Times Advocate, 1989-03-15, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, March 15, 1989
Huron Liberals elect new
slate �f&Hlcers for 1989
HOLMESVILLE •-A number of
controversial issues -tieing faced by
David Peterson's Liberal govern-
ment in the province of Ontario
were aired at Thursday's , annual
meeting of the Huron Riding Lib-
eral Association.
Minister of,Colleges and Uni-
versities Lynn McLeod touched on
the -subjects 'of auto insurance,
Sunday shopping, health care, pub-
lic pensions and workers compen-
sation.
On -health care she said, " It is
our belief, if the long term needs in
the health care system arc to be
met, we .must first- ensure that we
have achieved as high a degree of
efficiency as possible . That's why -
the Minister of Health has carried
out operational reviews of all hos-
pitals in a deficit budget situation
and has established committees
which arc studying the very sensi-
five questions of prescription drug
use and medical practice throughout
the. province."
.According to McLeod,-" A new
•bill on the licencing of independent
healthcare facilities for the first
time gives the Ministry of Health
responsibility for ensuring the ac-.;
countability of such- facilities.
Thee' i, also a renewed emphasis
on. based health cart
.and illness prevention: The Pre-
mier's council on health cart is
'working on that." •
Health costs have `more than
tripled since •1978 and now account ;
for one-third.of thc provincial bud-
.bet. The S1.2 billion added to the
health care budget consumed all of
the revenue generated -from the one
percent increase in sales tax.
To this McLeod added, " Clearly,
no- responsible, government can af-
ford to avoid dealing with these
very-stressfuf changes."
On auto insurance 'she said, " I
-believe we have taken the right di-
rection on this issue:. We arc com-
mitted to ensuring that rate' increas-
es arc reasonable and fair because
•wc arc required to provide a degree
of consumer protection in a situa-
tion where automobile insurance is
mandatory:"
• One of our challenges will be to
help people realize that -the cost of
insurance must be mct, whether
through premiums or through tax
increases which subsidize govern-
ment plans in other provinces. •
About Sunday shopping, McLeod
said, " - The new legislation clearly
• provides for closed Sundays; not
wide.open Sunday shopping. It sets
oth much clearer guidelines and is
thcrefolt. much more: enforceable •
than the current 1.•gislation. There-
-are atso much stiller penalties for
violation of the 'law. The_ arca of
controversy, of course, is giving
municipalities the option to pass
• their own amendments to suit local
circumstances." - -
Several government commis-
sional reports have confirmed that
then: is an unfunded liability in the
public pension sector of about S5
billion.
- McLeod went on to say, " We
must how take steps. to begin to,
fund thL-accrued liability and ensure
that this liability docs not increase
into the future. -For- the 117,000
teachers and 84,0(0 others involved
in public tensions, this. is a very
important issue."
On the subject of workers com-
pensation she said, " Our new Bill
162.providcs injured workers with a
real opportunity to return to work
and ensures that those with perma-
nent disabilities are compensated
fairly. This also includes new obli-
gations on the part of employers to
re -instate injured workers."
In the annual election, Joe Hogan
of Exeter was acclaimed for another
term as riding president. The vice-
presidents are John .Jewitt, RR 1,
Londesboro and Graeme Craig, RR
1, Walton. Nancy -Parker of Clinton
is secretary and Zoie Raithby of
Grand Bend handles the duties of
treasurer.
Area .vice-presidents are Fred
McGee, Wingham: Joe Semple,
RR 1, Ethel; Geoffrey Walker, RR
3, Goderich; Eileen Palmer, Gode-
rich; Norman Pickell, Godcrich;
Two accidents in
town parking Tots
EXETER - -1'wo of the three acci-
dents investigated this week by of-
ficers of the Exeter town police de-
partment occurred in parking lots
and. were caused by slippery road
surface
.Tuesday, March 7, a vehicle driv-
en by Vernon Thomson, St,) T,,_
struck a parked vehicic.owncd by
Susan Marshall, Kirkton in the
• parkinglot,hchind 472 Main street.
In a similar mishap the next day,
a vehicle driven by Darlene Light-
foot,•Exetcr struck a parked vchicic
own..d • ny Ray IlJljko of . t.cindon
while, turning into a parking spot
at the Standard Trust parking lot.
. 'Vehicles driven by Jack Hayward
lartd_Edtvard (Griffin, Sea-
"""" -forth collided Snnduy on
Janet Lawrie, Blyth; Peggy Men-
zies, Clinton; Jack Horan, RR 1,
Walton; Jim Love, RR 1, Zurich
and Kim McLean, Exeter.
Youth representatives are Allyson
Scott, Seaforth and Doug Lounsbu-
ry of Goderich and president of the
Huron Young Liberal Club is Caro-
lyn.Love, RR 1, Zurich. -
Delegates to the Ontario Liberal
Party annual general meeting
scheduled for the Hamilton Conven-
tion- Centre March 31 to April_ 2 are
Howard Aitken, GoYdon Strang, Pa-
tricia Down, Margaret Aitken, Jim
Fitzgerald, Janeth Sangster, Graeme
Craig, Lois Fitzgerald, John Jewitt,
Geoffrey Walker and Anita Riddell.
Youth delegates are Liz Hogan,
Lyn Bezaire and Ann Tindall.
University m n star speaks The guest spea er at urs. ay
Provincial Association was Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Universities. Above, she is being- wel-
comed by Huron Association president Joe Hogan of Exeter. Looking on are secretary Nancy Parker
Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell.
and
Highway •
b Y - n
d within the town limits. -
0'PP reports
�no accidents
EXETER - For thc first time in
many weeks, motor vchicic acci•
-
dents failed to appear among thc 53
general occurrences investigated.
this wcck by officers of the Exeter
detachment of :the Ontario Provin-
cial Police.
The occurrences included assis-
tance seryice break and enters,
suspicious vehicles and persons,
lost property, domestic situations
and wilful damagc.Charges laid this
wcck included 62 under the High-
way Traffic Act, 14 for Liquor Li -
y
cence Act infractions, two impaired
driving and 12 hour licence suspen-
sions %vcn, issued to six driN, r.
As many arca F,e:.plc arc f:11ding
out, thc RIDF. spotchccks arc con-
tinuing on arca roadways. Buckle
up, drive safely and please don't
drink and drive '
4
a° -
available until March 25
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