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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-02-24, Page 24A 4 ODERI SICNAL-STAR4 TUR$DAlf,. FEBRUARY 24;19r. it lick NMI Heron -Middlesex MPP'' Jack's jottings from Queen's Park During the week of January 7th, applications were mailed to 340,000 recipients of the Guaranteed. Income Sup- plement and Spouse Allowance ' who reside in Ontario. As indicated at that time itis essential that these applications are returned to the, Health and Welfare Ministry of the Federal Government prior to March 31st, so that the Ministry can ensure continuity of payment from March through April. Reminders to all recipients of the Guaranteed Income Supplement to submit their applications on time will be submitted periodically. A reminder was sent during the week of February 4th, to those people who have no • income and who are receiving maximum benefits. It follows from this that such recipients _are.. Dot. •. waiting.. for. T.-4_slips . before submitting their ap- plications. Additional reminders will be sent on March 2nd, and subsequent dates to all people who have failed to return their ap- plications. Again I repeat that it is essential that these ap- plications be returned'to the Health and Welfare Depar- - tment prior to March 31st. I am sure many of my constituents are wondering about the observance of Heritage Day and so I will take this opportunity to bring you up to date on this matter. For the last three years promotion of interest in Heritage Day has been a special project of Heritage Canada, an organization created by the Federal Government in the Heritage preservation field. Last year many Kinsmen's Clubs were also involved in promoting Heritage Day: In response to a question in the Legislature last spring, the Minister of Culture and Recreation said the position the Government of Ontario had taken on Heritage Day, was that the Ontario Government would wait to recognize the occasion when it was proclaimed a National holiday. or Day.of Observance by the Federal Government. On December 21, 1976 the Secretary of State for Canada placed before Parliament for first reading . Bill C-30 en- titled, An : Act Respecting Certain Holidays. The Legislation is not expected to receive third reading and be proclaimed in time for this year and some changes to the section on Heritage Day may be made in the Committee stage.. For instance while Heritage Canada has en- couraged observance on the - third -Monday in February, last year Alberta recognized the first Monday in August as Heritage Day, and. 'some operators of winter resorts are known to favour the second Monday in February ` to avoid the crush of American visitors celebrating Washington's birthday, coming on the same weekend as Canadians celebrating Heritage Day. Many school boards will continue to have a Heritage Day or Heritage Week as part of the curriculum in February this year as in other years, giving special emphasis to the rich variety of historical and cultural traditions in our society. Atr the end of the Fall Session, the -. Ontario Legislature adopted some 48 new procedures. The new rules were produced by a Committee of the Legislature, based upon research and study material and the many recom- mendations of the Ontario Commission on the Legislature. This Com- mission was, as you will no doubt recall, appointed in 1972, in recognition of the fact that it was necessary to enhance the role of parliament and the power of parliamentarians, The Commission members were Conservative Dalton Camp, Liberal Farquhar Oliver and New . Democrat Douglas Fisher. While some people may consider the new rules to be a major break -through, they are for the most part of a minor or housekeeping ., character. Some are no more than repetitions of current rules which have somehow become distorted, usually to' the Govern'ment's -advantage. For example, proposed legislation may not be called for second reading, that is approval -in principle, until it has been printed, which enables Members to know - what they are debating.. This • rule is repeated as if it were new, because the Govern- ment has often made a practice of pushing through, bills before they are available in printed form. The daily Question Period has been lengthened to one hour, which means that more Members will have an op- portunity to ask questions during • the additional fifteen minutes. Party Leaders will be allowed two questions, and the remainder of the time will be allotted to the other Members, taking turns in rotation. Currently, • there is no requirement in the parliamentary system that the government must answer questions. A Minister may or may not answer as he pleases, and he may how he chooses. There is only one recourse available to a Member who is dissatisfied with an answer to an oral question, and that is to force a half-hour debate before "the Legislature rises on Tuesday nights, popularly called "the late show". In fact, written questions frequently stay on the Order Paper, unan- swered, until the Legislature prorogues. Of course, this situation could easily- be rectified by simply abolishing the rule that a Minister is not obliged to answer, thereby making it possible to table a. motion of censure for failure to reply. However, neither the SDpecial 'Committeenor the Legislature approached' the problem in this way, Instead, the new rules provide for another "late show" on Thursday nights, for Mem- bers dissatisfied with an- swers to oral questions. With respect to written questions, a Minister will have to say within 14 days either that he isn't going to answer, or that the answer will be costly or time-consuming to prepare. Applications co Under the new rules, bills submitted by non- government Memberis may become law. For the first time, there is provision for a Private Member's Bill to receive second and third reading. Traditionally these bills have been debated for an hour and then allowed to "die", but in future two of these bills will be debated each Thursday afternoon with each of the parties taking turns in rotation to present this type of legislation. Unless there is an objection raised 'by/ twenty Members, each item will come to a vote at 6/p.m. that' same afternoon. These changes will greatly FEBRUARYIS HEART MONTH. WELCOME YOUR HEART FUND VOLUNTEER• enhance the role of the M.P.P. who will now have the same power as a Cabinet Member,* to -introduce legislation, which may subsequently be passed under his name. With this prestige will ' come an added responsibility. As it is unlikely .that a Member will have more than one °" op- portunity to submit a Bill, he must choose an issue or an item which appeals to the majority of the House and is of province -wide importance. The rules make it clear that no bill of this type may in- volve the expenditure of public money. This is in accordance with the age-old parliamentary tradition • M which gives only \the Government the ;. right to collect and impose taxes and to spend taxpayer's money.. I have mentioned, that 20_ members may prevent a Bill from being voted upon. This provision differsfrom the British system, which allows one member's objection to prevent the vote, and will ensure that each bill receives the scrutiny that will prevent an erratic piece of legislation from becoming law. It will also force those who. oppose a bill to organize their op position and to find serious reasons for their opposition. Access to background material will be given to Members for anv government bill or policy statement. This vigil allow Opposition Member and government. back -benchers an opportunity to be briefed ° on the background to : governmept action; and is a' major step towards' the' concept' of freedom of information in the Province. Additional ,copies of bills are to be printed so that mernber of the public will Have a greater op- portunity . to study con- troversial bills'befdore these are debated. , • Please ,contact me if You / would like any further in- formation . on any of these changes, or if you wish //to receive a copy of a particular bill. \ i it D00141 (C4 1.1111M4Irtia 1,00411i / 133 Britagnia Rd Phone iirenings 24- Wet fun Fre 'I Drc Mai i� Ducharme Excavating-Das.hweod 236,.4230 TRUCKING - BACKHOE 8 bOZER; SERVICE GODCALLERICH NE'C'K' DOWHANIUK 524_ • .• : • et the Bi Red Team help you save ca: 1 OPEN MON. THRU SAT. 9 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. ABP iunCOCIit" Bayfield Rd. GODERICH Here's Value ! 1 MUSHROOM, TOMATO OR VEGETABLE ANN: PAGE soups 10 -FL -OZ TIN Action Priced HONDA Motorcycles Sales,Service, Ports. REIYIMtSS PRISES 211 POWDERED — WHITE OR BLUE • SAIL. 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