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Pra i et et > ------ URAL § 4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wed. May 26, 1982 Sine Ep AME XE ae co cal STH IRA SE eT a a a ter Lp Le a Fa Te IN A Na Wa Te LH MERA? § CLEUNSAS FEY ERR SR RI AR For Pes raf) aul ni TE AER REECE RARELY Bl DAE RAL ES SAR se ditorial comments "HE SourE DU JOUR 5 ALPHABET!" chatterbox by John B. McClelland Members of the federal opposition parties in the House of Commons are understandably outraged at the rev- elations concerning the awarding of a contract to design a new Canadian embassy building in Washington. It has been alleged that a personal friend of the Prime Minister got the plum contract because of that personal friendship. And the record shows that Vancouver arch- itect Arthur Erickson was not even on the short list of four firms being considered for the job. The affair is extremely messy, stinks of patronage, and makes a mockery of the so-called invitational bidding system for government contracts. In typical fashion, Mr. Trudeau has shrugged the whole thing off. He has reacted to this much the same way he has reacted to all the other things that add up to one gigantic mess in this country. With apparent indifference, arrogance and utter hostility towards those who offer even constructive criticism. Quite frankly, I could care less who designs and builds a new embassy in Washington. But if the allegations are true about how the contract was awarded, then it is just one more example of why a big broom is needed in Ottawa to sweep the present group of leaders out of office. There are two moods prevailing in this country at the moment, neither of them healthy. One is a sense of doom over the economy; the other is a sense of anger and frustration that so much has gone wrong in a country with so much potential. The long list of ills that are troubling Canada at the moment have been well documented and need not be mentioned again here. We all know what they are. If there is one which I think should be at the very top of that list it would be loss of confidence. And this loss of confidence starts with those who are at the very top of the political hierarchy. Gloom and doom of course, feed on themselves. As people are constantly told the whole country is in a shambles, the more they believe it. But the record speaks for itself; massive unemployment and staggering in- flation are realities today. . To attempt, as some do, to place all the blame for those woes on one man, is not correct. But as Prime Minister for . the past 14 years and as a man who has been a powerful 'and dogmatic leader of his own party, Mr. Trudeau simply has done a rotten job leading this country. For the past 14 years, he has been the most powerful politician in this country and the buck has to stop somewhere. Looking into the political crystal ball, the view is very murky. There is no heir apparent to lead the Liberals when (and if) Trudeau steps down or is kicked out. The Conservatives have a leader who does not enjoy un- qualified support from many within his own party, and certainly the attitude of the general public towards Joe Clark is anything bul inspiring. Although not for lack of a very honest effort, the New Democrats do not appear to have been able to build their support beyond the usual 20 per cent or so which the party gets each election. It is little wonder that the vast majority of the people of this country feel they are in a hesitant and helpless situation. They are turned off by politics and politicians, yet they believe that what this country needs right now is strong political direction and leadership. I could not agree more. But I also think that all the blame should not be heaped entirely on a few politicians. Along with that big broom to clean up the political scene in Ottawa, what the country needs is a good kick in the seat of the pants; a jolt to gel the nation out of the doldrums, to clear the cobwebs, the complacency, and to get this Canada of ours moving again. THE WEEKEND Over the long weekend, three friends and myself '"'got away from it all" with a fly-in trip to an isolated wilderness fishing lodge. I must admit to a feeling of apprehension as we took off Saturday morning, knowing that for three days we would literally be cut off from the rest of the world. We joked about the crisis in the Falklands and whether the world would still be standing when we flew back late Monday afternoon. It is an eerie feeling not to know what is going on in the world, even for just two or three days. The feeling became even more acute Monday morning when a low cloud ceiling over the lake made it very doubtful whether our trusty bush pilot would be able to get his float plane airborne to pick us up that day. By late afternoon, the clouds had lifted somewhat and_ the flight back to civilization was a piece of cake. ; I'm happy to say it was an excellent weekend. Th weather was respectable, the lake trout were hitting, the lodge was more than comfortable, there wasn't a black fly or mosquito to be seen, and, on our refurn to civilization, Ye foul to our relief that the world had not come to an end. It all added up to a most enjoyable time. The only hitch came on the drive back to Port Perry late Monday night when a not-so-friendly member of the provincial constab- ulary nailed us in a radar trap and the price of the fishing trip jumped another $50. What can you say? Falkland Crisis It is a tragedy that the United Kingdom and Argentina have been unable to negotiate their way out of the Falklands crisis. After almost seven weeks of non-stop talks at many levels, including the United Nations, the two sides have failed utterly to reach a diplomatic sofution to their differences. i Argentina, of course, must shoulder the blame for this crisis in the South Atlantic, as it was that country which invaded the tiny islands with a large force of troops early in May. The sovereignty of the territory has been in dispute, but the Argentina action was a blatant art of agression. When the diplomats and the politicians fail in their efforts to resolve a dispute at the negotiating table, they call on young men in the prime of life to shoulder arms and start killing each other. That is a tradition as old as mankind itself, and regretably it is a tradition still in vogue despite all the supposed sophistication and maturity of the global community. As the hostilities escalate, the danger is that they will spread, or worse, that other states will step in and take up sides. History is full of examples of where little fires turned into large ones. If the Falklands spark becomes an inferno, the'results are The Budget | Federal finance minister Allen McEachen has worn the albatross of his unfortunate budget around . his neck since it came down last November. Ontario's treasurer Frank Miller is going to find his budget of last week just as heavy as time goes on and people begin to realize just what it means to them and their wallets. All right, the taxes on tobacco and booze were expected, and one gan say that if somebody wants to smoke or drink, they should pay higher taxes. But the mean aspects of Miller's budget come through when one considers that effective June 14, there will be a seven per cent sales tax on the labour charges-to have your car, TV set, fridge, or stove fixed. And if you take that old suit of clothes into the tailor to have it shortened or mended in any way, you pay sales tax on the labour. That's right, the sales tax on labour charges now applies to "the installation, repair, and maintenance of moveable property (as opposed to real estate). So just about anything you own.that breaks down, there will be a tax on the labour to have it fixed. There's little doubt why the Government decided to slap this tax on 'labour. Obviously with the price of new goods such as cars, appliances, clothing etc. going up all the time, and with the ruinous interest rates charged to buy on credit, more and more people are trying to make do with what they have. That means fixing the family car for another year rather than buying a new one; the same for the TV, fridge, stove, even a pair of trousers, dress, coat or suit of clothes. People are doing this because of the tough economic times and the Government of Ontario is cashing in on it. The Government knows that people are being forced to fix rather than buy new, and they are gouging with this tax on labour. , It is a mean way to raise money, just one more vicious way to get the claw of the tax man into your pocket. : What's next? Will the Government soon be taxing a haircut, a trip to the dentist? Don't bet against it. The Government of Ontario must think the people of this pfovince are either very stupid or have very short memories. The Government may find that neither is true. Some day soon, the people who have to pay all these taxes are going to stand up and say "enough is enough.' They are going to demand that Government cut taxes, rather than raise them, and the only way to do that is for Government to cut its spending. ) That as we all know did not happen this year in Ontario, as the provincial government will run up a record deficit of $2.2 billion. The purchase of Suncor will-gobble about $600 million alone. The most recent Ontario budget shows a distinct lack of imagination in fiscal management. And worse than that, the whole host of taxes on every- thing from hygiene products, to school notebooks, "pets, and the labour for car and other repairs, shows a contempt for the average, every-day citizens who are already staggering under the burden of the tax load.