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WFHITBY FREE PRESS EDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1984, PAGE 7 Lafrgaopiniistice about eontract talks, CORRECTION I says board can't be accused of being riehIDet a ro o h ar fM. oer The Durham Board of Education is optimistic that an agreement will be reached ini negotiations with the Durham Elementary Teachers Association (DETA) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF). Negotiations have been ongoing for the last year but several issues still remain outstan- ding. Contentious issues yet to be resolved are salaries and the teachers - pupil ratio. Elementary teachers are looking for a seven per cent increasè in al salaries, while the board has up to now been prepared to in- crease wages by 1.5 per cent. The teachers dlaim that they are paid Speakling to Yo U By SCOTT FENNELL (PC - Ontario) The.Auditor General recently released to the house of Commons bis annual report forthe fiscal year ended March 31, 1984. This report, the culmination of his review of the federal gover- nxnent's financial statements, is of great importan- ce to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Over the next year, the committee will be looking into the varlous matters which the Auditor General consîdered significant enough to meit the attention of Parliament. The report highlights follow. The Department of P 'ublic Works lacks a sense of accountability for the full costs of holding and using real property. In total, public works has wasted in the area of $240 million. A number of leasing tran- sactiong involved an unnecessary $63 million, $86 milion arose fromn choosing to finance four projects truih lease-purchase. agreements with devloprsrather than making Crown financed acustos The department's rnisnianagement of spacei office buildings adds another $40-59 million, and despite repeated promises to cail tenders only six, per cent of its lease agreements were -put up for competitive bids. in 1983. The Department of National Defence also requires immediate attention. The new ÇF-18 jets may end up costing the government $3.5 billion more than planned. This is partially a result of original cost estimates being based on extensive sales to other countries; these sales have not materialized s0 the total costs are spread over fewer jets. A self locking boît which was supposed to cost $2 is now scheduled to cost $140.43,and an an- tenna assembly which was supposed t~o cost $9 will end up costing dloser to $2,077 to produce.. Other costssuch as those required to properly equip the jets were oiginally omitted.' It was estimated that the government's poor banking practices cost approximately $95 million per year, and that the overclassification of one in five public service jobs costs more than $125 million a year. on a more positive note, the Auditor General will no longer experience a problemn in obtaining the in- formation he requires to perform his auditing- duty since this government has resolved to provide him with ail information other than traditional cabinet documents. The Auditor General's report has provided a wealth of information concerning areas in which immediate attention can yield immediate payoff in terms of reducing the deficit. Rest assured that this government wiil be taking appropriate action in the days ahead. 4 IMUN Id ~ !~II significantly less than other large school boar- ds in Ontario and are at- tempting to catch Up. The board preferres to stick by the provin- cial guidelines of a total compensation increase of under five per cent. Dr. Harold Jakes, the fact finder appointed by the provincial gover- nment in October suggests a 4 to 4.5 per cent increase. Accor- ding to a report released by Jakes, he "is convin- ced that the board is in a position to make a bet- ter settiement. " Jakes said the board appears to have a superior financial position compared to, most other school boar- ds in Ontario. "In my opinion," says Jakes, "the ability to pay is not a problem in Durham." Chairman of the board, Ruth Lafarga does not accept Jakes' position on the ability of the board to pay. "The board has managed with care and restraint, and I don't know if we should be ac- cused of being a rich board," said Lafarga . In the pupil/teacher ratio, Lafarga declined to comment saying *that the matter is stili under negotiation. Lafarga concluded, saying the negotiations have been positive with a good atmosphere and sincere desire to resolve the issues. No alcohol or gambling in sehools, board says The Durham Board of Education will not ac- cept the serving of alcohol or the use 0f games of chance in its schools. The board defeated an amendment to the community use of sehools policy that would have allowed drinking and gambling during evenings and holidays when no other suitable location iý available. In a motion that was, according to Chairman Ruth Lafarga, "fraught with ad-hocery, " Trustee Linda Carder Brown named 0 VIce-f chairman Whitby Trustee Ian Brown bas succeeded Pickering Trustee David French as the vice-chairman of the Durham Board of Education. Brown, a board trustee for the last five years, took over the role of vice-chairman im- mediately. Brown thanked the trustees for their sup- port and promised to work closely with the Chairman Ruth Lafarga and the other trustees. Brown indicated bis preparedness for "a number of major challenges ahead, par- ticularly in the f inancial area. " 1Lafarga expressed gratitude to French for the excellent job he hao done over the past year as vice-chairman. St. John's Anglican Church (erected 1846) Brock St. S. & Victoria St. Sunday, December 23 9:.00 a.m. HoIy Communion 10:30 a.m. Morning Prayer - Chrismons Service 7:30 p.m. Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols Christmas Eve 7 p.m. Family Eucharist 11:30 p.m. Midnight Communion Christmas Day 10:30 a.m. Family Worship 11:15 a.m. HoIy Communion Corne and share the Joy of the Christ Chid., (Pickering) asked the board to discuss the amendinents which had already been defeated in a committee meeting. Carder raised the issue because it had only been voted on by tbree members in the committee meeting. Some trustees suppor- ted the motion because they felt the scbools should be open to the community and lit is not as though the schools will be rampant with drunks and gam- bIers", said one trustee. However, other trustees were not in- clined to believe that there was any need nor support by the parents for such a motion. Whitby Trustee Ian Brown- also questioned the hypocrisy of recen- tly passing a substance abuse policy for the schools and then allowing the serving of alcohol. The motion was even- tually defeated by a vote ~of 6-9. THE CORPORATION 0F THETOWNOFWHITBY WHITBY TRANSIT NOTICE Whitby Transit will flot be operating following days: December 25th, 1984 December 26th, 1984 January lst, 1985 Transit wiIl be running on regular schedules for the remainder of the holiday season. R.A. Kuwahara Director of -Public Works o~liL1 95 ýTH 15 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT WHITBY 1540 Dundas St. E. 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