The Lucknow Sentinel, 1981-05-27, Page 2I would like to make several ,cont
meats concerningthe budget, some of -
which have already been conveyed to
you through radio interviews which
were released on May 20.
Despite promises to balance the
budget, Bill Davis and the Conserve.
tive: Government\ instead opted to
increase the deficit while also signif-.
icantly raising taxes. '. ,
aThe deficit, approxi aately Si billion
this fiscal year, leaves a financial
burden to be borne ,by- future genera.;
tons. The cost ' 6f servicing the
provincial debt, increased, by 14.2%,
now accounts for close to ten per cent
of expenditures et about $5 million per
day,
Already experiencing inflationary;
pains, the ordinary taxpayer will be hit
hard by the budget's increases. The
income tax rate, raised from 44% to
48%, coupled with the 15% increase
in OHIP. premiums, gives Ontario. the'
highest personal tax rate in Canada at.
58.5%.
The .. implementation of. gasoline
taxes on an ad valorum basis: has
potentially far-reaching consequiencr
es. This new tax 'structure means that;
Mr. Davis and the Conservative
Government, will profit at least as
much as the Lougheed Government of.
Alberta each daletheprice of crude; oil
increases..•
According to National Energy Pro -
gran; projections, the price of crude oil
will increase at leas $4.50 per barrel
in 1981, 1982 and 1983.
The Federal. Government receives
.52.50 of that 54.50 increase off the top`-
in the form of a revenue tett to cover .
'thecost of .subsidizing Eastern Can.
adian consumers. Of the remaining $2
per, barrel" incrernse, which •will be ;
.reflected in the wellhead prices, .80c '
per barrel trill be received by the
Alberta Government while the Davis
Government will take $1.12 per barrel
• each year. Thus, Ontario gasoline
consumers will now pay'an additional
.18c per gallon each year . instead of
the .13.Sc...under the National Energy -
.
Further tax increases include a new•
ad a valorum• tax rate on . cigarettes
resulting in an increase - of over .Sc per
• package. -In addition; the budget calls
for .a five per cent increase oh. hard
liquor, and a new ad valerian tax rate
of 20% on domestic beer. The price of
a case ofbeer will increase an
estimated .45c per . case, while . a
25 -ounce bottle of hard. liquor will .be
priced approximately .20c • 25c
higher.
Although :increasing many taxes on
consumers, Mr. &killer's budget .l�eav
es; the corporate taX structure unchan-
ged. Therefore, , the. budget represents
a `burden to consumers, who are being
asked to pay more and more in the
•form of taxes. •
It is • unfortunate that the budget
pays only, hp service to the difficulties
that the farming community is exper-
fencing now. Though indicating con.
cern for the industry, the budget then
goes on without implementing any
programs designed to instil vigour into,
an industry hit hard • by high interest
and high capital costs. Completely
absent is any indication that the
Ontario Government is •willing to.
consider implementing any pro ams
designed to meet the interest and high
cost .problems such as those . put
forward by the Liberal Opposition and
members of the agricultural commun-
ity.
In the -budget there are two .brief
references. to programs which assist
*the farm community. One .,prestos
:provides.for full exemption from prop.
erty taxation for defined farmland and
buildings and for managed foreeti. Of
course the farm and Managed forest
tax rebates are eliminated. In addi-
tion, there is a .program designed to
help with freight and available atbrage
in. Ontario:. Otherwise it appears that.
our Minister of Agriculture has been
unable to persuade his colleagues that
• ,assistance isneeded for the •agriculk
tural sector, -
The budget contains minor provi-
Sim*. for new subsidized • day care
nurseries, and also ;advocates . the
further expansion of chronic. home ,
care together with. providing for new,
extended chronic care beds::
. In short, most (ntarians will be hit
hard by the budget because of the rise
in taxes at a time when disposable
incomes are on the decline due to
inflation; high interest rates and rising ,
energy' costs.
In • other developments at O•uectr's
Park, the Conservative Government
has again stalled commencement of
further study into the ReMor/Astra
Trust matter. During the sitting,of the
Committee . on the Administration, of
Justice the Conservatives called a
twenty -minute halt, to the proceedings!
'so that they; could rally their absent
members to 'defeat a motion by Ant'
Bradley • (Liberal Member from. St.
Catherines) to have the receivers of
the R.eMorr related companies appear
before, the.Committee to provide„ the
`new Members with updating material.
..As a result, • we have been stalled
again in gettint on with an investiga:
tion which is very important to .those
members of the public �whohave.lost
their savings, and to those who would
.wish to develop confidence in the
•government's' procedure of :licensing
trust cotnpanlde. I
In relation:, to matters .surrounding
the. batdget, it is to be noted that in
retaliation for seine Minor delays the
Conservative Government chose.Of
vote against:: a..private 'member's bill
which wouldhaveprovided OHIP
coverage; for women who require
prostheses afternastectomies. Again
thetoverhnmienti used their majority to
defeath the proposal which was sup-
ported by both opposition puttee.
This is all that ail os of a ssrvlei :stifle., gas primp whlc6.
..was wrapped around a , I yddr.. pole when. struck a near
Sunday morning. liba Occident Oceanid at th. MasTavlsh
Sunoco St *ion whiniest drivers by Edwin Uppsrt, ' 19 in
Litelaaow veered across Campbell Street into til'p! P!t teen
flipped over and'swung out Into °atraan Street. Thr driver
• and a passenger, Todd MOO, 130 also of Lucknowr, WON not
injured In the accident. (Sentinel Staff Photo]
.
"Once again the consumer
in Ontario is penalized for
being thrifty," Marie Bright,
Coordinator for Ontario Reg-
ion of the National'Farmers
Union, said today while corm
renting on the provincial
budget.
Frank Miller's logic for the
Ontario fiscal budget is just
what one might expect from
a conservative majority goo.
ernnsent in this province,"
When a government gives
the illusion of governing for
the people and then turns
around :and knifes1,them in
the back such as Miller has
done With agriculture, with
his supposed financial aid to
farmers by removing the tax
from agriculture land and
re=taxing farm buildiings• and
residences to the hilt, it is
nothing more than an i1lu-
sion.
• "To the public it does look
like the government is trying
to ease the burden of bank-
rupt riddled farmers," Mrs.
Bright continued.
More twat on gas and diesel
fuel will only cripple agricul-
ture in this province a little
quicker and consumers will
have to rely on more import-
ed feed products. Health
care, an ,essential of all
classes of people from ;ally
walks of life in Ontario is
increased again • to whose
benefit? . ..Can the working
man afford this?
The • government mean-
while leaves u tax level on
the multinationals (stat,)
supposedly to encourage
more industry to this prov-
ince
rovince for the benefit of the
people. Interestingly enough
- this philosophy hasn't .gained
jobs for the people in °Atario
in the past. We question
what makes it different now?
• Onceagain the working
citizens of .your society are.
taxed to, death so: the multi-
nationals may survive to take
their profit to some other
country•rather than building
Ontario: .
"The citizens of Ontario
really should question
whether they are in control of
their province or in reality do
the wealthy mike the rules
under which we :are govern-
ed," Mrs, Bright concluded.
One . can always tell
when one is getting old
and • serious by the way.
that holidays seem to
interfere with one's work.:
a Robert C. l dwards,
Calgary Eye Opener,1013
with safety •convenience • economy
Haus your Nitrogen custom applied soon