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FROM PARLIAMENT HILL c OronoWeekly j Mes;;;W^dnesdayy i June ; 12,2002 ALEX SHEPHERD Unbridled ambitions or conflicts over the direction the government should take? This is the question that arose last weekend after the news broke, that Paul Martin was no longer finance minister minister or a member of Cabinet. Someone quipped that being in Chretien's Cabinet is like being on the television series Survivor, except the rules are fixed so that the Prime Minister can't be voted out of the tribe. Kidding aside, this is a serious matter for the government. government. Having worked closely with Paul Martin, since I was first elected in 1993, I have nothing but praise and respect for him. People don't realize just how close this country was to the brink of financial ruin. Previous governments may have had good intentions but they lacked the will to curb their appetite for spending public money. Paul Martin knew the spending had to stop. He made unpopular decisions but decisions that were necessary. Twice he undertook program program reviews which saw the government cutback on the number of civil servants. For example the Department of Natural Resources was cut by half. Even healthcare spending was cut in an effort to get the provinces on side and under stand that they too had to curb spending if Ottawa was ever to get its expenditures under control. It hasn't been easy for Martin to stay on course over the last nine years because there are always good ideas that require funding. Increased childcare credits, credits, maternity leave, scholarship scholarship funds and submarines, are all part of an endless list of programs requiring money. And ultimately, Paul Martin managed to put tax reductions in place and reduce our debt. We never hear much about debt reduction. The media doesn't see this as important, yet it is so vital in ensuring the fiscal strength of our country. Moody's has restored our triple A rating and Canada has suffered less of an economic economic downturn than the U.S. and has recovered faster. Paul Martin did the best he could and for all of these reasons. reasons. I'm saddened by the antagonisms antagonisms between him and the Prime Minister. However, it is clear that no one person is indispensable. As Napoleon pointed out the graveyards are full of indispensable people. The Liberal Party of Canada has a tremendous amount of people in caucus with the depth, skills and talent to carry on. In fact many observers and political pundits have pointed out that much of the tension within our caucus is rooted in the large pool of talent warming warming the backbenches. John Manley is now taking over as minister of finance and he will be a good one too. He is a well-disciplined tax lawyer, a quick study and has always taken an interest in the country's finances. Even Paul Martin publicly recognized John Manley's skills. If there is anything positive positive coming out of Martin's departure it's that Liberals can reflect on the issues that are important to Canadians. Healthcare, tax reform, the environment, rebuilding an aging military, increasing competitiveness and innovation innovation to ensure well paid and fulfilling careers are available to Canadians. Then there is air quality, transportation gridlock in larger Canadian cities and the need to create a peaceful caring world. All of these issues are on the table and in some cases compete with, or are antagonistic, antagonistic, toward one another. But there is one missing piece. Who has the best leadership leadership skills to deal with it all? This is the question that is going to be raised in the weeks ahead. IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE ORONO WEEKLY TIMES 983-5301 'V „, m : p s 'z&appy Walkens' 'Day ■ 1 uSt :T7 m&SmmP' ph 5E iskc*Man s ish & Chips Family Restaurant 3341 Hwy 115/35 987-2020 %:» We invite families to celebrate Fathers' Day with us Open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m. r. H. IiuIjM. / '•.! I ulBMlil'"*•* ..i. .i,'i iviHml.itiM.'LUl IW» Wu#». i. < . , i, .t.ui.-«J « ,U - ~ Ryan Lan (L) and Josh Westerink (R) were among some of the 110 senior students from Clarke High School who participated in co-operative placements this semester. The pair were placed at the Board of Education's outdoor outdoor education centre at Wilmot Creek. Established in 1972 diiu/io- Home Teaching Tel: (905) 720-8786 Newcastle, ON BIPS piüji; IP»™ Clarington East Food Bank ANNUAL MEETING Wednesday, June 19, 7:30pm at St. George's Anglican Church Hall (Mill St &. Church St, Newcastle) ~ Directors Needed ~ I Northcutt Elliott Funeral Home THOUGHTFULNESS, SERVICE & CONCERN A Family Owned Business, Offering: Traditional Funeral Services Pre-arranged & Prepaid Services - Cremation Arrangements Alternatives to Traditional Funerals - Out of Town Shipping CORY KUIPERS - PRESIDENT 53 Division Street Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 2Z8 905-623-5668 OFF STREET PARKING sr 1 {&- r W * "ig| Qrcmo Country C<afe ÿ Full Menu 3 4 (SlCP Main Street., Orono, Ontario • 983-9009