"It's not the official budget," stressed Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance) Phyllis Heaphy. "It's just a brief update to members of Senate on the budget as it looks at this time." The official budget was presented yesterday as the Reporter went to press.

The biggest piece of news is the appearance of a "spectacular surplus" in the revised budget for 1998-1999. It should be noted that the previous budget figures included a projected $5.5 million deficit. However, a special government grant of $24.6 million, specifically targeting McGill's accumulated deficit, has resulted in "what now looks like a surplus of $23.6 million."

Although the 1999-2000 budget still includes a projected budget deficit of $5.4 million, the accumulated deficit and its consequent financial burdens will be reduced.

In what will be welcome news to students, there is no longer a proposed increase to the student registration charge for the next year. The earlier budget proposal had included an $80 increase per student per year.

In other news, rumours of exclusive supply contracts with large vendors have been put on ice. Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been competing for such deals at university campuses across the country, offering the schools large-scale financial inducements to entice them to sign on the dotted line.

There is no amount budgeted for revenue from exclusive supply contracts in the 1999-2000 budget. However, Heaphy did reveal that "one of two companies" with which McGill has discussed exclusive contracts "is prepared to bid. We won't know the amount or extent of the bid, so it's not in the budget, nor will it be."

Heaphy noted that the projected budget numbers "aren't worth much because a number of variables are beyond our control." Among these variables that can only be guessed at until the end of the year are unspent departmental budgets.

"Obviously, year end results will be different" from the projections, said the Vice-Principal. "This is the budget for items that are under our control. Last year items not under our control added up to $4 million."

Vice-Principal (Academic) Bill Chan presented the new Regulations on Maternity Leave and Parental Leave for Academic Staff, which Senate approved. Following his consultation with Senate, Chan will submit the proposed regulations to the board of governors for its approval.

Previously, the parental leave policy afforded 20 weeks of maternity leave or adoption, while at the same time it denied paid leave beyond five days to natural fathers. A complaint by a member of the academic community was filed with the Quebec Human Rights Commission against the University's parental leave policy. This prompted McGill's Legal Services to recommend that the policy regulating parental leaves be struck down.

The new regulations will allow maternity leaves of up to 20 weeks, which combined with Employment Insurance (E.I.) benefits, will provide 100% of the applicant's salary support.

This will actually lessen the financial load for such leaves for the University because now part of the benefits will be paid by E.I. The estimated gain is $90,000 per year for the University.

Adoption Leave and Parental Leave will now be combined, and will allow up to five fully paid days of leave or 11 weeks of extended leave with E.I. benefits totalling up to 60% of the applicant's salary. Previously, the Adoption Leave policy granted 20 weeks of fully paid leave.

"This will cause problems and hardships for a certain few who have already applied for leave under the old policies," said Professor Sam Noumoff. "Can we extend the old policy to cover the few people I've heard about" who will be affected.

Chan agreed. After Senate approved the new regulations, it also voted in favour of recommending to the board that the old policies would cover anyone who applied for parental or adoption leave prior to May 15 of this year.