Tax relief
cheered,
but debt

Still large

THE GOOD news is that there are very real tax de-

creases in federal finance minister Paul Martin's
budget of last week.

But the bad news, says local accountant Donna Dem-
ers, is that Martin and his federal Liberals have fallen by

the wayside on their promises to reduce the overall fed-

eral debt,

H's that debt, $570 billion and its consequent annual

interest payments, which worry Demers, a general partn-

er with Demers and Brodie here in Terrace.

“a “There’s too much being paid out in interest on the
‘debi, People are living in a fairy tale world if they think
interest rates aren’t going to go up again,” she said.

' “And if that happens, where’s Mr. Martin’s surplus
then?”

What happened, said Demers, is almost the classic

_ federal Liberal tradition — Martin and the others just
couldn't bear not to spend an estimated $85 billion in

surpluses over the next five years.

. “T think they’ve pretty much lost that connection bet-
*. ween the accumulated deficit and the surplus,” she said,

~ Demers added that Canadians accepted the idea in

the last decade of higher taxes because of the need to
cul the deficit to zero and then to work away on the
debt.

But while Martin is making small payments — $3 bil-

lion a year — on the debt, that isn’t at the expected lev- -

él, she said.

Still, Demers is happy with tax reductions, some of
which begin this year with the majority to take hold in
2001.

“For the first time in a long time there is a tax reduc-
tion for middle income carners,” said Demers.

“There have been breaks before for low income eam-
ers and high income earners are still getting nailed, but
there is something for the middle income earner,” she
said.

What makes Demers the happiest is the return of in-
dexing tax rates.

This hasn’t taken place for years and the result has
been for people to gradually find themselves paying
more income tax.

That’s because there hasn’t been an allowance for in-
flation so wage increase have resulted in people being
moved into higher tax brackets.

Now, there will be full adjustments for inflation so

ica

YOUR PAYCHEQUE will stretch farther with income tax cuts announced in last
week's budget, says lacal accountant Donna Demers. But Ottawa has put off a
serious attack on the national debt, gambling Interest rates won't shoot up.

She’s also happy with increases to child tax credits CPP charges

because this will have the greatest impact on low in-

come families.

“It’s just wrong ta have an income of $24,000 a year
and a couple of kids and have to pay tax,” said Demers.

“And it’s unconscionable to have a senior making
$13,000 a year and have to pay income tax. At last with
this budget, that’s very close to ending,” she said.

Some of Martin's budget features:

@ A reduction in the middle income tax rate to 23 per
cent from 26 per cent. It'll fall to 24 per cent as of July
1.

@ The percentage of RRSP contributions that can be
put into foreign content rises from 20 per cent to 30 per
cent over the next two years.

MA single income earner with $30,000 of income
will save $329 a year by 2004.

@ A family of four on one income of $40,000 will

that the tax rate will move, up as, does JAA AO womow sor $4¥8,81,623-a year by 2004,

That's big news, Without indexing thers were tax.i
creases without the government having to do anything,”

rs Be ayy: a
Demers said,

we

‘ogy Ml Agfamily-of four dn’ an duil income amounting, .lo.
"$60,000

2004,

(on an evedi'split) willsave'$1,546 a year by:

Budget trades social priorities for tax breaks

WHILE IT is well and
good to have tax breaks for
middle income earners,
last week’s federal budget
reductions must be placed
against social priorities,
says one local advocate.
Sarah De Leeuw, a co-
ordinator at the Terrace
Wamen’s Resource Cen-
tre, said people must still

remember that transfer
payments for health and
education still haven’t
been restored to what they
were in the last decade.
“You don’t want to di-
minish the importance of
$40 a month in a tax re-
duction to a family, but
you have to determine
whether that stands up to

Dropped from cabinet

Spurned MLA

By JEFF NAGEL
HELMUT GIESBRECHT
is no longer sure he'll run
again in the next provin-
cial election after being
dumped from cabinet and
doesn’t even guarantee
he’d support the NDP gov-
ernment in a close vote in
the legislature.

Stung by his demotion
by new premier Ujjal Do-
sanjh, the Skeena MLA
and now the former public
services minister lashed
out at the move, which he
said was about rewarding
Dosanjh’s team and pun-
ishing supporters of Gordon
Wilson and Corky Evans
in the NDP leadership
campaign.

“[’'m dissappointed, ter-
ribly. dissappointed,” Gies-
brecht said last week. “I'd
thought better of some of
these people.”

“It’s easier to take criti-
cism and attacks from the
Opposition,” he said, al-
luding to his survival of a
recall campaign two years
ago. “It’s a lot harder io
lake this kind of a body
blow from someone in the
family.”

Giesbrecht said he’s
now. reconsidering his
pledge in January that he
would run again regardless
of which candidate
emerged the leader.

“T don’t know what I’m
going to do,” he said. “I’m
certainly not as keen on it
as I used to be.” -.

“]?m considering all my

options,” he added.

Helmut Giesbrecht

Giesbrecht has three
times in recent months
ended up on a losing fac-
tion within the NDP.

He was first elevated to
cabinet by former premier
Glen Clark when he was
dealing with growing cabi-
net defections over his in-
volvement in a gaming
licence investigation.

In the leadership race
after Clark resigned, Gies-
brecht supported Gordon
Wilson.

Wilson, however,
pulled out just before the
vote and threw his support
behind Corky Evans.

Giesbrecht followed suit
but then watched Dosanjh
defeat Evans.

“It’s hardball polities,”
he. said of the shuffle.
“There are. those who
would say I just picked the

the tax breaks for large
corporations,” she added.

The federal budget also
failed to address the mat-
ter of homeless people, De
Leeuw said.

She is happy with the
doubling of maternity
leave provisions from six
months to a full year.

“There have been some

victories, but it is not as if
the battle’s been won,” De
Leeuw added.

In a lot of ways, De
Leeuw said the Paul Mar-
tin budget is a what might
be expected out of a Lib-
eral government — an-at-
tempt to make everybody
happy.

are soaring

IT IS true the federal gov-
emment is reducing the
amount of money it col-
lects for employment in-
surance benefits.

But the amount is more
than overshadowed by in-
creases in Canada Pension
Plan payments.

Last year the CPP pay-
ment was $3.50 for every
dollar of income to a max-
imum of $1,316.

This year the maximum
will be $1466.40 and next
year it'll be $1579.20

_.Which represents a_jump of
$263.20 over three*yedr's..':)

Now place that against
reductions in Employment
Insurance premiums which
were $2.55 for every dollar
of income to a maximum
$994.50 last year,

This maximum figure
will drop to $936 this year
and to $780 by 2004.

That's a reduction of
$214.50 a year, but it'll
take five years to get to
that point. By contrast,
that increase by $263.20 in
CPP rates will happen in
just three years.

furious with premier

wrong candidate. [ don’t
think | did. [ just picked
the candidate who didn’t
get the most votes. Wheth-
er it was right or wrong
will be determined in the
next election.”

Giesbrecht said he was
also tainted by his por-
trayal as a Clark loyalist
by “the southern media,”

“It was pretty obvious |
was going to be a casualty
for exercising my demo-
cralic tights in the family
compelition,” he said.

He got the news that he
would no longer be public
services minister in a terse
one-minute phone call
from Dosanjh Feb. 27

Giesbrecht said he had
believed Dosanjh’s talk of
conciliation and healing
the divisions within the

party, and that there would
not be retribution against
opponents.

“I played by what 1
thought were honourable
rules in terms of the
contest,” he said, adding
he didn’t try to influence
delegate selection here
and refrained from the
“destructive and vicious”
atlacks waged by others.

Giesbrecht also thought
his work as public services
minister advancing an em-
ployment equity program
would get more credit.

“For the last six months
I have been doing the work
while others have been
sniping at each other dur-
ing the leadership race,”
he said. “It didn’t work.
I'm toast.”

His treatment following

Dosanjh’s victory has left
him disillusioned about
even his ability to support
the government.

“Vil take it day by
day,” he said. “We'll see
what happens.”

“The advantage is now
that [ won't have to worry
about things like cabinet
solidarity,” he said.

Giesbrecht says it has
not been easy at times to
defend the actions of the
government to northerners,
particularly decisions such
as the 1995 cancellation of
Alcan’s Kemano Comple-
tion hydroelectric project.

“If some decisions were
to come down now that
had come down in the past
I would not be as willing
to simply defend the posi-
tion,” he said.

Province’s new cabinet unveiled

HERE’s the new cabinet unveiled by new
premier Ujjal Dosanjh last week:
Joy MacPhail - Labour, Deputy prem-

ier,

Graeme Bowbrick — Advanced edu-
cation, training and technology. Also re-

sponsible for youth.

“Corky Evans - Agriculture, food and
fisheries, Also responsible for rural devel-

apment.

Dale Lovick -- Aboriginal affairs.

Andrew Petter - Attorney General.
Also responsible for human rights.

Gretchen Mann Brewin — Children

and families.

Jenny Kwan - Community develop-
ment, cooperatives and volunteers,

and parks.

relations.

Dan Miller — Energy and mines, Also
responsible for northern development.
Joan Sawicki - Environment, lands

Paul Ramsey ~ Finance and corporate

Jim Doyle — Forests.

Mike Farnworth - Health, Also re-
sponsible for seniors.

Sue Hammell - Multiculturalism and

lic service.

immigration. Also responsible for the pub-

Cathy McGregor ~ Municipal affairs,
Jan Waddell — Small business, tour-

ism and culture.

. -Gordon Wilson. - Employment and:

Penny Priddy - Education.
ways.
investment.

Jan Pullinger ~ Social development
and economic security.
Harry Lali - Transportation and high-

Joan Smallwood - Women’s equality,

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 8, 2000 - A5
CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Certain kind of guy

Dear Sir:

Hallelujah! A philosopher in our midst!

Tom Brophy writes with no uncertain certainty
that he knows the truth “about the destructiveness
of birth control, divorce, pornography, homosexual-
ity, lesbianism, Godless “Jews” and especially
abortion” (letter to the editor, Feb, 23, 2000). How
rare lo find one truly aware of that too slippery
thing the truth!

I am surprised, it is true, that Tom did not in-
clude the natives in his truthful display of honest
awareness. It could not be that they are too large in
number that to speak truly of them would have in-
vited a true reckoning on an honest man’s head.

No, 1 think, truly, that Tom has narrowed the
truth where it is, truth be told, best applied: against
those whose numbers, because so small, are blind
to the truth. Now, to speak truly of myself, 1 know
a thing or three about this tricky matter of truth,
having read a little of Plato and Secretes and Sha-
kesbeere.

Tom, too, must know this as well — [ can tell,
truthfully, by the Irish of his last name, for ] am
sure that he, like me, endured the Jesuits’ teaching
in the one true and apostolic church.

There, we learned that truth comes from the
knowledge of knowing the thing about which we
speak, and that any claim to truthfulness must
come from direct experience.

He must have experienced birth contral; a di-
vorce must have assaulted him; I grant pornogra-
phy, homosexuality, and lesbianism are hard to
come by here, so he must travel to observe these
truly (or perhaps we could accept regular visits on
that Internet computer); Godless “Jews” I have to
admit puzzles me, as a Jew by true definition is by
the Jesuits only beGodded by the Bible, so perhaps
Tom truly means “Jews” metaphoricalmently as in’
all those business swindlers in the stores and else-
where like in the corporations; but abortion I truly
understand as a clear true-or-false trouble - though
} have not had one, and J cannot say whether Tom
has or not either, so ] am back at my carbuncle.

1am confused. I need a good philosopher to help
me defalsify my befuddlement,

And if I am stumbling in the dark blindness, I
imagine others are tangled in the tiger tails of truth
too. So tell us, Tom, what is the truth?

Dave Heinimann, Terrace, B.C,

Decency needed

Dear Sir:

Tom Brophy’s letter comes dangerously close,
in my opinion, to being hate literature.

Three major religions Judaism, Christianity and
Moslem Religion share the belief in one God, and
that God is the God:of .Moses and Abraham, of the +:

_ Old Testament, which is, common fo ail,three.,,.. .

When I was a young person, I went to live in a
boarding house in Toronto, The house was owned
by a very kind and loving elderly lady, who hap-
pened to be of the Jewish faith, There were a num-
ber of boarders all Christians, as well as her family
who shared this accommodation.

On Christian holidays and on the Christian Sab-
bath she always cooked special meals to celebrate
the occasion. At the evening meal on the Jewish
Sabbath, as she lit the candles, she asked God to
etotect all who dwelt in her house. I spent many
evenings listening to Rabbis, college professors
and Jewish neighbours discuss world affairs. 1 was
always treated as one of the family.

Having known many people who are homosex-
ual and not being an expert on human behaviour,
the reason that they have this preference appears
to be a natural attraction and not one of personal
choice. If that life style brings happiness, we
should not question it.

Tom seems particularly obsessed with abortion.
Let me assure Tom, that before this medical treat-
ment was legalized, many women and their babies
died from attempted abortions. Torn, you and I as
males, will never have to make this difficult deci-
sion, and without knowing all the facts, both eco-
nomic and emotional that these women face which
causes this decision to be made. I feel that you and
] should not sit in judgment.

You may not agree with the decisions made by
the Pope and the Vatican Council, but ] am sure
that millions of people around the world are per-
fectly happy with them.

Justice, decency and sanity are never brought
about by hate but only by accepting a variety of
life styles, colour and religion, can we share this
planet in harmony.

Norman Read, Terrace, B.C.

Hey, it’s our money
Dear Sir:

The Liberal government in Ottawa is totally out
of control, blatantly throwing our money away.
Here are a few of their ideas of how to spend tax-
payers’ money: $100 million for hockey players,
$150 million for the banks, a billion some accoun-
ted for and some not reportedly for job creation,
$100 million distributed sometimes without appli-
cations, sometimes to power stricken corporations
like Wai-mart,

The simplest way to receive money from this
government is to donate half of it back to the Lib-
eral party.

You are probably aware that the billion handed
out is from the job creation fund. What you may
not know is that it is ripped off from that $21 bil-
lion surplus achieved by overcharging employers
and workers via contributions and by denying.
benefits to 60 per cent of the unemployed, ill

Those that do get claims accepted wi
less money for a shorter period of time.

The, billions of U.I, monies confiscated from the
funds belonging to employers as well as employees
are the main contributors to the much acclaimed
balanced budget in Ottawa.

It is in fact balanced on the backs of the unem-
ployed workers, many of whom are now on wele
fare, which of course is a provincial responsibility,
straining an already stressed provincial budget,

John Jensen, Terrace, B.C,

ve