March 25, 1987

SS wo
< Vol. 50, No. 11
x as rs i

socreds’ 1987 budget
‘perpetuates restraint

Those hoping for a “fresh start” from a
supposedly revamped Social Credit govern-

ment were cruelly disappointed by the
S ge message on ar release of the provincial budget March

agua:

19 — a budget which grants further tax
breaks to corporations while hitting the
poor and the working class with yet more in
a z Sm Oe taxes and user fees.

British Columbians were also demanding
economic renewal through job creation.
But the province’s Social Credit govern-
ment ignored employment for B.C.’s
250,000 jobless in favor of continuing in the
1987-88 fiscal plan the same old Socred
agenda — while maintaining a facade of
moderation.

ie

|

Highlights, page 2
Free Trade, page 3

“We have a budget that will not create
new jobs, that slashes vital services even
more and (that) will result in more public
sector layoffs,’ said B.C. Federation of
Labor president Ken Georgetti.

Commenting at a press conference in the
legislature shortly after Finance Minister |
Mel Couvelier began his speech, Georgetti
charged that the budget “perpetuates the
restraint era of the last premier.” |

And ata public meeting on the free trade i
issue, provincial Communist Party leader
Maurice Rush charged that the budget
“didn’t tackle unemployment at all,” while |
he blasted the provincial government’s phi- |
losophy of relying on the private sector for
economic recovery.

see CORPORATIONS page 3

NOANJ» VISDNY — OLOHd ANNGIYL

A co-ordinated coast-to-coast cam-
paign on March 23 — the fourth
anniversary of the President Reagan’‘s
announcement of the Strategic De-
fence Initiative — saw representatives
from peace groups visit their local
MPs urging them to speak out against ;
the Star Wars program. In British i
Columbia, federal constituency offi-
ces in every riding were targeted for
delivery of a common statement cal-
ling on the Mulroney government to
take the intiative and speak out to
/ save the ABM treaty and work for a
comprehensive test ban; ensure that
Canadian territory is not used for the i
wenn ef stat Wars program; and support arms i
control and the peaceful use of space.
poonewwnnnennscnenngl At top, from left to right Col. (Rtd.)
Norman Hoye of Veterans Against
Nuclear Arms, Sheena Lambert of
End the Arms Race, and Brock
Rhone, all residents of Conservative
MP Pat Carney’s Vancouver Centre
riding deliver the common statement |
to Carney’s executive assistant Mar-
jorie Lewis. At bottom, members of
the recently-formed Kamloops Peace
Umbrella group deliver the statement

x to NDP MP Nelson Riis’ representa-
tive, Kenna Cartwright. From left to
right: Cartwright, Mae Gracey of Pro-
ject Ploughsares, John Harper Presi-
dent of the Kamloops and District
Labor Council and Rev. Allan Rich-
ards, Project Ploughshares.

/ SMIN SAOO TW YY — O1OHd