A6é - Wednesday, July 4, 1984 - North Shore News GE editorial page NEWS VIEWPOINT Any new ideas? n this first anniversary of Premier Bennett’s ‘‘restraint, recovery and reality’’ program the results to date are coming under heavy fire. Certainly, the provincial deficit has been cut from $1.3 billion to $671 million, thanks partly to higher taxes. The civil service has been slashed by almost 15%, thereby keeping the government’s promise of less interference in the lives of its citizens. But recovery, so far, is much less obvious. Unemployment has soared to a_ record 15.6%, while the growth rate has slumped to 0.7% from a projected 3% -- the worst in Canada apart from Alberta. Critics ascribe the alleged failure of the program to public uncertainty about its out- come, leading to lack of confidence in the immediate future. Consumer spending is down as people hoard their money in savings accounts -- now at an all-time B.C. high of $29 billion and up by $5 billion’ since January. It’s also argued that restraint can- not work for a single province alone because recovery ultimately depends on too many Canada-wide -- and continent-wide - factors beyond B.C.’s control. Nevertheless, the truth remains that huge government deficits are the major cause of high interest rates, resulting in high inflation plus high unemployment. However long the road to recovery, SOMEONE has to make a start SOMEWHERE on reducing those defi- cits. It’s significant that the only alternative offered by Mr. Bennett's attackers is to tolerate or even increase the = staggering public debt which lies at the root of our economic woes. | Nice Mr. Kelly! triking Transit Union president Colin Keliy’s reaction to the makeshift bus ser- GEE. HOW 1S SWITCHING TO NATURAL GAS GOING 10 NO SMOKING ON CAR DECK | [ENGINE ROOM if lj We SAE ed