Wednesday, April 28, 1993 - North Shore News -— 3 Cuts not deep enough, says B.C. money man But Tory MP Collins says federal budget’s spending reductions addressing deficit WHILE CAPILANO-Howe Sound Tory MP Mary Col- or about $1,000 per person. lins has thrown her support behind the new federal budget —_ But Collins said Ottawa and the delivered Monday by Finance Minister Don Mazankowski, Provinces have to work together one of her constituents, and the representative for all B.C. ‘9 achieve a coordinated course on . ° : the is ft fe H The short-term outlook presented i i f i chartered accountants, said there was little in the document he issue of transfer payments to presented in the budget is broadly consistent a the provinces and added that ‘‘the to be positive about. federal government cannot do it all.” Young said that the budget forecasts $30 billion in spending cuts over five years, but that only $300 million in departmental ex- penditure and program cuts are highlighted for 1993-94, which is only 1% of the promised $30 billion. “The so-called attack on the deficit appears to be a long-range pipe dream,"’ said Young. Collins, the Minister of Western Economic Diversification, said the budget cuts will mean her ministry’s budget will be slashed by 10% in the 1993-94 fiscal year and a further 10% in the 1994-95 fiscal year. “We're doing our best,’’ said Collins. Ted White, the federal Reform Party of Canada candidate in the North Vancouver riding, said Mazankowski’s budget will in- crease support across the country for the Reform party. No new taxes were announced in the budget, and the government hopes to trim $30 billion in spend- ing from its budget over the next five years, “Yt think it’s a reasonable budget. The big thing is no new taxes. It’s getting at government debt through decreased expen- ditures, and I think Maz has done that,’’ Collins said Monday from Ottawa. She added that people in her constituency have been telling her that they are ready to accept cuts in government services and spend- ing. “There will certainly be com- plaints, because the budget will be reducing services. I hope my con- Stituents will be supportive. I know some people would like to see it (deficit reduction) done faster,’ said Collins. But one of Collins’ constituents, Caulfeild resident Don Young, the president of the Institute of By Surj Rattan News Reporter Chartered Accountants of B.C., called the budget ‘‘disappoin- ting.”’ Spending cuts, he said, did not go deep enough. Young said Ottawa’s projected $32.6 billion operating deficit for 1993-94 will add over 7% to the federal government’s $458 billion accumulated debt. “The federal budget is all talk and no action. We had been ted to believe by government that deficit reduction would be a much more immediate priority,’’ said Young. “Their budget forecasting must “be viewed with caution. They do not have a good forecasting track record.’’ Mazankowski said his budget this year will result in the transfer of approximately $3.5 billion in federal funds to citizens in B.C., Council approves evelopment permit for new subdivision Battle over Hillside school site WEST VANCOUVER District Council approved Monday the development permit for a subdivision on the Hillside middle school site. ‘By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer The decision followed a night of submissions from distressed residents, But council attempted to temper its choice with a demand that 5% of the proposed subdivision be set aside for park. ' The development permit moves the West Vancouver District 45 School Board closer to its goal of demolishing the 35-year-old school. Proceeds from the resi- dential development of 30 lots on the site will fund the construction of a new secondary school in the Caulfeild plateau area of the “municipality. While many at Monday’s meeting supported the preserva- tion of Hillside as a public facili- ty, council was united in its deci- sion to grant the development permit. Coun. Andy Danyliu questioned the wisdom of disposing of any public lands. He bridled at one proponent’s argument that **recycling an asset’’ such as the Hillside land was the best way to Obtain more value for the high schGol taxes paid in West Van- couver. “But it would be very inappro- priate for council to veto a deci- sion made by an equally and rightfully appointed body,” he said. Because the development was before council on the basis of a technicality only — the slope of the land in places — Coun. Diana Hutchinson said that. council jurisdiction just extended to the DISTRICT COUNCIL matter of the slope and whether council would receive its parks allotment for the development in land or money. Coun. Don Griffiths compared the situation to that of his own former school, Dundarave, now the West Vancouver Care Centre. “In the passage of time, people - will forget that Hillside existed. Buildings do age and pass on,’’. Griffiths said. . Coun. Pat Boname, a former Hillside parent and former school | trustee, sympathized with the challenge current trustees face. A school is needed in the western part of the municipality, ‘yet fi- nancial resources are limited. Meanwhile, Coun. Rod Day said council would try to protect the neighborhood’s best interest by introducing design guidelines for the residential development. Council will call for appropriate landscaping and a replanting of trees to block noise from the highway. Mayor Mark Sager, a Hillside graduate, is concerned about the Joss of an amenity that might be required in the future. He advised the school board that it would be worth gathering “full community input through the (referendum) ballot’? on the issue. . Council debated whether to demand 5% of the development for park space or to follow staff advice and take money (an estimated $400,000) in lieu of land and use it to improve the area’s two-acre Brisenden Park with a tennis court and children’s play area. Coun. Hutchinson said the 5% allotment would be too smail to do much with and argued for tak- ing the cash. with the consensus view of.18 private sector forecasters. per cent 12... Finance Resi GDP Inflation Unomplay- 0-day growth tste = mont rate commercial paper rate Infletion Unomploy- 90-day rate = mentrate conmercial paper rate Source: Ministry of Finance NEWS photo Nell Lucento HEMP WORSHIPPERS, numbering more than 1,000, had their day Friday, April 23, at the Van- couver Art Gallery. The hemp-legalization rally was organized by West Vancouver secondary school student Chris Laing, shown here speaking into microphones beside a marijuana plant. It’s a weird, weird world | ROTATING BATH-TUB brushes to flick off dirt and dead skin from our bodies? One hundred thousand dollars for a flea autopsy? Suspenders for condoms? For the lowdown on these and other oddball news stories, turn to the North Shore News’ strange new News of the Weird feature. Find it this week on page 42. §% Budget Beaters 9 Business Classified Ads & Frugal Gourmet & Lifestyles Canadian Publications Mai! Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 Index N.Shore Now 8 Sports BTV Listings lf What's Going On BA Vancouver Island Weather Thursday, mostly cloudy, with 60% chance of ‘showers. Highs 16°C, lows 7°C