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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-03-29, Page 66 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, March 29, 1995 News and Views Harris espouses 'traditional values' BY MARK CRIPPS Ontario PC leader Mike Harris said he will restore prosperity and traditional values to the province if his party is elected in the upcoming election. Harris made the comments dur- ing a one -day whirlwind tour of Huron County last Friday.' "My vision, our vision, is of hope and prosperity for this province," Harris told a large crowd of party supporters during a luncheon in Wingham. "We're tired of being told we have to share the misery. "The only barriers to growth are government barriers. If we change this, I am confident we will grow." Harris began his first visit to Huron in five years with a morn- ing roundtable discussion in Goderich on rural economic development. During the meeting, Harris told a group of agriculture representa- tives that the PC Party is commit- ted to rural economic develop- ment. "We've heard a consistent mes- sage in the past, and people are telling us that the system is broke and whatever government is doing seems to be more of a barrier to us than a help," said Harris. "It's come to the point of absolute frus- tration. People are telling govern- ment to go away and do nothing. "The second thing we've heard is that government is coming up with solutions for Toronto and applying them to Goderich, to rural areas. It just doesn't make any sense." Harris outlined recommenda- tions made in the PC party's elec- tion platform brochure, entitled The Common Sense Revolution. "The Common Sense Revolution is a plan to bring fun- damental changes to the province of Ontario," said Harris. "It is based upon the fact that there is too much government, that gov- ernment is trying to do too many things. Csh i -, oink TAX CUTS PROMISED - PC leader Mike Harris promises significant tax cuts. "We've had a slow erosion of the fundamental values that built this province and the work ethic that built this country. "Our policies are designed to have less government - to get gov- ernment doing fewer things, and to restore choices and freedom and opportunities back to people." In the Common Sense Revolution, Harris promises to cut personal income taxes by 30 per cent. When asked about the impact of such a cut, Harris said, "We are going to cut provincial income taxes 30 per cent - the equivalent of $4 billion. "But it's over three years." Harris explained his plan for income tax cuts "takes the com- bined top rate from 53 per cent to 46 per cent. Our income tax rates will be about the same as Alberta. "We are going to take tax rates to where they were in 1990. Bob Rae in his first budget hiked taxes $1 billion, his second, another bil- lion, third budget $2 billion. "We will reduce that in our first budget $2 billion, second budget $1 billion and the third budget $1 billion." To make up for the shortfall in government revenue, Harris said major spending cuts will be imple- mented by his party if elected. "If we're going to .cut taxes, we will have to cut spending. We are going to cut $6 billion in spend - Harris said Ontario was histori- cally, "a magnet for growth." "When we are tax competitive and regulatory competitive, Ontario is a magnet for invest- ment, for jobs, for growth and prosperity. "But it's not happening today." In agriculture, Harris outlined his plan for growth in a sector that brings in more than $500 million annually to the Huron County economy. "Bill 40 - Labour legislation - Bill 91 - Unionization of family farms - We've heard overwhelm- ing antagonism from entrepre- neurs. We will scrap those legisla- tions," said Harris. Instead, they will steer towards "simplification, and the movement towards a meaningful crop insur- ance program that provides stabil- ity and deals with price fluctua- tions, like NISA and GRIP. "We are very supportive of cor- recting the inequity in the assess- ment of farm property for the Farm Tax Rebate program. "There are excellent programs, and we will make sure they are available." Harris said that if changes are made in Ontario, "I think we will grow. "I think we have the people. I think we have the talent. We can compete with anyone whether its in corn, in beans, in the meat industry or the dairy industry. "Give us a level playing field and we've shown that we can compete with the world and do very, very well. "We (the PC Party) want to pro- vide that level playing field." On Thursday evening, Liberal leader Lyn McLeod announced a plan for balancing the budget, and was immediately accused by Premier Bob Rae of f sliding to the right. • Initial reaction to McLeod's announcement was that it was strikingly similar to Harris' plan in the Common Sense Revolution, but he disagreed. "Wishful thinking doesn't bal- ance the budget," said Harris. "Wishful thinking doesn't bring jobs and prosperity back to Ontario. I think it is a hastily called -together move towards where the public is, which is bal- ance the budget, less government, get your finances under control. "What I really believe is miss- ing is credibility - Do the numbers really add up? Everybody will be analyzing that over the next period of time. There seems to be really unrealistic growth numbers - I think 3.5 per cent. Even Paul Martin (Federal finance minister) suggests 2.5 would be more realis- tic. "I don't see any growth plan for the private sector. Cutting taxes does that. It allows the private sec- tor to grow, to create jobs. Scrapping labour legislation, mak- ing the fundamental changes that have to be made. This is what is required if you're going to have growth and jobs in the private sec- tor. I think that's missing from this plan." Harris said the Liberal plan is based on a belief that "govern- ment needs more money. "The big difference is that we believe that making fundamental changes to the way government operates means shifting dollars that government has been grab- bing - 65 tax increases over the past 10 years - and shifting those dollars back to individuals, to tax payers. "She (McLeod) still has this old attitude, that Bob Rae has too, that the provincial government needs all this tax revenue. When you fundamentally restructure govern- ment, you don't need all that tax revenue. In fact, people are ask- ing, let us make our own deci- sions, we'd like to decide how to spend our money, not you telling us. All Deposits Insured Within Limits Rates subject To Verification 80 5 YEAR ANNUAL 7ompAnnitai 778%1/2% 1 Yw (� s Yeer4° 30 to Annual RR a 1001Ys Doug Elliott B. Math Inuestm¢r8 Centre Investment & Tax Planning Secure Investment Products ... from people you can trust SEAFORTH 96 Main St. 527-0420 FOR OURLITY FARM DRAINAGB "28 Years in Business" CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE A. G. HAYTER CONTRACTING LTD. Grand Bend 238-2313 Allen Hayter The Huron County. Board of Education Volunteer Tutors Needed Would you like to help someone improve their reading, writing or math skills? There is someone in your community who needs you. For information call Darlene Williams at 482-5428 ext. 353 or 1-800-265-1778 Part of our lifelong learning initiative .1ON r�w �r q er•� Roxanne Brown Chair Paul Carroll Director CD Ontario Tomorrow there'll be twice as many good reasons why we're introducing Neighbours today. hanks to the great strides made in modern medicine, the number of people over 85 will more than double in the next 15 years. As Ontario's population grows older, more and more people will rely on in-home services. Services like nursing, meal programs, physio- therapy and homemaking. Seniors, people with physical disabilities and others want the choice of staying in their own homes. But our current system simply won't meet the demand. What could be more comforting than being cared for in familiar surroundings? On a street you know. Around people you love. Surrounded by those things that are so much part of your life. We need to make sure today that in-home services will be available tomorrow. That's why we're introducing Neighbours. Neighbours is a community approach to home and health services for independent living. For the first time, a full range of services will be available with • • t • e 0 c•N • NEIGHBOURS HOME AND HEALTH SERVICES FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING. one phone call in communities all across the province. Neighbours is planned and managed by elected volunteers from your own community. They are people who live in the community and understand it. There are no government appointees on the board. Whether you're someone who relies on in-home services, a concerned relative or friend, a caregiver or someone who would simply like to help, we want you to know all about Neighbours. Or if you would simply like to get involved in Ontar'o's community approach to long-term care, call one of the telephone numbers below. 1-800-268-1154, IN TORONTO (416) 314-5518. TTY 1-800-387-5559.