“hig

BROADBENT

BLASTS
TAX INGREASE

NDP Leader Ed Broadbent blasted the
former Conservative government for effec-
tively raising the 1979 federal income taxes
for low income pensioners.’

Broadbent charged Tories could have
remedied the situation in its Dec. budget but
instead told Canadians to bite the bullet.

“Well, Canadians are fair minded and
prepared to pay their fair share but a lot of
Canadians aren’t being asked just to bite
the bullet — they’re being asked to swallow
the grenade.

The NDP Leader was referring to the
general tax reduction of $300 introduced by
the former Liberal government for 1978. The
tax reverted to $200 for 1979.

The NDP have said they would introduce
a tax credit for low-income pensioners along
with increasing the guaranteed annual
income supplement by $40 per month. The

Regional 1st Vice-President Bob Blanchard (second from left) and Local 1-207 President Joe Pirker (left) are shown with North combined effect would bring pensioners’
Canadian Forest Products Hinse Creek Sawmill Division Plant Committee Members Harold Young and Larry McCann prior to the incomes up to the official poverty level.
crew voting to accept the new two year agreement negotiated by Blanchard, Pirker, and the Plant Committees from both the Hines

Creek Division and the Company's plywood division in Grande Prairie.

COST OF LIVING
MORE THAN
DOUBLED SINCE
1971

* "The latest Consumer Price Index issued
by Statistics Canada shows the cost of
living in Canada has more than doubled
since 1971. In terms of buying power, what
cost Canadians $10 in 1971 now costs
$20.10.

The cost of living rose 0.6 percent in
January to bring the CPI - which was at the
100 level in 1971 - to 200.1 in January. Asa
result, the 12-month inflation rise for the
last 12 months now stands at 9.5 percent.

Statistics Canada said higher transporta-
tion and housing costs along with higher
food costs were mainly responsible for the
overall increase.

7 het

Grande Prairie Plywood Crew

WELFARE PLAN
CYNICAL — BROWN

The British Columbia government’s plan
to mark Human Resources Week has been
attacked as a cynical use of welfare
recipients, to provide publicity for Human
Resources Minister Grace McCarthy.

NDP Human Resources critic Rosemary
Brown, said she had learned that the minis-
ter intends to announce an increase in
welfare rates during that week.

“The public purse is putting out $40,000
for “hoopla” during Human Resources
Week, to provide the minister with a politi-
cal grand-stand from which she can
announce the paltry social assistance rate
increase,” Brown said.

“The money would be better spent if it
went to people in need,” she said. It has been
ten months since the last increase was made
in welfare rates, and Brown said thata
i sf — substantial increase is desperately needed
—_ <£.  . = ee because of the high level of inflation.

Hines Creek Crew

Lumber Worker/March, 1980/3