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In his annual report to Parliament, Auditor General Kenneth Dye told my colleagues and 1 last week that federal Crown corporations form a "subâ€"governâ€" ment‘" over which Parliament is losing control. Dye‘s findings indicate that Crown corporations now employ more people (263,225) than the Government (239,000) if Armed Forces personnel (84,000) are excluded. Their operations are clouded in secrecy. This report points to three very disturbâ€" ing situations: 1. there is a huge portion of the public sector that spends public funds for which it is not answerable to Parliaâ€" ment; 2. if its spending practices do not have to receive Parliamentary approval, then neither do the activitiee on which those funds are spent; and 3. many thousands of public employees are not directly supervised by their elected govâ€" In spite of skyâ€"rocketing youth unâ€" employment, the Provincial Governâ€" ment‘s spending on jobs for young Ontarians has actually fallen in real terms over the past four years. In that period, increases in government spendâ€" ing on youth unemployment programs have declined more than 16 per cent behind the inflation rate. Some 142,000 people in Ontario between the ages of 15 and 24 were out of work in the 1979/80 period â€" 50,000 fewer than today. The Provincial Government has inâ€" troduced a motion which would have the effect of forcing passage of its controverâ€" sial restraint bill. A restricted amount of time would be allocated for each of three stages of debate and the government considers the motion a democratic proâ€" cedure for "this particular bill." The $400,000 construction contract for Future Pod at Ontario Place was raised in the Legislature by Liberal Pat Reid of Rainy River (Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee). He charged that the contract was thrown to a Tory company because of patronage, that ‘"They were throwing a few more tidbits to their friends." ONTARIO PLACE While the Liberal Party supports the basic principle of the wage restraint bill, we are opposed to the government‘s motion which we consider a procedural innovation, not included in the Legislaâ€" ture‘s standing orders, which should be referred to the procedural affairs comâ€" mittee for examination before a debate and vote. Since its introduction at a special session of the Legislature on the 21st September, the public sector reâ€" straint bill has already been debated for 138 hours. Forced passage of the legislaâ€" tion will probably mean that the Treaâ€" surer will not be able to obtain some 15 technical amendments which he wanted to have, but he has stated he is prepared to live with the bill as it stands. YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT Bringing these facts to the attention of the Legislature, Liberal Leader David Peterson stated the Government would need to invest another $41â€"million on jobs for the young in order to bring spending up to previous levels. In fact, the government has budgeted to spend some $90â€"million this year on job programs for young people, and the sum would be almost $109 million if spending had kept even with inflationary increases. In his annual report, the Provincial Queen‘s Park report WALTER McLEAN HERB EPP ONTARIO‘S ELDERLY Auditor had criticized Ontario Place, and the responsible Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, for letting the Future Pod contracts without competitive bidding last spring, a practice which violated the government‘s manual of administraâ€" tion. Bypassing the bidding process, the Acting Deputy Minister had approved an exemption on the grounds that the contract was mainly "technical consultâ€" ing services,"‘ although the Auditor noted that, except for $90,000 the contract was for construction, in connection with which no exemption is permitted by the government‘s own regulations. The Actâ€" ing Deputy Minister had approved giving the contract to Display Service Co. Ltd., an affiliate of the wellâ€"known Conservaâ€" tive agency, Foster Advertising Ltd. of Toronto. Questioned further on this question, the Minister told the House that he is planning $300,000 in improvements to Future Pod for next summer, and that ‘‘there will be plenty of competitive bidâ€" ding." Recently, the Metro Toronto Social Planning Council issued a report which stated that there are 115,000 women 50 years of age and over, single divorced or widowed living below the poverty line in the province. According to the Council, women of 65 to 74 years of age live on a median income of only $6,645 a year. Questioned in the House, the Provinâ€" cial Secretary for Social Development stated that elderly women living alone were receiving their fair share of aid and couldn‘t expect more until the economy improves. Liberal Leader David Peterâ€" son has asked the Treasurer to adopt a recommendation of a provincial royal commission on pensions which would give single people living alone 60 per cent instead of half of what is available to elderly couples under the Guaranteed Annual Income Supplement. However, the Treasurer is not preâ€" pared to take any immediate action to provide more money to elderly single people living alone, in spite of the hardships which they face, since to do so would permit the federal government to escape joint responsibility, in his view. Opposition members accused the Treaâ€" surer of condemning the elderiy.to live below the povertyâ€"line for at least two more years, but he stated he preferred to make slow progress on improved penâ€" sions jointly with the other provinces and the federal government rather than going it alone. ernment managers: the federal Cabinet. This third point was looked at very carefully by the Auditor General and his professional staff. They were concerned that public sector employees are not wellâ€"managed â€" a constant theme in past reports from the Auditor Generai‘s office. It was found, for instance, that 30% of 4,657 federal employees surveyed are not sure what they are to be doing when at work! Due to inadequate supervision and apâ€" praisal, 50% of those polled (from 7 federal departments) do not know whether or not they are doing a good job. o The report laid part of the blame on a lack of direction from senior managers. The ultimate managers are, of course, the Liberal Cabinet. The number of unacâ€" countable Crown corporations is mushâ€" rooming. 306 corporations are currently under whole or part ownership by the Spending questioned These new Crown corporations are often created without any opportunity for a Parliamentary review of their mandate or financing. The Canada Development Inâ€" vestment Corporation (CDIC) is, for example, the most recently announced Crown corporation. It has been created by the Liberal Cabinet with a mandate so broad that it can be interpreted to allow CDIC to participate in almost any economâ€" ic activity without, as Dye says, ‘"adequate Parliamentary review.‘‘ " Crown. But there is an additional number, unknown to ~ either Parliament or its Auditor General, that are no longer even required to be on the list! O:pmmon Finance Spokesperson, Hon. Michae! Wilson, M.P., told Parliament that Crown corporations that operate continually in the ‘red‘ should either be more closely regulated or turned over to That‘s just great. After nearly 16 years of unfailing dedication to her work, it‘s wonderful to see her rewarded for not only those efforts but also the cheerful way she carries them out. tomers and clientele, started off slowly in its inception last October, but has snowballed since, according to Kitchener (and former Waterloo) chamber managâ€" er Jack Middlemass. The Serveâ€"Aâ€"Smile program, which honors employees in the Twin Cities for their friendliness and courtesy to cusâ€" *‘To have someone you know win is something, to have that person come from your office is even better, and to have that person be Helen (Smiley) is better still," said Middlemass. Thanks, Jack. We couldn‘t have said it better. To know Helen Smiley is to know that she‘d be absolutely mortified if she was looking over my shoulder as I type these words about her. Tough luck. She‘s always the first to sing the praises of others around here who gain recognition, class? Don‘t bother looking it up. There‘s a picture of it just a little further down this column. To many of you, the smiling face of Helen Smiley is instantly recognized as the one that greets you as you enter the Chronicle office. She‘s getting good at perfecting that smile, isn‘t she? We think so. Enough so that while we were thrilled with the news, we weren‘t the least bit surprised around these parts when we found out last week that Helen will be one of five December winners of the Kâ€"W Serveâ€"Aâ€" Smile program jointly sponsored by the Kitchener and Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. Do you know the meaning of the word Helen Smiley® WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1982 â€" PAGE 7 CAMPBELL so she can squirm all she wants and blush like a rose in full bloom, she‘s not going to deny us this opportunity to reciâ€" procate. If not one in a million, let‘s just classify Helen as the proverbial "gem", that rarest of breeds who exudes an aura of loyaity and professionalism in her work each and every day, year in and year I suppose you could call her our Centennial "gift", as she first joined the Chronicle staff in the spring of 1967, long before many of us had even seen this newspaper let alone entertained thoughts of working here. From those days, back over in the basement of Waterloo Square, then to the Square‘s office tower, across the street in 1977 and finally to our current comfy locale, only two things have remained constant with the Chronicle. The lady at the front desk. And her smile. Principally in charge of classified advertising sales, Helen‘s job literally defies description, because any job mapper would succumb to exhaustion before detailing everything she does around here. Coâ€"ordinating dockets, tearâ€"sheets, runâ€"sheets, monitoring cash flow, billing procedures, petty cash, assuming all receptionist duties, babyâ€" sitting carrier bank accounts, doing the banking, purchasing office needs, filling in as holiday relief at sister newspapers, you name it and Helen had done practically all of it for 16 years â€" everything short of writing the actual editorials themselves. That news we will break to her in January. Of course she is so much more than that too. A genuine, unpretentious, carâ€" ing individual, she also serves as a sounding board for others, provides a shoulder to cry on, always tries to help when asked, backs off when she isn‘t, and is a willing companion and confidant to any who seek one. She is, quite simply, the glue that bonds this operation toâ€" gether. Who‘s the first to suggest arranging a farewell lunch for a departing employâ€" ee? Helen. Who‘s the first to offer a ride anywhere when someone‘s car is laid up? Helen. Who‘s the first to rally funds for a memoriam to those who have lost a close family member or friend? You got it. Who was the first to insist on proudly attending the Waterloo Jaycee dinner last March where I was honored as Outstanding Young Citizen of the Year? One and the same. And guess who said to me three years ago, when I wrote a Father‘s Day column about my Dad, ‘‘gees, the best thing about it is that your Dad is still with us to enjoy those words himself." Truer words were never spoken, Helen Smiley. Now sit down for five minutes lovely lady, and practise what you preach. the private sector. In fact, the Auditor General stated that, "If Parliament does not soon awaken to the lack of accountâ€" ability of Crown corporations, it may not be able to exercise its fundamental responsibility of overseeing the expendiâ€" ture of public funds." In response, Treasury Board President, Hon. Herb Gray, M.P., said that Bill Câ€"123, already introduced, will bring the Crown corporations under the Financial Adminisâ€" tration Act and make them more accountâ€" able. But Dye points to Bill Câ€"27 of the 1979 Clark Government (incorporating the soâ€" called ‘sunset provisions‘ and regular auditing periods) as a much more desirâ€" able route to follow. Every dollar saved can mean more money to spend on jobs for unemployed Canadians â€" and a lower tax load on the country generally.