The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Afghanistan hot topic at meeting L), - nA , i - î ,i r' 'J l i im Three Canadian deaths in Afghanistan caming in the few days leading up ta Halton MP Garth Turner's recent Town Hall meeting made for same spirited discussion among resi- dents who attended. One waman, who said her son has been in Afghanistan and is getting ready ta return, said the media doesn't accurately porrray what's going an. "The public doesn't hear the good they (soldiers) do. Ail they hear are the deaths," said the waman, wha didn't want ta give her naine, at the August 23 meeting at Hugh Poster Hall. At the start of the meeting, Turner taid the appraximateiy 30 residents wha attended that he was laaking for their opinians on the matter. "This is an issue we have ta deal with," he said. One persan in the audience expressed his cancern, saying the vic- tims in Afghanistan are increasing day by day "I support aur traaps, but what they're doing Ive gat (concerns) witb," said another audience member who thaught Canada should pull out of the emhattied cauntry. Yet anather questianed what wouid happen ta the wamen of Afghanistan if Canada pulled out. Although he didn't vaice much of an opinion an what he thougbt should be dane, Turner said Canadas military is "Icarrying mare than aur weight, fight- dters need ta rotate "out of the sharp end" of the task, adding that when NATO went into Afghanistan, it laoked like a peacekeeping mission. "But (now) its a full-fledged war," he said. Canada's raie in Afghanistan was just one of several issues discussed at the meeting, which Turner said was a way for him ta gain input from his con- stituents. Anather issue that crept up was the aging population and its general iack of savings - and the government's raie in that. Gas prices and finding a family doc- tor in Halton were ather issues touched on, as was gavemment spending. "The (federal) gavemment is spend- ing mare money than any other gov- ernment in Canadian histary," Turner said, adding, I1 didn't expect that of the Conservative govemment." One waman questianed Turner an the particular challenges he thinks Milton will face as its population con- tinues ta graw I have concerna when theres very rapid growth in an area," Turner responded, listing traffic, the hospitals capability ta meet needs and residents' quality of life as local areas of cancern. "Hausing is going up and the quaiity of life is going down.- He added the portion of the gas tax Milton is allotted neyer seems ta keep up with its hurgeoning population. "'m trying ta get across ta the feder- First Annual SKIN C/XRE IeL'I&S/ALE Sept 1-lSth 2 5O/o relax off al Skin Care Products. YOUNGBLOOE5 MI *C-y 1 N O 4*b NSTTUTPA RIS renew revive www.vi daspa .com niincy, lui ci tadLd 11waudiece. When it cornes ta housing prices in Milton and surrounding areas, Turner acknowledged that young couples seemn ta be putting off having children because they can't afford bath kids and a house. It becomes an even more difficuit situation if one parent wants ta stay at home wfth the children, he said, adding thats where the incarne splitting hes pushing for would help. The meeting ended with applause for Turner. "Garth, we're lucky ta have yau," said resident and former Canadian sen- atar Betty Kennedy Stephanie Hounsell cati be reached at sthiessen@iýnitoncanadianchampion.cam. 7 Ioty onI Sle Misake Fre Rpor witwiIiLJ )(ofesl1 r. of The Canadman Champion, Fnday August 31, 2007 - A3 AUTO BODY 42- (ROYAL ATLANTIC) INC. ,905-693-14ffl'42'Brdnte street'ýSouth. Milto-n* $* '.'- ' srI