LISTOWEL – Four candidates gathered at the Listowel Ag Hall on April 8 for a Perth-Wellington riding debate ahead of the April 28 federal election.
The meeting, held one day before the candidate nomination deadline, included all riding candidates confirmed as of Jan. 9.
The event, hosted by the Perth County Federation of Agriculture (PCFA) in conjunction with the Listowel Agricultural Society and Wellington Federation of Agriculture, was attended by John Nater of the Conservative Party, David Mackey of the Liberal Party, Wayne Baker of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) and Kevin Kruchkywich of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Before the debate began, a representative of Elections Canada urged attendees to vote, explaining a voter card is not necessary if it does not arrive in the mail on time.
Listowel Agricultural Society president Carolyn van der Heiden also explained that “at the provincial election, we had about 40 plus per cent out to vote in Ontario.
“So let’s see if we can outdo that for our federal election, okay? Let’s get everybody out there to vote.”
Candidates were provided questions from the audience, mainly focussed on agriculture, that were read by moderators van der Heiden and PCFA president Derek Van De Walle.
Main topics included how each party will tackle U.S. tariffs, President Donald Trump, infrastructure, the carbon tax, and interprovincial trade, among others.
Keeping agriculture on the table
Candidates were asked how their party would help keep agriculture top of mind in Ottawa.
Nater explained his colleagues are “actually [getting] tired of me talking about agriculture sometimes in Ottawa,” and said he highlights the importance of agriculture in two facets.
“Farmers represent less than two per cent of the population, but have an outsized impact on the economy,” he began.
“Agriculture feeds our country and it feeds the world. So every time we’re talking about policy, every time we’re talking about issues in Ottawa, we need to raise how this impacts farmers, farm families, agribusiness, [and] rural communities, because that gets far too lost, far too often on urban counterparts.”
Baker said a “prime example” of farmers being top of mind in Ottawa was when the trucker convoy went to Ottawa in February 2022.
He said the elected representation chose not to meet with these individuals, “and chose not to assemble and address the grievances that were legitimate …
“I think that’s important, and putting farmers at the top of the list, that’s absolutely crucial … every time you eat, you need to thank a farmer.”
Mackey suggested the question was about farming versus urban, and that farming works with the urban centres that consume the products that come out of Perth-Wellington as well as the world.
“It doesn’t have to be an ‘us versus them,’” he stated.
“But with Mark Carney’s plan … we’re going to protect supply management, building more domestic food capacity in Canada [and] in Ontario.
“And there’s also components where we’re going to make it easier for young farmers to get into agriculture by increasing loan guarantees to $1 million and extending terms by five years.”
Kruchkywich acknowledged he agreed with Nater.
“We need to go beyond just bringing it up, we are beginning to look inward now with the threats that we are now receiving from who used to be our partners to the south,” he said.
“We (the NDP) are looking to separate it and make ourselves self-sustaining.
“That begins with agriculture, and that’s going to keep it more than top of mind.”
Trump and tariffs
U.S. tariffs placed by Trump on Canadian goods was a focus of the meeting.
Candidates were asked how their party would protect Canada’s supply-managed industries when Trump threatens other sectors of the economy with “massive tariffs” unless supply management is changed.
“First and foremost, we need to say ‘no’ to Donald Trump, period, on pretty much everything,” Nater noted.
He added the last time Conservatives were in office, they negotiated trade deals with nearly 63 countries.
“The supply management industry was protected,” Nater said.
Baker explained the PPC position is the supply management system is “outdated.”
Baker added, “It’s in need of reassessment. We’re seeing excessive costs in terms of quota across the supply sector – whether it’s farmers, whether it’s processors.
“We’re also seeing that cost translated to consumers.”
Mackey explained the answer is “really quite simple” for a Mark Carney government, who says supply management is “off the table” with any trade negotiation.
“And I don’t need to say much more than that, other than supply management gives us food security, that’s it,” said Mackey.
Kruchkywich said the NDP has always said supply management will never be on the negotiating table.
“We’re disappointed that it has been given away by both the Liberal and Conservative governments,” he said.
“We believe that it’s ours, and it doesn’t need to be on a negotiating table. Nobody else deserves the right to negotiate our food supply.”
Responding to what moderators called a “loaded question”, the candidates also offered their take on how important Trump is to the upcoming federal election.
Nater said he wishes the U.S. president was not important in the election, and “Trump has had a negative impact” on Canada since the day he stepped into office.
“He has destroyed what used to be one of the strongest relationships, between Canada and the United States,” he told the crowd.
Baker suggested Trump is not an enemy of Canada.
“We’re hearing rhetoric that he is, but our true enemy is actually our government that we’ve suffered under, or we chose, for the last 10 years,” said Baker.
Going in a different direction, Kruchkywich noted Trump can be viewed as an opportunity for Canada to become more self-sufficient, and is giving the chance to rebuild.
Acknowledging the Canadian people cannot control Trump and his actions, Mackey suggested the president is the reason why this election is different.
“Donald Trump is the example of what we do not need to follow in our political system: polarization, fear and paranoia and crazy ideas,” Mackey said.
“We have to play on Team Canada, and we have to be building east-west, interprovincial trade that continues beyond the borders…”
Interprovincial trade
Interprovincial trade was another topic brought up during the debate.
Candidates were asked how they would reduce interprovincial trade barriers so agriculture can serve, and grow potential markets in Canada.
“The Mark Carney government is going to remove all federal regulations that prevent interprovincial trade, and we’re going to do that by Canada Day this year,” Mackey said.
“In addition to that, we need to be working with the provinces to make sure that their trade barriers have been removed.
“Canadians working with Canadians, for Canadians is our success, and it’s just got to be done.”
Kruchkywich said the NDP also believes in removing those barriers as quickly as possible, and speaking with premiers.
“I think those conversations need to happen yesterday, and we need to remove those barriers,” he stated.
Nater explained that in 2017-18, he was an interprovincial trade critic for the Conservative Party, and at the time, was “very critical” of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.
He added the document needs to be removed, and the trade barriers need to be taken down.
The Conservative Party also plans to give out added incentives for each province that unilaterally takes down its trade barriers.
Baker agreed with all other candidates on removing the barriers, adding they have “been a bugaboo for forever.”
Voting information
To view the entire debate visit youtube.com/watch?v=fN873Tk7lao.
The federal election will take place on April 28, with advanced polling stations open April 18 to 21 from 9am to 9pm.
The deadline to apply to vote by mail is April 22.
For more information on how and where to vote, visit elections.ca.
