Tax cuts, health bucks
don’t impress MP Scott

CLAIMS THAT the aver
age Canadian will get a
break on taxes in this ycar’s
federal budget don’t add up,
says Skeena MP Mike Scott,

Finance tinister Paul pared to what was taken oul, -vative government, — is Pistol Grip Grease Gun.
Martin’s budget last week = “‘He’s taken 20 bill out of eliminated as of July 1. Includes an 18° whip hose with hydraulic coupler.
used a hefty surplus to put health care over the last 5 Buta five percent surtax —  ULT79033.

money back into health care
transfers, pay down the na-
tional debt and ease back on
iticome tax revenue,

‘But Scott said the reality”

is that most people will pay
nore because of dramatical-

‘ly rising Canada Pensi ing i aking less th: i
y 8 G ada Pension spending in olher.areas. _ ‘making less than $20,000 a 3-way Flex Handle

an opremivins and a He noted grants, subsidies year, Unique flex handle with 1/4”, 3/8” ane 1/2" drives
phenomenon © known as and loans to corporations = That’s being extended to , ULT 06813

bracket creep, - :

That’s when salaries that
rise to keep up with infla-
tion end up putting a worker
into a higher tax bracket be-
cause the federal govern-

inet several years ago partment of Fisheries and $6,794 of camings this year, immediate reduction of “ ULT 83070
- Stopped indexing income Oceans in Oltawa, where going up to $7,131 in future surgery waiting fists. as

tax brackets, ©). ° there are no fish,” years,

“It results in-people whose @ Personal side @ Health care Pacific

salaries are basically just LAST YEAR it was low ine ALL PROVINCIAL PNG |Site

keeping up with the cost of
_ living losing more and amore
to taxes over time.

‘While there’s been a
slight reduction on income
tax, you’re paying more in
CPP contributions, so the
net effect is you’re paying a

: little bit more,” Scott said.

“Canadians ‘actually pay

. Slightly more, in taxes in
1999 than in 1998,’” he said,
“He just is not being level
and = square | with “Cana-
dians.”’ fe ee

Firms |

busted 28

TWO TERRACE janitorial

bringing in. $60,000

firms have been busted for

faking their records to help
employees defraud the
employment insurance sys-
- tem.
. One of the companies was,
fined $8,000 for issuing a
false record of employment.
1_.Humaii-Resourees- Devel~
» opment Canada investigator
~ Vince Heslenfeld said it was’
‘determined a. man per
formed the work, but . the
record of employment and
“payroll was’ all done in the
“name of his wife — who
“was nore likely to be in a

‘ position to collect employ-.

ment “insurance benefits
down the road, The woman
was also fined and ordered
to pay back benefits.

A ‘second case involved
another Terrace janitorial
firm that had. doctored
payroll and employment
_Tecords to grossly inflate the

‘amount of work actually ‘

‘done by an employee who
- later claimed for El,

Heslenfeld said the com-
pany was fined $3,000 and
the employee’s claim for
‘benefits was rejected and a
- fine was issued.

The violations were
‘among nearly 90 cases of
fraud that were cracked by
. investigators from. October
to December 1998.

Officers uncovered. a total
‘of $488,578 in EI benefits
overpayments, although the
-amjorily.. of. the | 418
Claimants involved weren't
‘involved in deliberate fraud.

“Only 88 of them were

Scott said the infusion of
$11.5 billion back into
provincial health care col-
fers by 2004 is encouraging
but still small potatoes com-

years,’’ Scott said. “This
minister has balauced - the
federal budget on the backs
of the health care system,”?

Meanwhile, Scott said, the

Liberals
Serious

laken
reduce

have not
efforls to

‘atid businesses, have. not

been cut or reduced.
Nor, he says, has the vast
bureaucracy in Ottawa.
“There are still 1,100
people working for the De-

come carmers getting tax
relief but this year, it’s the
turn of middle income
eamiers,

Generally speaking, two-
eamiers Bringing in a com-
bined $50,000 as part of a
family of four can expect
savings ‘of $556 this tax
year, according to finance
ministry documents.

That rises to $620 based
on two income carers
for a
family of four. me

The three percent surtax
on individuals making more
than $50,000 — first intro-
duced by the Brian Mul-
roney Progressive Conser-

‘starting for those carning
$65,000 or more will con-
tinue. te
Last year federal finance

minister Paul Martin in-

ercased (he basic personal
excmption by $500 for those

all income earners this year
and, as of July 1, gets in-
creased by ‘an additional
$175.

In effect, no income lax
will be paid ‘for the first

governments will get more
money for health care,
reflecting growing criticism
that federal citts in this area
of past years were simply
too much,

For B.C, that means
money for. more - hospital
beds and surgical proce-
dures, the lack of which has
been a target of those op-
posed to the NDP govem-
ment. :

As it is, the province has .-
_- already said it'll spend $50. -

PONTIAC

AS =
Mike Scott
million to hire another 1,000

nurses and, last week, an-
nounced $10 million for an

NOTICE OF ANNUAL
MEETING

The Annual Meating of
Shareholders of Pacific
Northern Gas Ltd, will be
heid in the Cypress Room
of the Hyatt Regency
Vancouver Hotel, 655
Burrard Street, in the City of
Vancouver, British Columbia,
on Thursday, April 22, 1999
al 10:00 am. .

David G. Unruh
Secretary

Vancouver, B.C., February 5, 1999

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 24, 1999 - AY

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_ fined extra amounts, effec-

‘tively doubling or tripling ©
how much moncy they have
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A total of $699,611 in
fines and overpayments will
‘have to be repaid.
-*The overall. level of

employment insurance fraud
‘is around three per cent of
total benefits paid, Heslen-
‘feldsaid, 200. .
‘Failure to declare carnings
‘from employment continues
‘to be the most common type.
“of EI abuse, he added.

. Investigators check out
“suspicious-looking claim
-fonns,, bit’ they ‘also get
“Many tips:-from: employers
-and olbers. ws ;

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