PERTH-WELLINGTON – As part of the Wellington Advertiser’s coverage of the 2025 federal election, the newspaper offered all local candidates a chance to participate in a Q&A feature leading up to the April 28 election.
Scroll down to read each candidate’s answers.
How will your party respond to tariffs introduced by the U.S. and what will it do to help Canadian workers/industries impacted by them?
After we parse out the hyperbole about tariffs, we need to remember that the tariffs being imposed are not against Canadians or Canadian businesses. They are being imposed against American customers of Canadian businesses. There are two choices faced by the exporting entities: 1) produce a product that is 25% (current tariff rate) more competitive so as to compete effectively in the American market. 2) find alternate markets for the product being exported. The People’s Party of Canada views any kind of tariff war against the Americans as anti-Canadian as it will result in further demise of our nation.
What is the best way to address housing affordability, notably for first-time buyers?
Get the gatekeepers out of the way! Costs associated with permissions to build are astronomical and growing. The primary responsibility for this issue lies with the provincial government. Federally, we need to encourage inexpensive ways for first-time home buyers to enter the housing market. An innovative avenue to pursue: create affordable facilities that encourage seniors to relocate to easier managed homes, allowing more appropriate usage of existing housing. Pursue technologies that would make it practical to develop marginal lands we have available. Make financing available to young families to purchase and build their own homes on these lands.
What changes can be made at the federal level to improve access to health care for Canadians?
Again, we have serious issues with provincial gatekeepers. There is no reason we can’t double the number of individuals accepted into medical school, thereby doubling the number of doctors available to offer their services to our over strained health care system on graduation. Federally, we contribute significant funding for our universities; increasing the capacity of our medical training would be an appropriate condition of funding. Imposing mandated COVID-19 vaccines with the result of firing non-participants was incredibly short-sighted policy for our health care. Incredibly beneficial for American and other foreign health care systems.
How will your party respond to recent geopolitical developments (annexation threats from the U.S., renewed Russian imperialism, etc.), particularly in regards to defence spending and to Artic sovereignty?
We have suffered through 10 years of gross mismanagement of our resources. Taxes, natural resources, military, the well being of future generations have been betrayed. Nationally, we can continue to ignore our situation and hope nothing bad will happen, or we can face the reality of the looming terrible precipice. We need to realize that we are an undefended resource-rich plum in a resource-starved world. We need to demonstrate we are serious about our sovereignty. We must honour our commitment to 2% of GDP on military spending, for our own protection and because we are an honourable nation.
What can the federal government do going forward to help lower the cost of living?
There is incredible resistance to lowering anything involving money. We really need to stabilize inflation, including the inflationary pressures of taxation. Creating money with nothing backing it, results in inflation. Like adding water to a couple of drops of food colouring. A few drops of water would be unnoticeable. Add a few ounces of water, and the colouring becomes unnoticeable. The same happens in our monetary system. Irresponsible monetary policies have resulted in a diluted dollar, thus requiring more dollars to live. The PPC will immediately take measures to eliminate deficit spending, and stabilize the inflationary pressures we are experiencing.
There have been over 50,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada since 2016. How would your party respond to the drug toxicity crisis in Canada? What can be done locally?
Locate and shut down the sources, suppliers and dealers. Provide the necessary resources (ie. mental health) to help those individuals who want to be free of the addiction and teach/give them the necessary skills to be a productive member of society. A healthy, prosperous community along with strong and stable families is the best way to do so.
How will your party respond to tariffs introduced by the U.S. and what will it do to help Canadian workers/industries impacted by them?
The NDP believes that Canada should be applying strategic counter tariffs to match what is being thrown at us from the south. Singh has pledged that every dollar from counter tariffs will go back into supporting workers and their families, no loopholes, no walk-backs. Working Canadians are the ones being hit the hardest by the effects of tariffs. The NDP has a plan to take care of workers by building affordable housing, capping grocery prices, and giving you relief from paying GST on essentials like home heating and cell phone bills.
What is the best way to address housing affordability, notably for first-time buyers?
Carney and Poilievre will never stand up to corporations that are buying up homes, driving up prices. The NDP is in it for you – and together we can build homes and lower prices. Our priority is to build more homes that people can afford, faster. We will also support first-time home buyers to reach their dream of owning a home with CMHC-backed mortgages. We will create a housing market for people, not for corporate landlords. The NDP has a strong plan for affordable housing, setting aside 100% of suitable federal crown land to build over 100,000 rent-controlled homes by 2035.
What changes can be made at the federal level to improve access to health care for Canadians?
Canadian’s pride themselves on their public health care. New Democrats have a plan to fix the shortage of health care professionals in Perth-Wellington that includes improving the working conditions for health care professionals. This will both improve patient outcomes and reduce burnout among doctors and nurses. The NDP will work with provinces and territories to recruit, retrain and retain more doctors and nurses to work across Canada. We’ll also make it easier for health care workers to work in Canada by streamlining the licences of workers from other countries and pan-Canadian licensing to work any where in Canada.
How will your party respond to recent geopolitical developments (annexation threats from the U.S., renewed Russian imperialism, etc.), particularly in regards to defence spending and to Artic sovereignty?
We will foster Canada’s global leadership on peace and security by creating a Canadian Peace Institute to harness the expertise of Canadians in peace building and conflict prevention. We will set a goal of contributing 0.7 per cent of our Gross National Income to international aid, to finally meet a decades-old commitment. And we will invest in our foreign service, reversing the trend of consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments consistently making cuts and undermining Canada’s ability to effectively promote our interests abroad.
What can the federal government do going forward to help lower the cost of living?
Inflation on groceries is the highest it has been in 40 years, yet grocery CEOs are making record profits. The NDP will tackle this problem by putting price caps on groceries. We’ll use every tool at our disposal to help people find homes they can afford. Including building rent-controlled homes on public land, supporting first-time home buyers and launching a massive house building program. We’ll take the GST off the essentials that families need: groceries, home heating and cell phone bills. We’ll ensure that you can count on essential programs that the NDP fought for: dental care and childcare.
There have been over 50,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada since 2016. How would your party respond to the drug toxicity crisis in Canada? What can be done locally?
Too many Canadians have lost loved ones because of the toxic drug crisis in Canada. Ending the toxic drug crisis means treating it like the emergency that it is, not delaying action or stoking fear and division. This means treating it as a health matter, listening to the experts and providing a safe supply of substances while also making sure that when people ask for help, we’re ready to provide it to them. The NDP will work to end this crisis by making investments in education and prevention, harm reduction, treatment and on-demand recovery services.
How will your party respond to tariffs introduced by the U.S. and what will it do to help Canadian workers/industries impacted by them?
To tackle U.S. tariffs, Mark Carney will roll out a $2-billion Strategic Response Fund to strengthen the auto sector, protect jobs and help workers gain new skills. Mark Carney will prioritize Canadian-made auto parts, reducing reliance on cross-border production and bringing more investment home. By tapping into Canada’s rich resources – like steel, aluminium and critical minerals – we’ll fuel job creation and build a world-class economy. Government contracts will favour Canadian-built vehicles. Workers will receive up to $15,000 in support to transition into high-demand sectors. Through collaboration with industry and labour, we’ll ensure everyone impacted has the chance to thrive.
What is the best way to address housing affordability, notably for first-time buyers?
Mark Carney’s plan will build almost 500,000 homes a year, which is a scale and pace not seen since the Second World War. To help first-time buyers, we’ll launch Build Canada Homes to build affordable homes, especially on public lands. We’ll invest over $25 billion to boost prefabricated home production, using Canadian materials like mass timber, and work with municipalities to cut development charges for multi-unit housing in half for five years. Refreshed tax incentives will help expand rental housing. We’ll also provide support for home retrofits, making energy efficiency upgrades more accessible to families, while lowering utility bills.
What changes can be made at the federal level to improve access to health care for Canadians?
Recent improvements to federal health care in Canada include increased funding for the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), expansion of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, and the introduction of a national pharmacare plan. These initiatives aim to enhance access to health care services, including dental care, and improve affordability for Canadians. The Working Together investment includes $25 billion for tailored bilateral agreements with provinces and territories, a guaranteed 5% CHT increase for the next five years – amounting to $17.5 billion – and a one-time CHT $2 billion top-up to address to urgent needs of emergency and paediatric rooms.
How will your party respond to recent geopolitical developments (annexation threats from the U.S., renewed Russian imperialism, etc.), particularly in regards to defence spending and to Artic sovereignty?
Mark Carney announced a new Liberal plan to invest in the Canadian Armed Forces and to protect our sovereignty in an increasingly dangerous and divided world. Canada will remain a strong, secure and sovereign nation with Carney’s plan. To maximize our economic growth, it’s imperative that we invest in our military and to ensure every dollar is spent wisely and effectively. Our first priority will be on value for money to protect Canadians. Investing here in Canada means we will meet our 2% NATO target by 2030. We will do this by building new submarines and additional heavy icebreakers.
What can the federal government do going forward to help lower the cost of living?
Mark Carney has already started. We’ve taken steps to lower the cost of living by introducing affordable child care, dental care and pharmacare, which significantly helps those in need. Removal of the consumer price on pollution lowered gas prices immediately. We’ll cut the red tape needed to build a home, fund home retrofits to lower utility bills, and directly invest in affordable housing. The Canada Strong Pass gives free access to national galleries and museums for children under 18 and discounted fares for youth aged 18 to 24. Camping fees in national parks will be reduced, making family trips more affordable.
There have been over 50,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada since 2016. How would your party respond to the drug toxicity crisis in Canada? What can be done locally?
The opioid overdose epidemic worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tragically, in 2020, there were 6,214 opioid overdose deaths in Canada. To save lives, we need a whole-of-society approach to the opioid epidemic that addresses the main causes and supports people who use drugs with the respect and dignity they deserve. We will continue to take an evidence-based approach to problematic substance use and work with all orders of government to support innovative approaches so that Canadians have access to the care and support they need.
How will your party respond to tariffs introduced by the U.S. and what will it do to help Canadian workers/industries impacted by them?
A Conservative government will retaliate. Counter-tariffs should be designed to maximize the impact on the United States and minimize the impact on Canada. A Conservative government will boost the auto sector by taking the GST off the sale of new Canadian-made vehicles. GST will not be charged on Canadian-made vehicles for as long as the tariffs remain in place. We must restore Canada’s economic sovereignty so we can reduce our trade dependency with the United States and stand up for ourselves.
What is the best way to address housing affordability, notably for first-time buyers?
A Conservative government will cut red tape to get homes built by incentivizing municipalities and builders. Funding will be linked to results. We will cut the GST on the purchase of new homes under $1.3 million. We will also speed up permits and cut development charges. We will work with municipalities to lower costly development charges. For every dollar of relief a municipality offers on development charges, a Conservative government will reimburse 50%, up to a maximum of $50,000 in savings for new home buyers. Combined, these measures alone could save up to $100,000 for a family in Perth-Wellington.
What changes can be made at the federal level to improve access to health care for Canadians?
The federal government needs to work with the provinces to recruit doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners to rural areas, including here in Perth-Wellington. A Conservative government would establish a “Blue Seal” national testing standard to get a licence in regulated trades, starting with doctors and nurses, but continuing until all regulated professions are covered. Provinces and territories would have the freedom to join or keep their own systems. Finally, the federal government must ensure Health Canada is quickly reviewing applications for new medications and treatments that could help Canadians.
How will your party respond to recent geopolitical developments (annexation threats from the U.S., renewed Russian imperialism, etc.), particularly in regards to defence spending and to Artic sovereignty?
Conservatives believe Canada needs to export our energy to our allies in Europe. Not only will this help our trading relations with one of the world’s largest markets, but it will also help our allies end their dependency on Russian oil. Conservatives recognize Canada must show our partners in NATO that we are serious about global security by reaching the 2% of GDP target. We are a northern nation, and we need to be serious about Arctic sovereignty. We will double the size of the Canadian Rangers and establish a permanent Arctic military base in Iqaluit.
What can the federal government do going forward to help lower the cost of living?
The Carbon Tax must be repealed. This means actually getting rid of it – not pausing it. We will repeal the Carbon Tax law for good and for everyone. We need more competition across industries. We need to support local independent businesses. We need to ensure that a few giant corporations cannot dictate prices. We need to hold the major telecoms accountable and to bring down prices. Rural Ontario has been an afterthought to many companies, even as they charge us exorbitant rates. Finally, we need to end the inflationary spending in the federal budget that drives up costs and demand.
There have been over 50,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada since 2016. How would your party respond to the drug toxicity crisis in Canada? What can be done locally?
More than 50,000 Canadians have died from opioid-related deaths since 2015. This is truly a crisis and one that does not discriminate based on demographics. This is not just a big-city problem; it’s a problem in our own communities too. We must recognize it for the crisis it is and provide meaningful supports. I have long advocated for greater mental health services and supports, including for those struggling with addiction. This is why I strongly support the Conservative plan to fund treatment for 50,000 Canadians in treatment centres with a proven record of success at getting people off drugs.
