. Low said. -with files from TorStar Council won't take on Province's invasive species problem Might make a loan, but not going to buy a chipper to help deal with problem plants BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer ORONO -- It may be a good cause, but the Municipality won't pay for a chipper to help deal with invasive species in the Orono Crown Lands, because it's a provincial responsibility, council decided Monday. But, municipal staff has been directed to look at ways it can work with the group and maybe even loan out a chipper to help deal with the problem of dog- strangling vine. A letter from John Slater, the chairman of the Crown Lands Trust, says the 633-acre forest has "one of the worst cases of dog-strangling vine infestations in the region." Dog-strangling vine is a .member of the milkweed family, family, which can "prevent natural regeneration from trees above and can push out other plants you see on the forest floor," explained Greg Bales of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The hardy plant defends itself by producing thousands of tiny seeds, which can float through the air. "The seed gets out and floats and floats," said Mr. Bales. "Once it gets going, it's very " hard to get rid of." One of the ways to manage it is by using a chipper to get rid of the pulled plants. So, the Orono Crown Lands Trust sent a letter to council, asking for a $5,000 grant to pay for the equipment. Some members of council, including Mayor John Mutton and Local Councillor Gord Robinson, Robinson, supported the grant, even though the forest is a provincial responsibility. See REQUEST, page 6 T@--^ ONTARIO'S 8SS • SERVICE • PARTS MON., WED., FRI. 7:30 am - 6:00 pm TUES. & THURS. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm SAT. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm ACCREDITED TEST A REPAIR FACILITY WHITBY OSHAWA Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. WHITBY 1-866 (fl) 240-6192 Project puts a human face on local Second World War dead Students realize soldiers weren't so different from themselves Walter Passarella/ Metroland Durham Region Media-Group Holy Trinity students Derek Rowsell, Jennifer Norton and Kylie Merlin research their projects. The students each selected a name from the Oshawa Memorial Dark Cenotaph and researched that individual's past. BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON - Some of Canada's Second World War heroes have been transformed from just mimes printed on a monument to being real, living breathing people for students at Couvticc's Holy Trinity Secondary Secondary School during a history class project this term. Pupils in student teacher Scott Neil's Grade l() history class visited the Oshawa cenotaph in early April, and chose a name from the memorial. Then, each was charged with researching researching each fallen soldiers' service record, finding out a little about each one, including how they had died. An essay was to be produced produced and will soon be presented See THEY, page 4 Here at Cowan's we want everyone to know what they are purchasing. Our vehicle Birth Certificate tor every General Motors product Includes, lull warranty history, the vehicle's build, original warranty start date, original selling dealer! All completely documented! We pride ourselves in nol slocking or selling out ol province dally rentals!! >