HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1976-06-16, Page 5The Legislature's Committee
studying Hydro's 1976 rates has
predicted an increase of 34.5% in
the cost of producing electric
power next year. This pro-
jected increase could mean an
escalation of 25% to 30%, and up
to 34% in power rates to muni•
cipal utilities and large indust-
ries, depending on local cir-
cumstances. In the same draft
report to the Legislature, the
Committee suggests that the rate
of increase in electricity pro-
duction costs will drop sharply
between 1978 and 1980, flatten-
ing out in the 1980's to a range of
5% to 10% each year. A Hydro
spokesman has said that the pro-
jections were made on the basis
of evidence from Hydro wit-
nesses, but stressed that the
actual calculations and a chart in
the report were the product of
the Committee's staff. Hydro's
proposals for 1977 rates are now
being prepared for submission
to the Energy Minister within
the next three weeks, and these
will form the basis for an Ont-
ario Energy Board review be-
ginning in August.
Julian Reed, Liberal M.P.P.
for Halton -Burlington, and a
member of the Select Committee
on Hydro Rates, said this week,
that he was very disappointed
by the actions of the N.D.P.
members of the Select Committee
on the matter of an independent
study of the Bradley -Georgetown
Hydro Corridor. He said two of
the three NDP members voted
against an independent study and
when the decision resulted in a
split vote, 5 in favour and 5
against, the Chairman of the
Committee, Donald MacDonald
of the New Democratic Party
voted against such a study.
Mr. Reed said this was parti-
cularly surprising as Mr. Mac-
Donald is that Party's Agricul-
ture Critic, and should be vitally
concerned about anything which
affects our valuable agricultural
land. Mr. Reed said he pre-
sented a resolution to the Select
Committee calling for an inde-
pendent study of the Bradley -
Georgetown Corridor. Had the
NDP supported this resolution,
we might have been able to
bring some influence to bear on
the Government.
Members of all three parties
in the Legislature have supported
a Private Member's Bill to pro-
vide an Ontario Freedom of
Information Act. Such a Bill,
Lee Anne Doyle, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Doyle,
graduated from Mount St. Joseph
Academy, London, Ontario . on
Saturday, June 12, 1976. Miss
Doyle received the English Dept.
Award, the Art Award, the Resid-
ent Student Award and was
Valedictorian for the 1976 gradua-
tion class. Lee Anne was also
voted in as princess for the gradu-
ation prom and as president for
the student council,
Citizens News, June 16,1976 -Page 5
Jottings by Jack from Queen's Park
Hydro rstes to increc.se
if enacted, would reverse the
present trend in government to
keep secret all information except
what it chooses to make public.
All information would be made
public except certain categories
which could legitimately be
kept secret. No vote was taken
on the Bill. Private Bills usually
die on the order paper.
Proposed legislation forbidding
private medical labs to reward
doctors with gifts of money will
not proceed before the fall, accor-
ding to the Minister of Health.
In an interview, the Minister said
his legal advisers find it diffi-
cult to change the bill, intro-
duced by the. Government last
April, to remove aspects which
displease him. He said he plans
to outline some steps the govern-
ment might take during the
debate on his Ministry's Es-
timates before the Legislature
recesses for the summer. Regu-
lations will be introduced soon
under existing legislation to deal
t with doctors' conflict of inter-
. est, lab billing procedures and a
new form of doctors to use when
ordering tests from labs. The
proposed legislation, which ran
into heavy opposition criticism
during debate, would allow the
government to lift a lab's licence
or restrict the types of tests a lab
may conduct. The Minister has
criticized the government bill for
allowing labs no right to appeal
shut -down orders and for giving
the government too sweeping
powers.
The Supreme Court of Canada
is hearing arguments as to whe-
ther the Federal Anti -Inflation
Act is within Ottawa's rights
under the constitution and whe-
ther Ontario's agreement plac-
ing Provincial Public Employees
under the wage controls is legal.
This agreement was signed after
an order passed by the Cabinet,
not after approval by the Legis -
i lature. The constitutionality of
the Ottawa -Ontario pact was
challenged before the Ontario
Supreme Court by teachers in
Renfrew, following an Anti -
Inflation Board rollback of a pay
increase which they had won.
Ontario, incidentally, is the only
province completely in support of
Ottawa's position that the Anti-
inflation law passed by Parlia-
ment last fall is constitutionally
valid. Alberta, the Canadian
Labour Congress, and unions
representing teachers and other
Ontario Civil Servants are argu-
ing the law is an improper
intrusion by Ottawa into pro-
vincial jurisdiction and that Ont-
ario's agreement putting public
serivce workers under the wage
controls is illegal.
The Minister of Agriculture
and Food, Mr. William Newman,
announced in the Legislature
that the Government of Ontario
is increasing the funds allocated
to the drainage programme by
$3.8 million. This will bring
our total involvement this fiscal
year to $16.8 million.
Under this programme, the
Minister said, the Province,
through debenture arrangements
with local municipalities, assists
the individual farmer to drain
his land and thus improve his
productivity and income. The
programme provides farmers
' with 10 year loans for up to 75
per cent of the cost of installing
drainage tile. The farmer pays
six per cent interest on his loan
and the province makes up the
difference between that six per
cent and the market rate which
varies from time to time.
This prgramme, the Minister
said, has been well received,
as is demonstrated by the fact
that more than 440 million is out
in 10 year loans at this time.
The success of this programme is
clearly demonstrated by the signi-
ficant gains in agricultural pro-
ductivity which are partly attri-
butable to improve drainage.
The Government House Leader
has announced the government's
intention to press ahead with
debate on the proposed Farm
Income Stabilization legislation,
which would provide a measure
of income protection for farmers
producing about 15% of the value
of Ontario's farm products. It
is anticipated that this bill will
be defeated by a combined vote
of the two Opposition Parties.
Faced with this prospect, the
government has decided that the
vote on the farm bill will not
constitute non -confidence. In-
stead, it will split the issues and
call for a separate vote of con-
fidence, if the farm bill is de-
feated. •
This proposed farm bill is con-
sidered by the ' government to
be an important first step. Both
Opposition Parties, however, say
June 24,1976
it is token legislation which will
be of little benefit to a few farm-
ers. As at present drafted, the
bill will not cover commodities
already provided for by the fed-
eral plan or commodities with
quotas and prices set by market-
ing boards. The bill is limited to
such cash crops as wheat and
some fruits and vegetables. A
Farm Income Stabilization Com-
mission would, under the bill,
be set up to administer a fund to
provide support at a level equal to
90% of the average market price
for the previous five years, with
adjustments for production
cost changes in the current year.
The Liberal Party has been fight-
ing, for many months, for a volun-
tary stabilization programme,
the cost of which would be shared
between the farmers, the pro-
vince and the federal govern-
ment. The NDP also wants to-
have a more comprehensive plan.
* *
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Chipchase
Jeff and Angela have returned to
Virginia after visiting with
their families and attending
the Fraser -Keys wedding.
*
Dr. & Mrs. R. E. Smale of
Midland, Ontario visited with re-
latives at Varna and Staffa and
attended the Fraser -Keys wed-
ding in Hensall United Church
t>'n June 5.
1.
Regular five -digit
Wintario ticket
and series numbers.
For five chances at •
5100,000. and more than
40,000 other tax-free
cash prizes.
Eight -digit Bonus
Draw number.
If the eight digit bonus
number on your ticket
corresponds exactly with
one of the 100 bonus
numbers drawn, you win
$10,000 tax free.
Abuck,aidyou're in for both.
For the June 24 Wintario draw, your Wintario ticket
has two sets of numbers—one for the regular
Wintario draw, for between 53 to 54 million in prizes.
And the other for the •special million -dollar Bonus
Draw—with one hundred extra prizes of $10,000
each:*
In accordance with the Lottery regulations, all
unclaimed prize money is retained in the prize fund,
until the expiry of the one-year claiming period. It is
Get your ticket snow*
then transferred into a special prize fund to be
available for additional or bonus prizes in subse-
quent draws. June 24 is our first Bonus Draw.
On this occasion, to accommodate the advance
bonus drawing, ticket sales will cease at 6:00 p.m.,
Thursday, June 24, 1976. So, get your ticket now,
because they're going fast. And watch the special
one-hour Wintario show live on TV from Hamilton
June 24, at9:00 p.m.
*one year claiming period
we all win
• otow o Larr>aw CORrxR,a¶av
* * *