ABERFOYLE – Many audience members who lined up to ask questions of Wellington-Halton Hills North candidates in Aberfoyle on April 22 aimed their questions at Conservative incumbent Michael Chong.
And while Chong’s answers often began with “I disagree with the premise of your question,” overall the all-candidates meeting hosted by the Optimist Club of Puslinch was tame.
All five candidates attended: the NDP’s Andrew Bascombe, People’s Party of Canada’s Syl Carle, Liberal Sean Carscadden, Chong and the Green Party’s Liam Stiles.
And they all responded to questions, even the ones directed at Chong.
But while relations with the United States and Donald Trump-imposed tariff wars are top-of-mind for the country, there were no questions asked on this topic.
The main topics were the carbon tax and climate change, electoral reform, how Canada should respond to the war in Gaza, crime, and housing affordability.
Carbon tax
Carscadden said Prime Minister Mark Carney removed the carbon tax in his first days in office and the Liberals will re-examine carbon taxes imposed on farmers, who often have no alternative to oil or propane.
“But we are in the Paris Accord,” he said. “We need carbon limitations. We do need to transition to green.”
Carle claimed the carbon tax “has been paused, not removed, and said the Liberal government can’t be trusted not to bring it back.
“We will have a carbon tax as long as we are part of the Paris Accord,” he said.
“The People’s Party doesn’t believe we have a climate crisis,” Carle said later in the meeting, to which someone in the audience called out, “That sucks, open your eyes.”
Stiles also corrected Carle.
“The carbon tax was scrapped,” Stiles said, acknowledging it has been a difficult expense for regular people.
“It should be put on our biggest polluters.”
Stiles added Canada should be a leader in green energy and move away from fossil fuels.
Bascombe said the NDP does not support a carbon tax, as it is ineffective.
He harkened back to the 1970s when acid rain was an issue.
“No government asked citizens to pay for that,” he said. “Costing you more doesn’t address climate change.”
Chong said economists have lauded a carbon tax as a good way to fight climate change, “but it should be revenue neutral. That’s not what happened,” he said.
“The Liberals did a revenue-positive carbon tax. This tax wasn’t designed the way it should be designed.”
He said Canada should reduce emissions from coal-fired electricity.
First past the post
Chong said he believes in parliamentary reform.
“There is far too much power with the leaders – the PM and the premiers,” he said.
“I would reduce the power of the [prime minister’s office].”
Chong said he introduced the Reform Act bill in 2015 to give MPs more say and allow members to vote for caucus and committees through a secret ballot.
Carscadden said the Liberals’ inability to bring in electoral reform in the past 10 years is one of his personal disappointments with the party.
“There’s a way to fix it, but governments should not make promises and not follow through,” he said.
Stiles agreed it’s not right that a party that doesn’t receive the majority of the popular vote can still win an election.
“I support [Chong’s] ideas,” said Carle. “I just wish your party would follow those rules.”
Bascombe agreed party leaders have too much power and first past the post is a better representation of the electorate’s vote.
Gaza
“You stood in Parliament and said there is no genocide in Gaza,” an attendee said to Chong.
“Supporting that is not what parliamentarians should be doing.”
Chong defended his words, saying when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and killed so many of its citizens, “Israel had every right to defend itself.”
He said there is rising authoritarianism among once-democratic countries and Canada needs to stand with western liberal democracies.
“There’s no question which side of the line Canada should stand,” he said.
On a follow up question about an arms embargo, Chong said no.
“Israel is a full democracy. But we denounce the horrific rise in antisemitism since 2023,” he said.
Stiles said Israel “has taken things too far” and is now committing war crimes – and Canada should not stand for that.
On an arms embargo, “I think we should have no part providing military hardware through third parties,” Stiles added.
Carscadden said Canada “is selective” when it comes to using force, preferring for negotiated settlements.
As for Gaza, “we need a judicious two-state solution,” he said.
He added the Liberals support a two-way embargo and cease fire and will respect the decision of the International Court of Justice.
Bascombe said the response to Oct. 7 is understandable, “but this wasn’t a one-off,” he said. “We should be seeking solutions.”
He later added, “We would support (an arms embargo) if it helps bring peace to the region.”
While the loss of life in Gaza is “despicable,” Carle said, “Canada should mind its own business – especially with taxpayer dollars.”
He thought Canada should not be helping Ukraine either.
“Canada has its own problems. We need to fix our own problems,” he said, adding the People’s Party would support an arms embargo.
Crime, overcrowded jails, addiction
Carscadden said safe injection sites have saved lives and keep needles off the streets. Criminalizing addicts is not the solution to addiction, he said.
He added people get confused between federal and provincial criminal justice systems and said it’s the provincial system that’s releasing criminals to the streets.
“We have a plan to tighten the bail laws that won’t violate the Charter of Rights,” he said.
Carscadden added the Liberals are increasing funding for the RCMP, Coast Guard and Canadian Border Services Agency, which should reduce crime and increase security at the borders.
He said the legal system works to reform and rehabilitate offenders, but agreed bail reform needs to happen.
“But just because they are eligible for parole doesn’t mean they get out,” he noted.
Stiles said people turn to drugs because they don’t see options for themselves.
He said there should be more mental health services and the Green Party will address the doctor shortage, mental health services and social housing for low-income people, which, in a root-causes sort of way, will help the situation.
He said police need more mental health training so they respond to incidents appropriately.
And increasing sentencing for convicted criminals, “should be discussed in Parliament – then there is a bill,” he added.
Chong called the Liberal drug program “a complete failure” and said Conservatives would fund treatment spots for 50,000 Canadians.
He said his party would impose mandatory minimum sentences for drug trafficking and acknowledged gender-based violence is a societal problem.
“They need to be put behind bars,” he said.
Chong added the Conservatives would increase mandatory minimum sentences for convicted murderers “and to do that we need the notwithstanding clause,” he added.
Carle said there’s a direct correlation between the high cost of living, feelings of despair and higher crime rates.
He said the Liberals’ plan to decriminalize many drugs will not be helpful.
“Canada is soft on criminals,” he said, adding people convicted of multiple murders should serve consecutive sentences – not concurrent.
He added there is something wrong about having a judiciary that is appointed by the government and then makes decisions about whether laws are constitutional or not.
Bascombe said there needs to be more services for people with mental illness and drug addictions.
He said the Liberals used the Emergencies Act “to halt a legal protest” and said changes to the criminal justice system need to be done through policy.
Housing affordability
Carscadden said the Liberals will cut development charges (DCs) in half for developers building multi-residential units while keeping municipal budgets whole.
Stiles said the Green Party will promote pre-fabricated homes, which would cut both red tape and time for builders, bringing house prices down.
Chong said “DCs have skyrocketed” in recent years, so the Conservatives would encourage municipalities to reduce their DCs and the federal government would match it.
He added his party would also cut the GST on new home builds valued up to $1.3 million, which would knock about $65,000 off the price of a home.
Carle scoffed at that notion.
“Developers aren’t going to give you a freebie,” he said.
“They’ll pass on the cost … Excessive immigration has caused the housing bubble.”
Bascombe, who works in the construction industry, said the wrong types of homes are being built.
The NDP would invest $5 billion into a land trust to be used for affordable housing.
In his closing comments, Bascombe said the NDP managed to get national dental, daycare and pharmacare programs instituted in the last six years even though it was not the ruling party.
“After 20 years, the Conservatives should have done something,” he said, pointing his comment at Chong.
Carle said Chong voted with the Liberals many times over the years.
“I’m not red and I’m not blue. Tell the Conservatives you want a conservative in the house – that’s me,” Carle added.
Chong said the Liberals don’t deserve a fourth term “after a dismal record on the economy, housing and defence.
“You decide who will be a strong voice for you,” he said.
Stiles wished everyone a happy Earth Day and urged everyone to “stay united to maintain sovereignty.”
Carscadden said Liberal Leader Mark Carney has led two nations through economic crises and he’ll do it again.
“I’m ready to fight for the people of Wellington-Halton Hills North,” he said.
