The Lucknow Sentinel, 1996-02-21, Page 6page .,pneknew Sentinel, liifeduesday„ February aD 1996
PRIVATIZATION
"1 honestly don't know"
Ontario Hydro CHIAllau kupcis,
when asked by reporters jr his plan to privatize Hydra
would cuuse electricity rotes to go -op or down:
fi ii dal disaster,:
universilY of TorontoFintmte Professor Emeritus Myron Gordon,
on whot the effect of Hydros privqtizotitIn
wouldbeon Ontario's ratepayers and toxpoyers,
WHICH IS THE BETTER
PLAN FOR ONTARIO?
The Power Workers' Union consulted leading Canadian experts in utility finance,
reguktion and priv4tizcition The result: a pion for Ontario's electricity sector that
offers a competitive system that is•publicly accountable. Judge for yourself how the
PWU plan compares io one recently proposed by Hydro management.
POWER WORKERS
Freeze residential and business
rates Until qt least 2005. Lower
industrial and agricultural rates •
by -a. further 20%. -
Keep Ontario Hydro in public
; hands, .as it has been for 90'
years The power of Niagara -
• Fol!s should not'l*sald k)r , *.
private profit;
HYDRO MANAGEMENT
Freeze rates until 2000.
After that, private generators
can charge 'whatever the
market will, bear.
• Sell all public generciting
,
..;assetias 'soon as possible.
Several U.S.'buyers are
Interested:::-' ;
•
Long-term debt reduced by a No estimate given.
. minimum of $1 't billion by
2005 using very conservative
assumptions on interestrates
and inflation. .tt'
•• • . , 7'7
• . • •
Allovv current private genera-.
tors inside Ontario to compete
directly against ,Hydro.
Allow retail competition. -
Open ..up Ontario's entire:
electricity syitern to any
'generator, broker, marketer or
aggregator in North America.
Ontario cannot afford to *0610,444W its energy future. If -the hecid,Of North America's
Iargest utility doesn't know What will happen to rates under a privatized „Hydro should
we follow' him off a cliff into the unknown? •.
The Power Workers' Union has ii:i'better plan—One that
• .protects Ontario. It guarantees no rote increase, for ten years •
and even lower rotes for our vital industrial:and agricultural
se5tors. It also brings down H.ydro's debt dramatically..• Ontario
Hydro hos`.,belortged .t.6 the people of Ontario -`
fOi:90 years. 'Itsepsq'!Q keep ' it that way.
JOHN
MURPHY
PAE.'§lbENT.., THL ec)NyER WORKERS. . • .
66:
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• CANA1)114 LINIc)146f
• • . • • • •• 7
•
. •Power Workers
'Teton's a. ht OW -Hy o.-
i" •
.
.
• For mote information caO 11,400295$7,1111111U'r
or fax us at 1. 800 3434083 '10+1- we'll *OW yov or complete peckoge
• -..riPleasi.inciideiyotor: uiame, address and PhOne,0001611.
. ,
•
4
'r7irr" • 7
Steak talks about
upcoming session
by Paul Steak, Hum
Bruce UP
Members of Parliament
.will be must -114w to Ottawa
in the very near future to
begin a new session of
Parliament. The throne
speech will officially open
the new.session and offer a
fresh political agenda and
set the tone for a renewed
focus on essential govern-
ment business.
In order to facilitate the
business of parliament and
to avoid unnecessary, repeti.
tion, Government House
Leader Herb °ray will be
proposing a motion to
reconvene the new session
at the point where the last
session ended. This motion
must have the support,
agreement and co-operation
of all parties. When the
.
house prorogued, there were
24 government bills remain-
ing on the Order Paper,
including Bill C-101, the
privatization of the.. CN
Railway and Bill C-111, the
introduction of the new
Employment Insurance
Program. In addition, the
government will announce
its national unity strategy,
its continuing plan for job
creation and economic
development, and also table
the federal budget.
In his Fiscal and
Economic Update, Finance
Minister Paul Martin
announced.thatthe federal
deficit for1997- 1098 will
• be reduced to two'ver cent
of Canada's Domestic
PrOduCt (GDP), The eco-
amie climate must instill
confidence in consumers.
• Lower interest rates allow
consumers to make more
confident predictions and
choices. This benefits our
entire economy.
We have proven that our
strategy of two-year rolling
deficit targets works. It has
creatQd a new credibility for
the g vernment's fiscal
forecast. We remain on
track to meet the 1,995
1996 target of $32.7 billion,
the 1996 1997 target of
$24.3 billion and the 1997
1998 target of $17 billion.
We are 1110eting. these tar- •
_gets due to $25 billion in
speriding cuts in the 1995
budget, the toughest fiscal
action undertaken by any
federal government in the
last 50 years.
At the same tin
meeting our I , our
government. a, also
ensure that pursuing fiscal
priorities does not create a
social and technological
deficit that would hurt those
least able to cope, and
unclerinine the potential for
future economic growth
based. on our competitive-
ness in science, technology
• and innovation. Our govern-
ment must also support.
entrepreneurial Canadians
whose sound business pro-
posals will in practise,
encourage further job ere-
ation and consumer confi-
dence.
This year for the first
time Canadians will be able
to send their views directly
to the Finance Minister via
the Internet: Messages can
be sent • E-mail
(pmartin@fin.gc.ca). Tens
of thousands of interested
gtd
• th4acupslf ianew4sin.taiovtilledialtisnasennce
minister by regular mail
each year. The bulk of these
• letters and submissions
arrive Outing the budget
period. Many of them pro-
vide ideas and suggestions
that are considered during
the preparation of the .bud-
get. I encourage you to
become involved in the
process, to participate and
Make a contribution to your
future.
Valerie Weber (lift) and Heather Sande were pre-
• seined with ,cedificates and cheques In .recognjo;'::,
.tion of their placement at the Zone level of the
• Legron's Essay', Poem. and Poster cOmpetition.
,Vaterle wassecond in serilor-pOemso, and
•, Heather's colored .poster placed first in. junior •
dIvIsion Branch 300 YoutftEducatiOn 'Chairman
• Wayne Cranston (left) and President 'Paul Finlay •
made the prosentation.!(photo submitted)'
7 7 .
6r3
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