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Economic taikua.afailure, but.... WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JTJLY 21. 1982, PAGE 5 NDP.and Tory MPs agree rates, must corne down Instead of producing some new ideas, last week'srnuch 'halled "Great Econornic De- bate" turned into noth- ing more than govern- ment bashing sess ion. Perhaps one of the reasons for its apparent failure to produce any- thing concrete was Iack of attendance. 0f the 31 members of Durham Regional Coun- cil, only 19, including chairman Gary Herremna, showed Up. 0f the region's four federal members of par- liarnent, Scott Fennel (PC- - Ontario), Ed Broadbent (NDP >- Oshawa), Bull Scott (PC - Victoria-Haliburton) and Alan Lawrence* (PC - Durham-Northurnber- land), only Fennell and Broadbent appeared. This meeting was arranged by- regional counil's management committee as a prelude bo the issumng 0f a report on Durham's economie statement. This analy- sis, along with a set of recommendations, is to be sent to Prime Minister Pierre Tru- deau. During the meeting essentially four or five topics received any dis- cussion: high interest rates, the expansion of the GO Transit System, the Lakespan Ferry col- lapse, and the importing of Japanese cars. Broadbent, leader of the National New Derno- cratie Party, said that a lowering of interest rates ia the first step topwardls economie re- covery. "We- should be pur- suing a very different policy from what we are," hesaid, 1"I am convinced that the most, important short-run step is...ý.to reduce in- terest rates."1 While Broadbent . said that, ".a Iower lnterest, r'ate is the priority"l he said that instead of- eut- backs ln spending, the government should be people are working but we. have no incentives for business to create jobs," he, said pointing out that these rates also mean that moremroney must corne from the private sector ýin the, form of taxes to service the public debt. "Our goverrnent has destroyed the initiative of the private, mdi- vidual," Fennell said adding <" every person is a money, machine" especiaily, if they're working and paying taxes. He stretched his, cor- ments to include the federal governrnent's $3,000 grant for first time home buyers; "If a guy does't have a job, how can he quali- fy for, a grant to, pur- chase- a house that he can'tý afford, to'keep be- cause he can't afford the rnortgage i.payments?" Fenneil asked. Both men agreed that the federal government should irnpose an 85 per cent Canadian content rule for- foreign _car manufacturers. IBroadbeént polnted out that 52> per cent of Canadian manufactur- ing is-foreign owned-and that the government should. treat Japanese car makers the same way they treated Volks- wagen. .When' Volkswagen providing more stimu- lusto the economy. However, he could not give his audience'any ideas on how to change the governxnent's mind on interest rates. "We just have to keep the pressure on the goverriment to change its monetary policy, es- pecially its high interest policy," Broadbent said. V/hile Fennell, a Tory, agreed with Broadbent that interest rates muât corne down, he dld not agree that the govern- ment should be provid- ing more stimulus to the economy. He pointed out that the government's policy was designed to force Canadians "to live with- in our means. " "But it wiil not work in Canada with the pre- sent ,administration,", Fenneil said pointing out that the major pro- blern with the high in- terest rate policy was that it produces unern- ployment. "It doesn't matter if interest rates are high if biiilt Its plant in Barrie; Ontario, the West G~er- man companiy agreed to the 85 per cent Canadian content rule., "We have to extend that to al 'corporations in this country ini the rnanufacturing sector,"I Broadbent said, "'These compamies .come 'here for their own benefit, not for ours." "Canadian workers have, t« have a'share of that benefit, " he added. Fenneil again pressed home-to the regional councillors present that, it is the jobs that the country needs. After the meeting, both MP's said that it was a'useful session. It was Broadbent's first meeting wlth council in eight years.,, Fenneli said that it was good to, keep the lines of communication going. However, Whltby Mayor Bob Attersley- wasn't too imnpressed. "We get a handful out," he noted, "Two of the MP's didn't appear. You can see the confu- sion. " The mayor noted that on local problems, most- councillors stili can't agree. "What are we going to do other than'complain about the, same old things?" Attersley asked. "We can't agree half the time on how to run the'region, so what can we tel0ttawa?" "How are 30 Durham regional councillors going to solve Ottawa's problerns?" However, Attersley did say that it rnight be a useful exercise to send Durham Regional Chairman Gary Herrema and a commi- ttee of the mayors to Ot- tawa to press the local case before Prime Minister Pierre Trud eau. Hlerrema said last week that the region's economic brief will pro- bably be ready i Sep- tember. i Scott- FenneIl