Page A10 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 14, 1993 Socred head nails gov't payroll size TERRACE — Social Credit leader Jack Weisgerber isn’t sure if he would bring in a balanced budget if his party was the government. But he would have Frozen the salaries of public sector employ- ees to reduce the $1.5 billion the NDP will borrow this year to keep the wheels of government turning. “The wage settlements in the public sector are at about three times the rate of inflation and of settlements in the private sector,’’ said Weisgerber who visited Ter- race recently. “In terms of true increases in employment and wages, we're looking at a 22 per cent increase in the cost of the civil service,’’ he said of the first year and half of the NDP government. A lot of that has come from converting contract workers to full time civil servants which then increases costs and — reduces flexibility, added Weisgerber. He did concede that the former Social _ Credit government employed significant numbers of contract workers and that their contracts were extended when perhaps they should not have been. “The central issue is that con- tract workers gave government the option to downsize,”’ said Weisgerber. “What we have is a $19 billion budget of which $11 billion is in direct government wages or wages and salaries paid for by government,’’ he said. The Social Credit party leader’s comments were contained in a criticism of the NDP’s $19 billion budget introduced two weeks ago. oe COMPLIMENTARY FACIAL Mary Kay has a prover- designed for your skin type. All basic skin. care products are non-comedogenic and ; ‘clinically tested for skin ° irritancy and allergy, Most are safe for sensilive skin. Call today.to receive your complimentary facial, “MARY. KAY Independent Beauty ‘Consultant Mirja Little 635-9341 effective skin care program | _ CEDAR SIDING OUR SPECIALTY DROP *Aough 1x8 +*Plaln * Timbers * Beams *Round Fence posts «Other. fencing *. material _Top- quality Tight Knot - mS -talerior & Exterior - . Cedar: “Pine. * Cottanwood - « Cedar & SPF Compare Our Prices DEPENDABLE LUMBER i 1X6, 108, 110 ia 18, 1x8, mm 1x6. 2x4 or 6 orxd Hazelton, B.C. - B42. 5660 TERRACE VOLUNTEER BUREAU OPPORTUNITIES OF THE WEEK | Help Those In Need Terrace Shelter For The Homeless Urgently requires workers and persons. to. do laundry. Contact: Mary Alice or Maria Terrace Volunteer Bureau {acrosa from Totem Furniture} “638-1330 | “Jack Weisgerber While Weisgerber did credit the NDP with reducing government spending and the size of the deficit, he said not enough was done. .“*We have to look at the overail debt that’s resulted from this budget, The new BC2i crawn corporation will have — the authority to borrow $2.5 billion. That won't be included in the - direct government debt. - And there’s no accountability ta the legislature,’* -Weisgerber con- tinued, - _ He said ‘that soaring. welfare _ costs from new claimants added ' 22 per cent to the figure last year and. that those costs now stand at $400 million. “There aré 57,000 employable men on welfare in B.C. As of right now, one in 10 people in B.C. receive welfare benetfits,’’ said Weisgerber. While Weisgerber ack- nowledged that the province has a responsibility to to help people, he’s worried that people are tak- ing advantage of the B.C, social safety net. There are Americans coming up Claiming hardship month after month after month. We’re devel- oping an international reputation for a warm, soft climate. We're becoming the California of the north,” said Weisgerber. Budget boost TERRACE — The aboriginal affairs ministry is getting the second highest budget increase in percentage terms this year of the 19 ministries in the provin- cial government, Spending is forecast at $18.2 million, a 13 per cent increase over the $16.1 million estimatcd for the fiscal year which ended March 31. But that'estimate is less than the $17.4 million the ministry was originally scheduled to spend. The ministry is a new one, ‘[created by the former Social Credit government to first deal with aboriginal issues that af- fect provincial jurisidiction and now, land claims. Most of the total ministry budget increase is going ta salaries and benefits for specific programs. The figure for the coming year is $4,595 million com- pared to $2.882 million last year. The ministry’s total budget in 1991-1992 was $7.138 mil- lion. The Northern Regional : Hair Dressers Association presents i