A12- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 19, 2001

MP unhappy with increase

in federal gov’t spending

PEOPLE SHOULD be

careful about accepting .

federal Liberal claims that
last week's federal budget
offers tax relief, says
Skeena Canadian Alliance
MP Andy Burton.

While the Liberals will
continue tax relief mea-
sures fitst announced last
year, the amount gets
whiltled down because of
coming increases in Cana-
da Pension Plan payments,
he said.

“That $100 billion they
announced really works
out to $48 billion,” Burton
continued,

Overall, Burton supports
spending money for in-
creased security measures
tied to deterring terrorism
and to bolster the armed
forces.

A bit of
tax relief

LAST WEEK’S federal
budget did continue the
plan first announced last
year to increase the basic
personal exemption
amount,

For 2002, the exemp-
tion amount rises to $7,634
from $7,412 which is a dif-
ference of $222,

The spousal exemption
rises to $6,482 from
$6,293, a difference- of
$189.

This works out to an in-

crease in the exemptions

of three per cent.

The same increase,
three per cent, is also the
case for personal tax
brackets.

The 22 per cent bracket .

increases to $31,677 from
$30,754, the 26 per cent
bracket increases to
$63,354 from $61,509 and
the 29 per cent bracket in-

creases to $103,000 from |

$100,000.

«fer people from: the effects
of what is calted bracket
creep, increases in income
dne to inflation which can
then bump them to a high-
er tax bracket.

But any savings should
be laid against increases
in Canada Pension Plan
payments announced sev-
eral years ago.

Day calls
ita day

SKEENA CANADIAN AlI-
liance MP Andy Burton is
not saying yet who he fa-
yours for his party’s lea-
dership. .

That’s mainly becaus
only two people have an-
nounced their intentions to
run so far.

The way to a leadership
vote was cleared last week
when party leader Stock-
well Day stepped down.
He won’t declare if he is
in the running or not until
January.

“I’m pretty well con-
vinced he’s going to run,”
said Burton who had left
the party’s caucus for a
time earlier this year. in
protest of Day’s leadership.

“It took a little longer
than [ felt was appropriate
for him to leave, but at
least now it will be up to
the membership to deal

with it - to put the leader-

ship issue to bed,” said
Burtan.

Worries about Day’s |

leadership divided the Al-
Miance cancus and hurt its

ability to act as the offi-

cial opposition to, the Lib-
erals in Ottawa.

Burton returned to the
caucus, saying he could do

mote by being inside ra-

ther than outside.

“I'm going ta wait and —

see who comes out of the
woodwork,” said Burton
last week.

Former Reform party .

MP Stephen Harper and
current Canadian Alliance
MP Diane Ablonezy have

both declared for the lea- _ 7

dership.

Balloting . will’ take 7
place by mail and a March. -
2002 deadline: date will be

set.

». This‘is intended to buf",

But he said the amount
— $7.7 billion over five
years — doesn't come close
to what is needed for the
armed forces in particular.

That allocation for the
armed forces of $1.2 bil-
tion over the five: years .is
inadequate, Burton said,
especially when broken
down to an annual figure,

“The Auditor General

Suggested a minimum of.
. $1.3-billion-in funding for

our military is needed to
meet operational tequire-
ments and this government
scoffed at her, and only
announced $300 million,
less than 25 per cent of
what is needed,” he said.
Overall, the federal
budget is to increase by
about 10 per cent to
spending of $169.7 billion

‘Prowd Sponsor
of the 2002 Canadian
“Olympic Taam,

2002 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

on forecasted revenues of
$171.3 billion. This leaves
a tiny contingency reserve
for emergencies,

“Certainly we like ta
see a balanced budget, but
our concern is for the in-
crease. in. spending,” said
Burton. .

“We think there could
have been some re-alloca-
tion of current spending
and cutting of waste to put
mare’ money intd “security
and defence,” he said.

“The Auditor General
said there is about $17 bil-
lion spent in a slushy type
fashion, swishing around.”

“We'd prefer to see
some of that allocated to
culting personal taxes,
cutting corporate taxes,
perhaps reducing the GST
to stimulate the

economy,’
nued.
The MP noted there is
to be no pay down of the
national debt this year.
‘That has him worried as
every dollar used to. pay
down the debt means there
is less'interest to pay and
consequently, more money
for items-such as tax re-_

ductions,

The. national debt now
stands at $547 billion. ~~

Federal. finance mini-
-ster Paul. Martin: did an-
nounce up to $2 billion to
be spent on infrastructure
work acrass the country in
conjunction with provin-
cial and municipal govern-
ments.

Small business will be
given a three-month delay,
beginning in January, from

Burton conti-

taxes.

Andy Burton

having to pay .corporate

‘Service.

Medical Equipment
Loan Service
Your Donation
Supports This ©
Community

No GST and $500 off on
your purchase before trade-in’

0 | ae |
/o purchase financing and

security deposit and we pay

don’t.

aly,

da

*

your first payment on all leases’

| Whether you purchase or lease, all 2002

or

allowancd on leasad vehicles, $760 cash allowance an Neon purchase, $1000 cash al

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P, DEALE

TER
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ZAO~_ 4916
RACE

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(635-7187
1-800-315-7187 |

www.terraceautomall.com pir.5958|