————. udget bats one for four on N. Shore Schreck ‘delighted’ with document, but other local MLAs give it thumbs-down PROVINCIAL BUDGET bite: © Basic homeowner yxrant of $470 eliminated for hames worth $447,000 and over; © Provincial sales (ax increas- ed hy one percentage point to 7% and will now be applied to more items; Personal income (ax sur- charge increased for people earning $60,000 a year and over; © Cigarette tax increased $1 per carton; ¢ Liquor prices increased to between 2.5% and 3%; © Gas tax increased one cent per litre effective Sept. 1; © Health-care spending in- creased 4.2%; medical premiums increased by 3% except for those earning less than $30,000 a year; © Provincial sales tax rises to 10% for cars worth $32,000 or more; © Government creased 5.7%; spending in- @ B.C.'s debt to hit $26.4 billion by mid-1994, ONE FOR; three against. By Sur} Rattan News Reporter That’s the budget score from the four North Shore MLAs. North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP MLA David Schreck said he is ‘‘delighted”’ with the budget. “It’s more than a good news budget, it’s a great news budget for my constituents in North Van- couver-Lonsdale. ‘*My~ constituents will reap “enormous benefits... Twenty eight per cent of British Columbians — and it. will be ‘higher in my constituency — will pay less taxes as a result of this budget,’’ said Schreck... - Schreck said many renters and seniors live in his riding. : While business is critical of the budget, Schreck said his govern- ment has listened ia: the concerns ' of the province’s business sector. “Some people will criticize any budget because of their political beliefs. To be quite honest, I told Glen Clark that it’s a far better budget than 1 thought he could deliver,’ said Schreck. | But West Vancouver-Capilano MLA Jeremy Dalton, the Liber- al’s house leader, attacked the budget, saying the provincial gov- ernment is taking more money away from taxpayers. He calls the document ‘‘window dressing.”” : “I'm offended by it. We cannot be impressed. Where is the evi- dence that they’re reducing the deficit? It’s not a good news budget,”’ said Dalton. North. Vancouver-Seymour Liberal MILA’ Daniet Jarvis said ‘ the provincial debt. load is now being ‘‘hoisted'’’ on the middle- and upper-income groups living on the North Shore. Meanwhile, West Vancouver- Garibaldi independent Liberal MLA David Mitchell called the budget ‘‘the big lie.” ‘He said that Victoria is spend- ing nearly $1 billion on interest payments alone on the provincial deficit. ‘ “The big lie within this budget is the claim that it is-taking a balanced ‘approach to deficit ‘ reduction and debt management.”" — AOA octors break off fee-dispute | talks over THE BRITISH Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) has broken off ail fee-dispute talks with the provincial _government in response to the new budget. By Anna Marie D’Angelo News Reporter “The budget was the final thing. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back,’ said BCMA communications director Gilmore. | Gilmore said doctors had been negotiating with the provincial government. for over a year. He said the BCMA had hoped for mediation or arbitration. ‘ But he said there doesn’t seem Jim, ‘final straw’ budget to be anything to arbitrate. Meanwhile, on the North Shore, Dr. Anthony Chan said doctors who have opted out of the medi- cal service plan have no faith in the government. ns “What bothers me is this system is going to undergo what | would call ‘slow death.’ And then people will suddenly wake up one day and say, ‘Hey, where did all our expertise go?’”’ said Chan, who has opted out of the plan. ' He said the budget does not take ‘into account growth, an aging population and new technology costs. “Ultimately, the quality of ser- vice will deteriorate,’’ said Chan. He added that no one will be refused medical treatment because: they are unable to-pay for opted-out medical service. population — _one general According to the provincial health ministry, the government “underspent’? by $55 million in the 1992-93 period on money that was to go to doctors’ fees. In the recent budget, 3% more will be paid to doctors than what was paid last year. . But doctors are still seeking a new fee schedule despite the 3% increase. The health ministry estimates that doctors will get an extra $8,000 this year. ' Fifteen North Shore doctors have opted out of the provincial- run medical plan. They include practitioner, three urologists, six general surgeons and five orthopedic surgeons. Lions Gate Hospital has 218 doctors. : volving Luxury car dealers take direct hit; _ blast surtax. on trade-ins COSTLY CARS cost a fot more following Tuesday’s -provincial budget. By Michael Becker News Reporter Although the budget raises the provincial sales tax from 6% up to 7% on all vehicles, the rate rises to 10% for vehicles worth $32,000 or more. Factor in the federal GST and that’s bad news for the buyers and sellers of luxury. cars. The tax hit really sinks in when a trade-in vehicle becomes part of the sales transaction. The value of a trade-in is now taxable. Said ‘Mercedes-Benz, North Vancouver sales manager Paul Pedersen: ‘‘People would accept the surtaxing of 3% on a $32,000 car. People would adjust to that.”’ ’ To illustvate the impact of the new. tax, Pedersen described the scenario facing one of his dealership’s cus- tomers. mo Prior to: the budget he was going to trade in a car that was worth $90,000. To ‘make the exercise easy, let’s say the car he is buying is worth’ $100,000. “He’s had this car for one year. He paid 6% provincial sales tax and 7% GST on the car when he. bought it new. Prior to the budget his. pro- vincial sales tax would have been $600, which is. the dif- ference between the $90,000 and the $100,000 he is paying (a $10,000 taxable value). The day after the budget his tax is - $10,000." Pedersen said that in Saskatchewan, when a similar move to totally tax deals in- trade-ins was im- plemented, the government compromised by . exempting used cars for sale from pro- vincial sales tax. “The government now makes considerably more money on the sale of a car than we do. You wonder who is really in the business of sell- ing cars. “We do all the work, we risk the capital, we’ve got the employees and the govern- ment sits back and they make a lot more money with no in- volvement,’’ he said. Park Shore Motors in North Vancouver deals in BMWs. Sales manager Peter Ryce says the new tax on luxury ‘cars will have buyers thinking twice about purchasing. “There is no doubt’ that this will affect our business. People will be more cautious,’’ Ryce said. He said many of his clients were ‘shocked’? by the tax: change.