6 - Friday, February 23, 1990 - North Shore News INSIGHTS Puzzled pundits wonder about Mr. Witson’s math THE-TOO-good-to-be-true budget brought down Tuesday by Michael Wilson has financial pundits from coast to coast scratching their heads. “Too good to be true’’ is a purely relative term, of course. But after dire warnings about pain and sacrifice to come, most Canadians — other than B.C.’s Versatile Shipyard workers — are a little puzzled to find themselves virtually unscathed. For the moment, that is. No new taxes, not even for booze and weed sinners. No cuts in pensions or family allowances. The forces, foreign aid and culture escaping with only slight scratches. Yet Mr. Wilson also promising that the 1990-91 deficit will be almost on target at $28.5 billion and halved to $14 billion by 1993. If you’re tempted to declare him a genius after all, don’t ask B.C. Finance Minister Mel Couvelier to cheer. One-third of the budget’s timid $3 million in spending reductions comes from cutting transfer pay- ments to the provinces, especially for health and education, instead of slashing down Ottawa's jungle of extravagance and waste — the habitat of special interests and sacred cows which still remain largely untouched. : See SREP) MEL Couvelier ...no cheers for Michael! economy. soon forget. vative government. The loss of the Polar 8 could mean the end for Ver- satile Pacific’s North Vancouver yard, once one of the biggest and busiest in Canada. That loss would deal a serious blow to North Van- couver City’s economy. Versatile is 2 major local employer and the shipbuilding industry remains a cor- nerstone of the North Shore waterfront economy. While the Polar 8 is now just a fond memory for West Coast MPs, local voters cannot afford to forget its loss at the next federal clection. Scuttled hopes UESDAY’S cancellation of dollar Polar Class 8 icebreaker contract has dealt a serious blow bath to North Vancouver’s shipbuilding industry and to the North Shore’s overall And it is a move the North Shore public should not The Polar 8 contract has been held aloft by the Tory government for the past four years as the savior of the West Coast shipbuilding industry and proof that the West is not always the odd man out when it comes to federal shipbuilding contracts. Even though shipyards in the east have been award- ed billions in federal government shipbuilding, the Polar 8 was grudgingly accepted in the West as some compensation for being frozen out of such ship- building bonanzas as the navy frigate program. But Tuesday’s budget removed that small compen- sation and with it any illusion that the West is viewed with anything but disregard by the federal Conser- This is where the other shoe drops for wondering taxpayers. Over the next two years B.C. will be shortchanged $284 million it had counted on from the feds. So Mel can cither tell B.C. doctors, nurses and teachers to get lost or make up the money from elsewhere. And you know who **elsewhere’”’ is! Burt that’s only one of Mr. Wilson's conjuring tricks. He didn’t need to add any taxes on Tuesday, for the simple reason that $7 billion in delayed increases from LAST year's budget take ef- fect only THIS vear — like the higher surtax on your 1989 income tax in April. Come January, you can also look forward to the seven per cent Gouge & Screw Tax on nearly all goods and services you buy. After that the scene gets distinct- ly hazy. Mr. Wilson cheerfully forecasts that inflation will stay at five per cent in 1991, then drop to a three per cent average from 1992 to 1995 — lowering interest rates to 11 per cent from the current 13 per cent, then to 9.5 per cent in 1991-92 and thereafter to seven per cent. What sort of math has now produced these happy inflation figures after his repeated admis- sion that the GST will add as much as two percentage points next January to the current rate of 5.5 per cent is a secret he’s keeping to himself. But alas, Mr. Wilson's record as a prophet is hardly reassuring. If his crystal ball proves to have been as murky as ever, his rosy picture of 1993 — which also just happens to be the latest date possible for his party to face the electorate again — could vanish like a desert the half billion mirage. That, of course, would be a nas- ty problem tor the Tories. It would be an infinitely nastier problem for Canada. nee nominate their candidate in the newly formed J.onsdale riding for the next provincial election — which no longer Jooks quite like the NDP joyride it did six weeks ago. Everyone welcome to watch the fun — but only the card-carry- ing faithful can vote ... Latest member of the Twenty-Nine Club is Margaret Roberts of West Van who got the magic cribbage hand in a game last weekend ... And TAILPIECES: Following its triumphant Asian tour in December the Judith Marcuse Dance School presents the premiere of Judith’s new work Madrugada tonight and Saturday, Feb. 23-24, at the Centennial Theatre. Curtain at 8 p.m. and the number to call for tickets is 987- PLAY ... North Van New Demo- crats rally in Queen Mary School Sunday, Feb. 25, at 2:30 p.m. to from the Better Late Dept. happy “‘new year’’ wishes to yesterday’s, Feb. 22, birthday boy, Kiwanian Sakerkhanu Karim of North Van. tee WRIGHT OR WRONG: Always remember, when you're flat on your back, there’s no way to look but UP. NEWS photo Nell Lucente SHOWING THE FLAG...Marco Anglesio proudly unfurls the Scout flag at North Van District Hall to kick off Baden-Powell Week, Feb. 18-25. It honors Lord Baden-Powell who found the 17 million-strong worldwide scouting movement 83 years ago. woRLo vi PERT ITIPRNE RECEIPT BOOK " NEWS photo Neil Lucente ROBERT LUXTON, coordinator of the 30 Hour Famine fundraising program, signs up sponsor Beverlee McLean at a World Vision booth in Capilano Mall. Luxton and 60,000 other Canadians will fast for 30 hours this month to raise funds for the World Vision organization’s Third World relicf and development programs. Publisher Peter Speck 266 VOICE UF NOK IH AND WEST can CrUvEN Display Advertsing 980-6511 Managing Editor Timothy Rensh Classtiied Advertising 986-6222 A 9 2 Edi y Hens ‘aw Newsroom 985-2131 ssociate itor Noel Wright Distribution 986-1337 Advertising Director Linda Stewart f Supseniptions 986-1337 en. . 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