Zurich Citizens News, 1974-03-21, Page 13THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1974
Marriage should be viewed
in law as an economic partner-
ship in which both husband and
wife have equal shares. This is
a radical departure from exist-
ing principles as recommended
by the Law Reform Commission
in the massive report that was
tabled in the Legislature this
week. The proposal if acted up-
on, by the Legislature would
allow Ontario wives to share
in family assets acquired during
a marriage, upon termination
of the marriage. The marital
home as well as joint bank
accounts would be considered
joint property of both spouses.
299 Legislative recommendat-
ions are designed to move Ont-
ario Law regarding illegitimate
children, family property and
family courts our of the 18th
and 19th centuries and into the
20th century. The report urges
the abolition of all legislative
discrimination between child-
ren born in and outside marriage
It suggests a new Court Offic-
ial called a Law Guardian, be
appointed to each Family Court
to act only in the interest of
the child in any proceeding
affecting his upbringing. The
Commission also suggests that
a unified Family Court should
be established to deal with all
family law matters. The Com-
mission suggests that the separ-
ate Family Court be manned
by two groups of judges, one
appointed by the Federal Govern
ment and the other by the Prov-
incial Government. Attached to
the Court should be the assur-
ance of adequate family court
support services, such as fam-
ily counselling, conciliation
and assessment branches and
specialized probation services,
The main theme of NDP
Leader, Stephen Lewis; reply
in the Legislature to the Speech
from the Throne was inflation.
Mr. Lewis produced some startl-
ing figures to back up his claim
that there has been an unbel-
ievable increase in the cost of
housing in Ontario. 1 -lousing
costs in Toronto alone have
risen 56rfo since 1971 and similar
increases were also seen in other
centres such as Hamilton, Lond-
on and Kitchener. Mr. Lewis
also charged that an average
price rise of 5501 has been exp-
erienced since 1971 on such
items as milk, butter, eggs,
bacon, steak, bread, vegetable
soup, canned corn and potatoes.
Food Company profits are well
up and Mr. Lewis condemned
the Government for letting the
Corporations of Ontario get away
with murder. Although the Ont-
ario Government contends that
Ottawa bears prime responsibil-
ity for restraining inflation,
Mr. Lewis maintains that it is
first and foremost a Provincial
responsibility.
To cut housing costs Mr. Lewis
proposed a massive public
acquisition of land for housing
adjacent to the 20 major urban
centres In Ontario. The Tax
Credit system should be used
to hold mortgage interest rate
Jottings
by
Jack
from
Queens Puck
at 6% and a Capital Gains Tax
of 75% levied on speculative
profits from land and housing.
The Leader of the Liberal
Party, Robert Nixon, also
attacked the Government for
having no policy to control
spiralling land and housing
costs. He indicated that the
average price of all houses
sold in Ontario rose by 26%
between 1970 and 19'73. The
problem is most acute in Met-
ropolitan Toronto where the
cost of shelter rose by approxi-
mately $1, 000 per month on
the average house, The Housing
cost increase was about four
times as much as the rise in the
cost of living and almost twice
as much as food price increases
in 1973. As a result of the influ-
ence that housing prices in •
Toronto is having throughout
Ontario prospective land buyers
and land speculators are search-
ing farther and farther afield.
Land prices all over Ontario
started to rise about 18 months
ago because of pressures in the
Toronto Real Estate market.
The primary cause as the Ont-
ario Economic Council reported
last year is the scarcity of
developed land. The demand
for land far exceeds the supply
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HOMMIMINO IIIMISOMOMM MOMS
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
and the shortages have been
heightened by competition for
available sites between foreign
and domestic capital. The
result is artificially high land
cost which is eventually passed
on to land buyers. German,
Swiss, American, Japanese and
British investors have all been
attracted to Ontario's bland
property market and their de-
mand for real estate has result-
ed in inflated housing prices for
Canadians.
Mr. Nixon indicated that
foreign firms have made subst-
antial purchases of land in var-
ious parts of the Province. The
Swiss owned firm of Fidinarn
Limited, for example controls
a large tract of land in Norfolk
County near the Nanticoke
generating project. Mr. Nixon
charged that the amount of
foreign owned land in central
Toronto alone is staggering and
he went on to give several ex-
amples. Such extensive foreign
participation in the Ontario land
market not only infringes on our
natural heritage but also cont-
ributes to higher shelter costs
for the residents of this Province
This type of foreign investment
does not create jobs or advance
technology. It benefits only the
investors. According to Mr.
Nixon, the Provincial Govern-
ment must act properly to rest-
rict future land purchases to res-
idents of Canada and Canadian
owned corporations or an evdn
greater influx of foreign money
will further inflate Ontario's
prices. Mr. Nixon went onto
say that restrictions on foreign
land ownership will ease the
upward pressure on land prices
somewhat but tough measures
are also required to stop land
speculation by Canadians. Just
recently the newly elected
President of the Ontario Real
Estate Association estimated
that 30% of all land transact-
ions in Ontario involve specul-
(continued on page 14)
PAGE 13
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ZURICH
Notice of Annual Meeting
TAKE NOTICE THAT THE
ANNUAL MEETING
OF
BLUE WATER REST HOME
Will
It
held at the Rest Ho
—• ON —
TUES AY, x r ., RCH 26, rft
e
DR. C. J. WALLACE, GERALD GINGERICH,
Chairman Secretary
The general public are invited to attend this meeting 1
As you know by now, we changed a lot of things last
year. We gave you a new return, a new Guide, several•new
deductions and a few new rules. And quite honestly, we were
more than a little concerned about your reaction to it all,
(And very, very interested in your opinions.)
Well, now that we've had time to really look back at it
and assess it honestly, it appears that most taxpayers did
not seem to find it too difficult. The error rate did not ac-
celerate greatly or change drastically from former years.
Generally, most taxpayers seemed to handle their new
returns fairly well.
However, Income Tax will never be the easiest or most
enjoyable thing in anyone's life. And it will always present
problems in some areas, for some people. That's expected
and understandable.
So. What we want to do now is really work on those
problem areas, And the best way to do that is to work with
you, individually, on whatever part of Income Tax that causes
you difficulty.
And that's what April Aid is all about. It's a help system
and its primary objective is to ensure that whenever or
whatever you need help with, you can get it. And know how
to get it.
INCOOME And this is how it
TA
GUIDE works:
First. Your Guide is always the
best answer when you have a problem.
Read it. Follow it. It not only gives explana-
tions, but in many cases, examples of just
how to figure something out.
Second. If you're still confused or something just
doesn't seem to work, phone. The number of your
' own District Taxation Office is below and at the
end of that number there are people whose only job is to help
taxpayers with problems, by telephone. And on Mondays and
Tuesdays phone lines are open 'tit 6 p.m. So don't hesitate.
If you live outside the office area, call the Operator and
ask for Zenith 0-4000. She will automatically connect you to
your own District Taxation Office. Remember, all calls are
free. all questions are answered, and if you have queries, we
want you to call.
DIHP
Third. Some people prefer to talk things over in
person. If you're one of them and have problems,
drop by for free help. Anytime. The address of your
District Taxation Office is below.
Fourth. Write. To the address below. Explain your
n'''`v / problem as clearly as possible and include all in-
formation. (And your return address, please.) In
return, we'll answer all letters as quickly and clearly as
possible. Remember— if you need help, it's there. (And free).
And all you have to do is ask.
April Aid.
The Income Tax help system.
Let's make it work for you.
National Revenue Bldg., 166 Frederick St., Kitchener,
Ont. N2H 2M4 — 579-6060
1111111112011M MEM mem t Dm IMMO MAIM a tm®IRI u
Together,
we can get it
done.
1+
Revenue Canada Revenai Canada
Taxation hiipot
Robert Stanbury M,nrsler Rvbert Stanbury, mmulre
NUMMI
EMORMOOM