ERIN – Federal election candidates in the Wellington-Halton Hills riding polished up policy statements and proclaimed their passion for a better Canada as they tried to sway voters during an all-candidates meeting at the Erin Legion Hall on Sept. 23.
Conservative Michael Chong, first elected in 2004 and now seeking his sixth term as Member of Parliament, is facing four challengers.
Georgetown doctor Lesley Barron is running for the Liberals, Acton union leader Andrew Bascombe for the New Democratic Party, retired RCMP officer and business operator Syl Carle for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) and University of Guelph professor Ralph Martin for the Green Party.
There were about 150 people at the meeting, which was moderated by Jay Mowat of Erin Radio. Questions initially focused on environmental issues, and then on health care, housing, youth engagement, party discipline, municipal infrastructure and poverty reduction.
A recording of the meeting will be broadcast on Erin Radio, FM91.7, on Sept. 28 at 4pm and Sept. 29 at 8am. The audio is to be streamed at erinradio.org, with a YouTube video posting also planned.
Bascombe was not at the meeting due to a commitment outside Canada, so the NDP was represented by Diane Ballantyne, a teacher and Ward 6 member of Wellington County council who ran for the NDP in the provincial election.
Martin said if the Greens end up holding the balance of power in the next parliament, they will push for an inter-party “wartime-type cabinet” to deal with climate change.
“It’s at least as serious as the Second World War,” he said.
While the meeting was generally polite, Carle generated some tension in the climate discussion, with repeated criticism of “climate change alarmists” who have “highjacked” the public debate.
“The alarmists have been saying all along, we were supposed to be dead years and years ago,” he said.
At that point, an audience member shouted at him, “Tell the truth or shut up!” That was followed by a shout of, “Hey, let him talk”, and an exchange of profanities between the two male audience members.
Chong said the Conservatives would scrap the Liberals’ carbon tax, claiming it is not revenue neutral, and replace it with emission limits and force excessive polluters to pay into a green technology research fund. He also promised a tax credit for green home renovations.
Chong added the current greenhouse gas reduction targets are the same as those set by the previous Conservative government, but the Liberals “are not on track to meeting those targets”.
Martin said the current target of 30% reduction by 2030 is too low, and that the Greens will go for 60% by 2030 and total reduction by 2050. They would also phase out new combustion-powered vehicles by 2030, with total elimination by 2040.
The Green Party would promote regenerative farming, expand forests and subsidize energy retrofits to buildings.
“You cannot fight climate change without a price on carbon,” said Barron, claiming a gradually-rising carbon tax is the best way to change consumers’ choices.
She said the Liberals’ tax and rebate program is revenue neutral, with eight out of ten people getting more back through their income tax return than the carbon tax they pay.
Georgetown doctor Lesley Barron is running for the Liberals.
Barron said all the profits generated by the Trans Mountain pipeline purchased by the Liberal government will go towards green technology and a transition to a green economy. The party also supports incentives for charging stations.
Carle challenged the Liberals’ revenue neutral claim, and said expensive government intervention is not needed to get people to adopt energy conservation measures.
When asked about a transition to a green economy, Carle said, “We will let the private sector take care of that – to believe a government can wave a magic wand to fix this is irresponsible.”
Syl Carle is the local candidate for the People’s Party of Canada.
Ballantyne said “individual actions are not enough” and the NDP would eliminate $3 billion in fossil fuel subsidies and create 300,000 good-paying jobs with incentives in a “new deal for climate action”.
The NDP supports continuation of the carbon tax and expansion of vehicle charging stations, with 100% electric vehicles by 2040.
All the parties recognized there is a problem with single-use plastics in the environment. The Liberals, NDP and Greens are promising to ban them, the Conservatives want a broad, sustainable strategy in cooperation with provinces and municipalities, and the PPC says it is up to individuals.
“We’re not the biggest polluters,” said Carle, referring to other nations. “Our water is as clean as it can get.”
On health care issues, the NDP is promising a pharmacare program that would cover vision, hearing, dental and drug costs. Chong said a Conservative government would continue current health funding for the provinces and highlighted a new $1.5 billion fund for new MRI and CT scanners.
Martin said the Greens were the first to propose a pharmacare system, including dental coverage for low-income Canadians.
On housing and poverty issues, Chong said he favours an inquiry to root out foreign money laundering that is driving up home prices in some areas. The Conservatives would increase the age-based tax credit by $1,000 to help seniors and cut the rate of the lowest income tax bracket from 15% to 13.75%.
The NDP is promising to build 500,000 new affordable housing units, eliminate post-secondary tuition fees to ease the debt load on young people and bring in a minimum “living wage”. Ballantyne said the NDP would close tax loopholes amounting to $26 billion and impose a 1% wealth tax on Canadians worth more than $20 million.
The Greens propose support for 25,000 new homes and 15,000 retrofitted homes, every year over 10 years, and a “guaranteed livable income” subsidy, based by region, that would replace certain income support programs.
Barron said it is important to allow seniors to “age with dignity” in their own communities. “The increase in the child care benefit has raised 900,000 people out of poverty, including 300,000 children,” said Barron, noting a current Liberal promise to increase old age security payments by 10% at age 75.
Carle said the PPC would reduce income tax rates, eliminate the capital gains tax, “abandon all corporate bailouts”, eliminate supply management to make food less expensive and reduce the corporate income tax on companies that provide housing.
“The cost of living is by far the biggest issue, not the environment,” he said. “We will stimulate the private sector to build more units.”
In his closing statement Carle said the PPC would end official multiculturalism, allow pipelines, defend freedom of expression and reduce immigration to a “manageable” level.
He said it is unacceptable that immigration is causing “havoc” with affordability of housing.
“We have to take care of Canadians first,” said.
Barron said the Liberal plan will “choose the environment while protecting the economy” and will provide reliable internet for rural residents. She said immigration is essential to the economy and that Canada’s system is “lauded worldwide.”
Martin said he has a record of speaking “scientific truth to power” and he would as an MP “vote truth to power.” “We need a new, clean economy,” he said.
Chong said people need a representative with the experience and track record to “deliver results for this riding, to stand up and speak truth to power”.
He said the Liberals broke their promises to have a balanced budget by this year and to bring in electoral reform. He also slammed Justin Trudeau for the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
“The prime minister interfered with the independence of the office of the attorney general and Canada’s independent judicial system,” he said.
Ballantyne said, “The millennials are coming, and they want change.” She also took a shot at Trudeau, saying, “The Liberals – political interference, broken promises. And when one is unclear how many times one has used blackface, there are really no words.”
She said Bascombe is running because he believes “we have a responsibility to build a nation that helps everyone”.
