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LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS by ýBi11 Newma n MPP The Ontario Legisiature rccessed June 28th with an impre ssive list of accomplishn-ents. 1 thought it would be of interest to the congtituents'of Ontario'South to review some of the highlights of this past session. Uppermost on everyone's mind these days is inflation. It is impossible for any single provincial government to completely solve the problem of inflation, however, the Ontario Government has taken positive steps to offset the effects of inflation on low-incomne earners and on pensioners. One of the major programs introduced was GAINS - a guaranteed annual income sysiem for our senior citizens. Effective July 1, a single pensioner in Ontario receives a minimum of $2 16.67 per month and a married couple, a minimum of $433.33 per month. These are the highest benefits paid anywhere in Canada and it does not include OHIP premiums paid on behaif of pensioners by the provincial government. Nor does it include free prescrip- tion drugs which will be made avail able to needy pensione rs beginning September 1. Other tax benefits have also been implemented which affect everyone directly. The property tax credit has been increased from $90 to $1I80. The retails sales tax has been removed in a broad range of items - hygiene products, household cleaning products and footwear sold for $30.00 or Iess. Measures have been introduced to attack the high cost of housing. Ontario is the first Canadian province to in- troduce a unique land speculation tax designed to curb the profits reaped by speculators who purchase and resel land without adding any real value to it. As a result of this tax, the prices of homes have already stabilized and in some areas of the province prices have even corne down by as much as $ 1,000, or more. The Ministry of Housing has established a number of significant programs which will provide 12,000 dwelling units that would not be ofdinarily constructed by the end of this year and upwards of 28,000 units for 1975. The Workmen's Compensation Act has been amended and wil benefit workers whose pensions have been de- preciated by inflation. Effective July 1, pensions present- ly in existence wiil be increased by as much as 60%, in sôme cases, based on a formula related to the year in which an individual's pension commenced. Benefits have also been increased for widows and dependents of deceased injured workmen and full compensation is now available for partially injured workmen who are unable to find suit- able employment. Overail, the earnings' ceiling for calcu- lation of benefits has been increased from $ 10,000 to $ 12,000. Ontario's general minimum wage has been increased from $2.00 to $2.25 an hour. The minimum wage for construction workers has risen from $2.25 to $2.50 an hour and for students $ 1.90 from $ 1.65 (effective Oct.I). 1There are rnany other important pieces of legislation too numerous to discuss fully in one column. I will llst some of them briefly: - a new warrantly system which will ensure that ail manufacturers & retailers stand behind their dlaims; - a Business Practices Act designed to remove unfair; deceptive and false business practices from the nmarket- place; - measures to attack the problem of availability of capital and its high cost to small businessmen; Tips from O.S.L. Priming a siphon with your mouth is dangerous and idiotic, warns the Ontario Safety League. Dr. Soreli Schwartz, associate prôfessor of pharrhacology and re- searcher in lung defense mechanismns at Georgetown Univ- ersity in the U.S., has found that aspirating the liquid gas into the lungs is an immediate hazard. It can cause rapid, severe and fatal lung damage from very small amounts, even droplets, of gasoline. The vapors alone can have a toxic effect. If liquid gas is swallowed, the doctor reports, il can cause heart problemns, damage to internaI organs, depression of the central nervous system. Should gasoline be swallowed, do not try to administer your own first aid, but seek medical hielp immediately.' The only remedy for- drowsiness and fatigue is plenty of sleep, the Ontario Safety League rerninds vacationing drivers. Pilîs won't do the job. Almost six thousand drivers in Ontario had accidents while backing their vehicles in 1972. When you're backing, make use of bystanders whcnever possible. They can help a lot. But you can't depend on themn entirely. lt's still your responsibility to avoid a backing accident. You can't pass the buck to the guy who lends a helping hand. Lane changes are a major cause of highway accidents. Look before you leap! q Canoeing is becoming more popular every year. This is not surprising as a canoe provides the means of escaping the noise, rush and smog of urban living to a greater extent than any other recreational means. The Ontario Safe.ty League points out to the canoeists that unless they have sufficient knowledge of the craft they are handling and the situations into whîch it can take them, they can be in even more deadly peril than in city or highway traffic. This fact is proven by the number of paddlers who have drowned already this year in Ontario. In almost every instance, it was lack of knowledge and experience in handling a canoe which caused the fatalîty. There are a few basic principles of canoeing which every- one should know before attemptîng a canoe trip without WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1974, PAGE 5 -assets eligible for forgivenêss of succession duties on "bona fide family'farrus" have been extended; - provincial' 1grantshave been increased for public tran- sit and rural roads. These*and many more programs have been implementèd since March Sth. Newspaper reporters have described the recently com- pleted session of the Legislature as a "marathon" one - and indeed it was. Your members worked long and hard on your behaîf and, we hope, accomplished measures which will be of benefit to ail of you. experienced assistance. The only safe position in a canoe is kneeling, or sitting on the bottomn of the craft. This keeps the centre of gravity low and minimizes the danger of capsizing. It also helps the canoeist to keep his balance which prevents falling overboard, the' usual cause of canoe- ing accidents. Always stay with the canoe if you should faîl out or capsize, even in cold water, and kick the camoe ashore using it as a life raft. The Ontario Safety League emphasizes the advisability of learning to swim before attempting to paddle a canme, and in hazardous situations always wear a suitable floatation jacket. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * MOST CAR SALESMEN WILLTELLYOU TIS OOESN'T EXISI, A SPORTS CAR WITII ROOM FOR FOUR'AOIJLTS, The Fiat l24Sport Coupe. SRedîmies at 6500 rpm. Power. assisted disc brakes on ail 4 wheels. Standard 5-speed gearbox. And roomn for four 180-1b. men with baggage. If you find this hard to beivjust take three big lfriends for a test drive. MARIAN -AUTO 25 Grenfeil Street, Oshawa 728-5179 'n The Regional Municipality of Durham Works Departmenit NOTICE RE: EMERGENCY AFTER-HOURS CALLSCo Effective Juiy 15th, the following felephone noumrbers will be on service for theE purpose of eemergency after-hours colis pertaining to sanitary sewers, water, regioncil roads & sanîfary landfilii sites. SCOTT BR( ZENITH .............61100 Outside Oshawa Area ...........576-9991 Withir, Oshawa No Toli AreacXRIG Ouringnormal office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. ta 5:00 p.m., the staff aof your area depot or admrinistration office will be available ta handle emnergency Uxbrldge J colis or general enquiries. The felephone numbers and addre5ses af iles locations are as follows: ADMINISTRATION 105 Consumers Drive, Whitby.......................... ...668-7721 ScRIG 1. AJAX-PICKERING DEPOT Regional Rd. No. 4 at Salem Rd..................9421471 S L. OSIAWA-WHITBY DEPOT 700 Raleigh Ave., Oshawa ...................7232248 PCERN 3. NEWCASTLE (ORONO) DEPOT Regional Rd. No. 4 at Orono..........9835116PIKRN WHITE 4. SUINDERUAND DEPOT Regional Rd. No. 10, West of Sunderland ................ 7053573140 PICKERING Please refer fa, the accothpanymng. flop ta detlermine the depot which serves your JAA orea. R. F. RICHARDSON, P. ENG., Ajax COMMISSIONER*0F iWORKS Please clip this odvert1semerit for future reference 1 1 m