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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1976-05-05, Page 7Jottings by Jack from Queen's Park Wants judicial inquiry The facts that are known and undisputed about the events surrounding the receivership of Essex Packers Limited of Hamilton, convinced me that there should be a full judicial • inquiry, which I asked the Attorn- ey General in the Legislature, this week, to consider. The Attorney General did not think that a Judicial Inquiry was necessary but that he would be willing to answer any question to the best of his ability that I niay wish to ask about the manner in which the Government assign- ed the lease of the Guelph Centre Plan to the De Jonge Group. There have been many allega- tions .made which I cannot repeat here because they lack solid documented evidence but I thought the only way to clear up any doubts about the way the Government conducted the busi- ness was, with an inquiry. It is a fact that the $900,000 meat packing plant which the Provinceowns at the Guelph Correction Institute has been leased to the De Jonge Group, a term applied to brothers, Mike, Bennie and John De Jonge who control several meat packing companies in the Province. The lease was assigned to the De Jonge Group without calling public tenders. Bennie De Jonge was convicted in 1972 of fraud involving short weighing cattle bought by farmers. The Minister of Correctional Services said he was fully aware of the fraud conviction, yet recommended that De Jonge's take' over the opera- tion of the Guelph. Plant. Mr. Smith, the Minister of Correction- al Services, said other proposals to take over the Guelph Centre were rejected because those offers did not include any assist- ance for the Essex Packers Plants in Hamilton. It is my feeling that a Judicial Inquiry should establish why the fate of Essex was linked to the Guelph Centre' lease. The Pro- vince had a clause in its lease with Essex enabling it to cancel a lease, yet it chose not to exer- cise the option. A Judicial Inquiry should examine the events leading up to the original lease with Essex Packers to determine the reason that Essex was chosen in the first place. The Inquiry should examine the reasons why the Government failed to cancel the lease to Essex when Essen was forced into receivership by the Bank of Nova Scotia, on October 31st. The lease remained with Essex until March 18th, when Cabinet assigned it to the De Jonge Group. The Inquiry should examine the financial records of Essex Packers includ- ing bank records and activities and the manner in which creditors were paid and not paid in the week leading up to October 31st. The Inquiry should examine the claims of Frederick and Harrud Inc. of Detroit, that the receivers managed Essex poorly and credit- ors were losing assets. The Inquiry should examine the terms and conditions of the De Jonge Group's offer to help the Essex Plant. It is my opinion that the De Jonge's could quite conceiv- ably cease the operations of the Essex Plants in Hamilton, after a six month period of time, as it is the modern plant at the Guelph Correctional Centre which has the greatest potential. Finally the Inquiry should make recommendations to pro- tect farmers from financially - crippling blows of a similar nature in the future. There is a clear need for some form of protectittii for those who sell their cattle to meat packing companies. Many farmers feel that the best interests of beef farmers were dealt away by the Pro- vincial Cabinet for political motives and if this is the case then it is understandable why the Attorney General is not pre- pared to conduct a Judicial Inquiry. I intend to pursue this matter further for there are some farmers who lost thousands of dollars in the entire transaction. The .largest labour demonstra- tion in the history of Queen's Park took place this week in protest against the Government's restraint programme. Thousands of workers filled the lawn . and pavement from the steps leading into the Legislative Building to the curb at College Street. The size of the crowd brought to Queen's Park by the Ontario Federation of Labour, and its affiliated unions, was seen by union leaders as vindicating their position that they speak for their members in condemning the Government's spending ceilings as they affect social and commun- ity services. Each year repre- sentatives of the Ontario Federa- tion's views on a wide range of current issues, and this year the meeting reflected labour's op- position to the federal wage con- trol programme and the pro- vince's acceptance of it, with the focus on the Government's restraint programme and ceilings on grants to municipalities, cutbacks in hospitals, including hospital closings and the impact of the restraint programme on social services. Unusua For... Mothers Gifts .. For Babies NOW AVAILABLE Craft S'i pelves HoniB' Bo ti MAIN ST. At The Rear of Carpenter Optic EXETER This past week the Minister of Housing announced that Ontario's rent -geared -to -income housing units will no longer come f under the -Provincial rent review programme, an amendment which the Liberal Party will support. The Opposition voted originally to include public housing under the rent review legislation because it was con- cerned that the rent-greared-to- income scale was not working fairly. Now that a review of this scale is underway, it is un- necessary to maintain another level of costly bureaucracy. In connection with housing in the Province, Liberal Leader Stuart Smith challenged the Minister of Housing about his plans, if any, to encourage building of more rental units to avert "skyrocketing" rents when controls are removed next year. The Minister indicated that he really had no answer to the question of what could be done to encourage ' the private sector to cope with the situation. Dr. Smith said "there should be more incentives to builders and municipalities and, if necessary, a partnership arrangement be- tween government and private industry". United Asbestos Inc. was ordered to close this month by the Government because of the unsafe asbestos -fibre readings at its Matachewan plant. The plant was ordered to clean up or close permanently. According to James Bullbrook, M.P.P. (Liberal -Sarnia) legislation is needed to force corporations such as United Asbestos to pay employees who suffer financially, in this type of situation. The.. Minister of Natural Resources Citizens News, May 5/ 76 -Page 7 Jack Riddell Huron -Middlesex said there is nothing the Govern- ment can do to force the firm to pay employees laid off because of the clean-up. However,. Mr. (Bullbrook said, "We are a legislative body. Let's pass a statute forcing them to". Tell it to the News 236-4672 CLINTON 482-3405 HENSALL 262-2418 SEAFORTH 527-0910 BRIGHTEN UP YOUR PATIO & YARD T .` NL ET PANELS Use these translucent panels in areas such as patios, fencing, dividers, enclo- sures, etc. Ensures privacy while allowing a certain amount of light through. Can be sawn, drilled or nailed. Available in white, green or yellow. ONLY 77 26" x 96" 4 0Z. WT. PANEL AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE QUANTITIES LAST