WIFrBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1989, VOICE 0F THE COUNTY TOWN The on/y Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. *Published every Wednesday By 677209 Ontario Imc. J. Phone: 668-6111 668-6112 668-6369 Doug Anderson Publisher 131 Brook Street North, PO. Box 206, Whitby, Ont.' ..... ....1 --.d Maurice Pifher Editor Peter Irvine Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Manager LETTE R*Week of the chtld parcipation apprecit"ated To the editor.- On bebaif of the committee for the Week of the Child (1989) 1 would like to thank you for your involvement in the Week of the Child. The Week of the Child was a great success tbanks to the efforts of people like you. Planning such an event takes a great deal of time and effort which is seen in many forms. We appreciate al the proclamations, te donations of time, work, advertising, writing, press coverage and donations of prizes. We are eagerly looking forward to the next Week of the Cbifld and hoping it will be even more successfu.. Thank you again for your involvement. 3 i Jeanm eMoI1oy Public Relatioes Week of the Child (1989) Real estate board fyer is one-sided and misleading The Oshawa Real Estate Board bas been circulating a flyer and petition to the residents of Ontario riding. I find the contents of Žhis fiyer one-sided and misleading. I believe that one must know ail the facts before coming te a decision on the Gommons finance comniittee's GST recommendations. The Oshawa Real Estate Board makes no mention that the finance committee's proposaI will have a very definite impact on renters. The finance committee's OST report would reduce the tax on new rentai construction from- 9 per cent to 5 per cent. It would alsor tax new housing regardless of price at 5 per cent, versus the variable 4.5 per cent te 9 per cent. OwnerW/landlords would not be entitled to input tax credits for the tax paid on the acqusition of a new rentai building under the proposed legislation. This would force owners te recover these additional costs by raising rents which in the greater Toronto area are already exorbitant. The committee's 5 per cent tax places bomeov.ners and renters on a level playing field. According te the fiyer, the finance comrittee's 5 per cent tax on housing will be a tax on savings, as bouses represent a big chunk of the average Canadian family's savings. I agree wboleheartedly that housing is a major part of the average Canadians' savings. That is precisely why once the 5 per cent tax is paid on your bouse, unlike the current situation, you will neyer have te pay it again. Further, if you own your house before the proposed GST is put in place, you will pay no tax. Therefore, the finance committee's proposai is in no way a tax on Canadians' savings. Another point that the flyer fails te mention is that the proposed 9 per cent GST on new bousing would bave its single greatest effect on the greater Toronto area, due te the fact that we possess the higbest housing values in ail of Canada. The rebates that are te accompany the proposed 9 per cent GST on new housing were not designed to fit the regionai requirements of ail Canadians. While a rebate on housing in the regions may be generous, the sanie rebate would be much too small in the greater Toronto area. With this in mind, a 5 per cent rate and no rebates would be fairer to those who are affected by the spiraling costs of Toronto real estate. Critics and economists across- Canada bave Iauded the reduction of the rate te 7 per cent, as it would greatly lessen the impact on Canadians. Economists from five major forecasting groups bave agreed that the lower rate would lessen the one-time inflationary impact of the GST and ease the transition period for the economy until the benefits of the GST take ful effect. For new homeowners, a 7 per cent GST would mean savings of 2 per cent on ail goods and services needed for fiirnishing their homes, moving expenses, finishing the basement, etc. Finaily, I would like te mention that wbile organizations sucb as tbe Oshawa Real Estate Board, the Canadian Real Estate Association, the Urban Development Institute and the Canadian Home Builders Association ail say in unison that housing must not be taxes like other goods or services, they make little comment as to wbere this lost revenue sbould come from. Housing is already taxed, altbougb you don't see it, as it is hidden in the costs of material that go inte tbe construction of eveiy bouse. The groups mentioned above are just concerned their own interests, as any smart organization should be, and are basically saying don't tax me. After trying te explain why, in my opinion, the Oshawa Reai Estate Board is not presenting the real facta, I would ask that if you fil out the attached petition, please indicate that you in fact prefer the 7 per cent finance committee's alternative versus the 9 per cent technical paper. As a mnember of the finance committee, I strongly believe that our proposais will makçe the elimination of the current federal sales tax and the subsequent replacement by the GST, a smoother and more equitable transition for ail Canadians. m 1 D)AYS ONLY I DEC. 27-m 30, '89 cali nowns. 666-4540 Whitby location only -ropean Wôme* 's -Hea f) club" 1121 Dundas St. E., Whitby, Ont. 666-4540 . a