THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017
THE PICTON
Gazette
3
Volume 187, Week 3
Canada’s oldest non-daily newspaper
Camp Picton secure position ADVANCE Pirates site listed for sale for post-season play AVAILABLE Former
Move would mitigate assessment impact
Enthusiastic Bay of Quinte crowd meets Trudeau Prime minister answers broad series of questions before capacity audience at the Empire Theatre ADAM BRAMBURGER STAFF WRITER
An opportunity for an unscripted engagement with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Belleville last Thursday drew an overwhelming reaction from Bay of Quinte residents. It was beyond standing room only at the Empire Theatre that night as lines formed several blocks south of the building on Front Street and many hopeful participants were turned away at the doors. Inside, Trudeau spoke for just over an hour, taking 12 questions on a range of issues including agriculture, immigration, U.S.-Canada relations, pharmacare, mental health, electoral reform, and the economy. Trudeau appeared at ease with the dialogue, cracking jokes and easily jockeying backand-forth with his audience on the issues albeit the session was short on new revelations or moments like a single mother’s plea about hydro rates in a subsequent forum the next day in Peterborough. The first minister said his current tour is important for him to stay connected with the public. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to answer as many questions as I can. It’s really fun for me, but not so much fun for my safe who are wondering what I’m going to say on any question,” he said. “This, to me, is what politics should be all about — people coming out and choosing to make their evening about political engagement — to share your
views and to hear from the person who is accountable to you.” Early in the discussion, a veteran took Trudeau to task about a promise he made on a campaign stop in Belleville last year to bring in life-long pensions for Canadian veterans. He said the government remains committed to getting that done during this mandate. Another audience member, a stone mason who employs seven people grasped at a quote Trudeau offered earlier in the day in Kingston in which he said he had a solid relationship with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. Met by cheers from the audience, he posed his question by suggesting that Wynne is out of touch with small business owners across the province and wondered aloud if Trudeau was also out of touch with them. The prime minister launched into a political attack as part of his response. “In terms of supporting small businesses and helping grow the economy in ways that help you and your employees, that’s at the heart of what we got elected for,” he said. “We recognized for all the previous government’s supposed emphasis on economic growth, they have the worst record on growth of any government since R.B. Bennett’s that gave us the Great Depression.” Trudeau said right off the bat, his government cut taxes on the middle class and raised taxes for the wealthiest one per cent.
See ENGAGING, page 12
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Committee agrees to drop farm tax ratio CHAD IBBOTSON STAFF WRITER
Following a lengthy discussion at last week's committee-of-thewhole meeting, councillors voted in favour of a motion which — if approved by council — would mitigate the impact of assessment value increases on local farm properties. Committee voted in favour of a motion to reduce the farm tax ratio to 20 per cent in 2017 and to 20 per cent in 2018 from the current 25 per cent. Back in December members of the agricultural community asked council to consider a reduction in the farm tax ratio as a means to offset rising farm land values. Agricultural advisory committee chair and Prince Edward Federation of Agriculture president John Thompson told councillors in December the recent tax notices included an increase of about 70 per cent in the taxable assessment of Ontario farmland. The Prince Edward County Current Value Assessment (CVA) for farmland increased by an average of 112 per cent, while residential values here increased by about seven per cent.
CENTRE STAGE Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a question posed to him during an unscripted event at Belleville’s Empire Theatre Thursday evening. The politician stopped in the Bay of Quinte riding as part of a cross-country tour aimed at keeping Trudeau connected with the electorate. (Adam Bramburger/Gazette staff)
See TAXES, page 29
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