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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1974-06-27, Page 17roa4s hirerImo Bssner. Wlghaipn Advance• TIMM and IKennt I`gre It Vpole. derate la road by Plot people the ,"li srtland al M,klwegtern Ontario. (Based on 3.5 readers In each of 8.400 burnes.9i' Published everweek in The Listowel Banner, The Winghom Advance -Times and The mount Forest Crfederate by Wenger Bros, Limited. 0 0 in WeIIington-Grey-DufferinWaterIoo BRIAN KIRKHAM--Brian Kirkham, Liberal candidate for the Weliingtoh-Grey-Duf- ferin-Waterloo riding, talks with Mrs.. John McEacherri and Mrs: Adele McCann, employ- -ees t f* tnt Forpat shop,��tduri. 4i)st ilimP i ' ,.Me. Kirkharri"-sa' a.Ft � rf;~inrGer Minister John. Turner's budget proposal of indexing would increase pensions proportionately with increases in the cost of living. No outlandish promises as others make --Kirkham • "The first thing I will not do is make outlandish promises as I have heard other candidates and leaders make." Brian Kirkham, principal of Lexington Public School in Waterloo, is the Liberal candi- date for Wellington-Grey-Duf- ferin-Waterloo. He resides at RR - 2, Waterloo, is a graduate of the Elmira District High School, Stratford Teachers' College and. Waterloo -Lutheran University and has been teaching for 11 years. "I believe an individual who is running for office, regardless of what office, can only promise, $200." really, one thing," he states. "If He points out, however, that the that individual promises more Liberals are "going one step than one thing, I think he is further and saying that,following electioneering. Much of his talk is the end of the year, our pensions hollow talk." are going to keep increasing at The one thing he is referring to the rate of , inflation." is "responsible, honest represen- He cites other points of Finance Cation of the people. Minister John Turner's budget as "And, at the present time, I being beneficial to the low' and cannot promise any more. All I middle income earner. such as can promise is that I will dedicate the, elimination of sales tax on Illy best to the thorough repre- adult clothing and footwear and sentation of this region." the increase in family allowance Mr. Kirkham says the budget Cheques. put forth by the Liberal Party Mr. Kirkham defends attacks prior to its vote of non -confidence on farmers that blame them for in the House this spring has three much of the higher costs in food. thrusts. "One of them was to en- He says, "People tend to forget courage increase in supply, that in Canada our food prices which would put more commodi- are probably among the lowest in ties on the market and ultimately the world since inflation has decrease prices." spread internationally. What has He says the second was to "do probably happened is that as something for the people who are consumers. we have been spoiled on low or fixed incomes, so that in some ways as far as food they can cope.' Mr. Kirkham costs." says this is why the budget pro- ,,// He says that although inflation posedincreases to pensions and, his certainly what any government perhaps most important, index - parties have talked about in- creasing pensions to about $200 per month. "What they fail to say is that under the Turner budget proposal this year pensions will be up to close to $200 per month. On the basis of the rate the cost of living has gone up in the first quarter, projecting that and by indexing pensions, your pensions are going to be somewhere be- tween $195 and $200." . Mr. Kirkham adds, "So, there is very little difference when the opposing parties say they want to do great things for the fixed income pensioner by giving him voted In this time, will have to ing, tackle promptly and with sound Indexing, says Mr. Kirkham, results, the country still experi- means that as your cost of living enced real growth in 1973. "Our index increases, so your pension real growth amounted to about will increase proportionately. "In 6.8, which is the second largest in fact, what happens is that if the the world. And we must have Inst of living goes up five per growth to produce just as we cent, then pensions will go up five must produce to have growth." per cent so that the people will at Mr. Kirkham said he does not least be guaranteed some form of see Mrs. Trudeau's recent policy stability as far as income in rela- of campaigning for her husband tion to the actual cost to the con- as something to be labelled as sumer." In Mr. Kirkham's unfair politics. "She alone has opinion the indexing policy is chosen to do it because she be - "very progressive." lieves in him and wants to help He says the other two major him. It's as simple as that and, I f5,: ! ,•f•,r'•Yr.?r:." ;}�f? :P' r.. r•• .��': }i: . {. .•r.;r.• rr:: r •r: • •r P: .•P ! .•r: • : r r • r f! 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Ff,.,!} r F r r l:.F J ! :., ♦ r !%. !i. jVr� r r. /ve ! / �✓. :.{ r.•rrP. .r.•� /.• . ri. •.v.•fr.•r:....v. .: r ,/;! ,� : •�.v.' � ..” � f' "�� r J ! •.vrY.:•i% .:.r::: /.• fllifr.%.ffY.::'rfi:rr'%{:vffi:rr+lrrFrlr r''• /r.'!i.•rfr ! :%l !: !• r•.+i :' rl�•iJ ,'at r:..frll•.rr.P�i:e Once farmers are gone, can we get them bacl Once the farmers are driven off government of having increased their farms, it will be almost its budget by a quarter in this impossible to get them back, ;: past year and labels this "infla- That is just one of the warnings . tionary within 'tself." Perrin Beatty, Conservative MP:, He says interest rates are in - for the riding of Wellington -Grey.; iflationary "because they in- Dufferin-Waterloo is sending out crease prices. People take out to the electorate during his cal*,,a !loans now before it's too late," paign. ,trsays Mr. Beatty. "We can bring He says the fartners, senior ,r the interest rates down in con- , citizens and small businessmen, junction with our controls." plus workers o don't belong to He cites a balancing of the unions are long out to inflation,,,, budget as one of the first under - "We've got to do something to ii4„* takings of the Conservatives if sure some are not getting rich; 'they take over government. while most are falling behind."*,: . Mr. Beatty says inflation Mr. Beatty says his party- . amounts to an ' attack, on the would "make sure the financial.); Middle income class. "It's burden is shared evenly and,,,, leading to a type, of system shifted to those who are making ?wherein people say 'why work the most money, not the middle, When we can't get ahead unless income and lower income Cana::., -,we're rich to begin with?' " dians." He warns that inflation Mr. Beatty says housing has can and may destroy our econa become a luxury, "because of my and "•easily slide back into a terrificly high prices:" He says recession, especially in 'a riding such as this which is comprised mainly of farms and small businesses." The incumbent admits that inflation is world-wide but quick- ly adds that "two-thirds of thein- ousing "should .be a right, not a uxury.' }` He criticizes Mr. Trudeau's use f the term "a just society" ►sking, "If we do, indeed, have a ust society, why do we let our senior citizens worry about living flation that is' squeezing Cana- a financially stable life? Why do dians is created right here in our we give them so little to live on own country." ,'that they constantly must dip into The Conservatives' price and their savings that took all their wage eontrolsipelicy ,of the 60 to - Yes to put away?" 90 day freeze, 'say's Mt' Beatty, He saiid"he is not satisfied with would curb some of the inflation the increases made by the and would be followed up by a Liberal government in old age fair system of controls. pensions, adding that the Conser- What about the Liberals' claim . vatives are "committed to retro - that the policy has thrown the actively increasing the old, age scare into people and caused pensions back to 1968. I wouldn't prices to go tip in order to be at a , want to try to live on that old age high profit-making level when the pension the way it is now," he freeze is finally imposed,? "That says, accusing the government of is a silly argument because if "just robbing senior citizens' -anyone hikes prices to avoid the .savings with inflation." freeze, we will roll the prices What is his opinion of the Prime am sure, that anyone of us who back," answers Mr. Beatty. •Minister's statement that ' the -might be running for public office The New Democratic Party has main issue of the election is lead= would naturally expect the claimed that all the talk of the ership? "He says leadership is support of our families. And, if price and wage freeze has killed the issue and inflation is the they choose.to support us publicly the essential element of surprise. problem. We say inflation is the and really want to do it, we Mr. Beatty admits that "ideally, issue and leadership is the prob- should be proud of them." the Trudeau government should lem." He says the Prime Minister's have taken this action two years There is an old political adage wife is only doing what most ago. But, just because Trudeau that goes "The Conservative wives and family members do has let us get into a mess, that government is like the Mumps. It every day, "Trying to help as doesn't mean we can't do any- turns up once every generation much as they can because they thing about it now." then goes away:" believe in the man and his cause • The riding's Conservative in- Mr. Beatty promises. "We will and, in this case, his party." cumbent accuses the federal remedy that this time. Mr. Stan- PERRIN BEATTY—Conservative Incumbent for Wellington-Grey-Dufferin-Waterloo, Perrin Beatty, talks with Mrs. Mary Winslede, president of the Mount Forest senior citizens' group. Mr. Beatty claims the government is "just robbing the savings of senior citizens with inflation." field is one of the most tuned -in politicians in this country in terms of knowing exactly what is. on the minds of the. people. He realizes the history of our party. rn- • We seem f to come during bad times, then are voted out because we are blamed for them when we weren't in power when they ori- ginally started. He knows that and be will come With a rare that will end that and be doe be- ginning .ginning for a long*tern and *►tis, fying Conservative ., govern- meat" DON. CIS—New Democatic Party c6ndidate for Wellington-Grey-Dufferin-Water- loo, i,•n Francis, peaks with Mrs. Florence Allen, a retired French and Latin teacher at Mou t Forest District High Sool. Mr. Francis says the NDP's prices review board woul. roll back prices that coin not be justified. Review board will roll back prices --Francis Don Francis, the New Demo- cratic Party's candidate for Wellington -Grey - Dufferin- Waterloo. says that while the Liberals say "nothing can be done about inflation and the Tories talk about a freeze, we want to set up a prices review hoard and roll hack prices in areas where increases are unjustified." One of the areas in which the 'SDP has seen unjustified high prices is mortgages. "Mortgages have gone as high as 12 per cent on first mortgages and consider - higher on second mortgages. We say that this is inflationary rt --and we aren't prepared to freeze mortgages at this high level. We are prepared to roll them hacieto six per cent. "For the average person buy- ing a home we can say 'yes'. we can roll mortgages hack to six per cent The fact that the Liberals have come out in this campaign and said they could roll them hack to five per cent estab- lishes some credibility in the low figure itself. it's not a fancy figure quoted simpl , for election- eering purposes. It can be done." Where does the money come from? "We are saying the banks would„, have to set aside some mortgage money at six per cent." Mr. Francis says this is not an unfair request to make of the banks "when you consider that 45 per cent of the money that is on deposit in the charter banks of Canada does not receive interest. We're saying let some of that out at six per cent for mortgages." Mr. Francis says the banks would still get a reasonable re- turn. "We are not 'asking the hanks to take the loss." Mr. Francis says the biggest obstacle his party must over- come in order to obtain a majo- rity government is "voter resis- tance. We still have to convince enough Canadians that we are the right government party for this country " For the past' few years, since the part 's official founding in 1961, the NDP has been trying to build a party by getting more and more members into parliament. \1r Francis said it achieved "spectacular results in a mino- rity government." He adds that many 1DP policies and ideas have been picked up, sooner or ,later. by the government parties of the day.. "Medical insurance was scof- fed at 10 years ago And now the Liberals and Conservatives take credit for it. They were the ones who laughed at it; not only laughed at it, but mocked it, ridi- culed it and said it was impos- sible and foolish. They aren't doing that now." Mr. Francis says there are similar cases of NDP policy being claimed by the other parties after they had initially criticized it. "Public auto insur- ance, I suspect will be something the Conservatives and Liberals will be trying to take credit for in a few years' time. Naturally, they can't do it now." Mr. Francis says David Lewis as Prime Minister is not an in- credible proposition. "It's pos- sible. It's conceivable. There is cabinet material there in the caucus of 31 members." The NDP candidate says his party won't win' the government by gaining five or ten seats in each election. "I am convinced that the day we win we will simply sweep 100 seats or more all in one shot. it, happened in Manitoba. it happened in Saskat- chewan and it happened in British Columbia. There is no reason to believe it won't happen in Canada as a whole. It may not happen in this election campaign, but it will happen." Mr. Francis says inflation is not something that just suddenly hecam`e known one or two years ago. "It has been an ongoing thing since about 1963 and no government since that time has been able to stop it." He says the NDP have a better formula for staving off inflation in the prices review board which would examine "all price In- creases. If it establishes evidence that price increases are not justi- fied then it would roll them hack. And w e are saying that that fights inflation. Not just psychologi- cally. but it fights the actual in- crease." Mr. Francis has accused the Conservatives' price and wage control freeze many times of being a major force in the infla- tionary trend. He says a policy of this nature should have been introduced immediately two years ago with no announce- ments if it were going to work at all. "You don't use something like that effectively ,by talking about (Continued on page 2)