WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY MA RCH 5. 1996.PAGE Il Budget tackles Grit debt:McDougal fly MIKE JOHNSTON Free Press Staff Last week's Federal Conservative budget is a response to the insur- axountable Liberal debt cesmothering the hopes and dreams" of Canadians, according to Barbara' McDougal, Minister of State for Finance. Miss McDaugal was the guest speaker, at the annual meeting of the Ontario Riding Association at7 St. Attersley Bays, Georges Hall in Pickering Village, Friday night. "The Tory gover- nment was elected with a strong mandate to reduce unemployment and- not leave this generation's .children and grandchildren with a monumental debt," said Miss McDougal, speaking to standing room only crowd. - "The fly now and pay Liberal governments took is staggering. The buck stops with our government and we will bring this country out of debt. We deliver on our commitments," said the minister. Invited by Scott Fen- nel, the Progressive Conservative- MP for Ontario riding, Mc- Dougal said she accep- ted because she bas relatives in Brooklin later approach toi the " 1rtI5 V1U. world the previous "When I hung around BNudget on right track By MIKE JOHNSTON vatives follaw thraugh will help us ail." .Free Press Staff with it and the decisians Mayor Attersley' Finance Minister they have made la the. agreed. "'Only time will Michael Wllson's budget $64,000 question. tell. Ta be la business will have no adverse ef- "If the budget daes you have ta know a little fecta on Whitby lower interest rates and about financing. And businesses, say three boosts the dollar, con- sometimes you have ta leading cammunity sumers wlll have more take the short term, figures. spend4ng money which loss."l While acknowledging that it's ta early ta determine the full im- pact af the budget on the cammunity, on the sur-' face, Whitby Business Impravement- Area chairman Ed Buffett said it was a positive' step. "My main canceras are with the one percent increase la Federal salestax and the three percent surtax on federal income tax," said Mr. Buffett. Mr. Buffett said bath tax increases reduce the amount af money 'con- sumera have to spend. "This could have a detrimental effect on retailers, but if the economy improves due ta, the budget, retailers wan't mmnd the short term lasses," said Mr. Buffett. But he added that it la far ta early ta ait down and analyze the budget. Ray Davidson, a char- tered accauntant and director of the Whitby Chamber «f.Commerce said it was a fair budget. "II don't. think the sales tax will hurt toa badly," he said. "With a family of four and a one percent increase in sales tax, you're anly tallcing about $180. a year and that's not too excessive." Mr. Davidsan also said that boans for amaîl buainesses, which hadP I been introduced in Mr. Wilaon's last budget, were still available. "lObviously he doestp't want busineases ta fail," concluded Mr. David- son. Mayor Bob Atteraley echoed the commenta of the two businessmen. "As a businessmnan I don't mind an increase in taxes ta stabilize the dollar and hopefully the interest rates," said Mr. Attersley.' He suggested, that the increase in taxes will prabably be balanced out when intereat rates faîl and speculated that consumnera; wouidn't __s mmnd spending the extra rnoney now if it meant ________________ that large purchases in the future would not be u i burdened by high in- terest rates. "Mr. Wilson's budget e ( is encouraging," said Mr. Buffett. "But whether the conser- Pickering Village it really was a village," said Miss McDougal, joking with the en- thusiastic audience, "I wish I could return more often. " Finance Minister Michael Wilson's second budget raised taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and income' as' well as Federal sales tax by one percent 'effective April demands on every Canadian, but we hope they are prepared to make sacrifies. Ottawa is* now more lean, more efficient and there is concrete evidence the strategy is working, according to Miss McDougal who claimed that economlc growth in Canada is twice as strong as that in the United States and equal to that of Japan. However, Miss Mc- "As politièians we like Dougal said the budget, to say yes,. neyer no, but "thotzgh a tough one, it takes more courage to places the deficit on a say no te, more spen- declinlng path. ding. Even members of is ude'frcs parliament are being new discipline on . the akdt aepyct. whole system. Althaugh Members of billions have been saved Parliament have been through better gaver- asked ta take a token nment management this $1,O0 a year salary cut. is stI not enough. Tax -Hawever, according increases will give the ta, Miss McDaugal, the gavernment an extra 1.5 news in the budget is nat billion this year. "lWe ahl bad. 'The governnient know this makes SEE PG. 12 SPECIAL SPECIAL Get a FREE ostImate when yau brlng In thia ad wilh your broken down T.V. expIres March 15186) FALCON T.V. 100 LU PIN OR. Oshawa Whltby, 668-6060 723-0011, Ho use of Flowers and Gifts, r More than a flouwr shop! WEDDUNG SPECIAL 10% OFF Wedding Flowers If booked before March 3lst 55 Baldwin St., Brooklln L 655-3833 Ministryof Skills Development (55 Ontario ministe ' Hon. Gregory Sorbara Premiýý, Hon. David Peterson