The first all candidates meeting for Wellington-Halton Hills was held on Sept. 13.
Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce president Michael Weinstein said the chamber was happy to host.
Of four registered candidates, three arrived: Ted Arnott, Progressive Conservative; Dale Hamilton, NDP; and Moya Johnson, Liberal. Green Party candidate Raymond Dartsch was absent.
Moderator Cindy Lindsay recognized Newspaper sponsor The Wellington Advertiser and thanked TV Cogeco for its coverage.
The questions
How will your government react to allow municipalities to remain competitive?
Arnott said it should remain an important priority for the provincial government to work with municipalities.
“I realize it is the aspiration of everyone in our community to ensure young people can continue to work in our community, and to strengthen the community in that way,” Arnott said.
He added local economic development programs are an important responsibility and in the past 21 years, he has worked with municipalities on a number of projects.
Arnott cited the years the Conservatives were in power and he was the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Economic Development. He participated in a number of plant openings in the riding, including the Jefferson auto parts plant in Elora.
Johnson agreed with a lot of the things stated by Arnott on the importance of economic development to local communities.
“The Liberal government has created many jobs over the last number of years and since the recession has been able to replace those jobs and 10% more,” said Johnson. “They have policies in place to encourage businesses to establish and grow.”
She said while it is the municipal government’s responsibility to foster economic development, “the Liberal government is there to support them.”
Hamilton, a small businessperson herself, described small businesses as the engine of the Ontario economy. One of the goals of the NDP is to initiate a “Buy Ontario” system where all municipal and provincial governments would be required, where feasible, to buy Ontario first.
As for tax credits, she said there would be strings attached and they would be given only to proven job creators.
In response to Johnson’s comments, Arnott stated, “We have lost 300,000 good paying manufacturing jobs. We need to send a signal that the provincial government has its act together and is going to work with [them] as a partner to bring the manufacturing sector back to where it’s been in the past, and even better yet.”
How would your party work with other levels of government to eliminate excessive red tape for Ontario businesses?
Johnson said the Liberal government has done a lot to work with businesses to reduce red tape. She cited the HST, which, she said, has reduced paperwork for small businesses and has reduced tax they pay on goods and has created 90,000 jobs. She agreed there is still work to be done on streamlining.
Hamilton said the NDP would combine the three to four entities Ontario Hydro was split into. She said it was originally done “as an experiment, and I believe it hasn’t worked.”
Hamilton said that in itself created excessive red tape and bureaucracy.
Arnott said, “The premise of the question is one which is important.”
He agreed “It is a huge competitive issue in regards to business.”
He said his party has taken a strong position. “We believe red tape is killing Ontario jobs and I continue to hear that from business people all across the riding.”
He said party leader Tim Hudak is committed to appointing a minister responsible for reducing the regulatory burden by 30%.
He cited Miller’s Scottish Bakery in Georgetown. The couple operated the business for over 20 years and sells Scottish bakery items, including Scotch pies. “They are among the best Scotch pies I’ve ever tasted.”
Arnott said the business was told by the Ministry of Agriculture it must install $50,000 of upgrades or it cannot sell its products on a wholesale basis.
“Yet, they can sell their meat pies to customers who come into the business off the street. I raised the issue in the legislature many times … It is one example of legislation which has gone haywire and is affecting a small business.”
Johnson said she is familiar with that case.
She said there are issues which need to be addressed and is willing to bring them forward to make sure red tape is reduced.
“But I believe those standards are important and if they interfere with one business, they may help keep members of the public safe. The Liberal government is committed to make sure the public is safe from things that can go wrong.”
“I think we’re doing a great job to ensure we have safe food and safe water.”
To Arnott: How do you justify the cost of your party’s plan to tear up the Green Energy Act?
Arnott said “the premise of the question is actually inaccurate.” He said the intent is not to tear up the Green Energy contracts.
Arnott said his party would no longer sign contracts at inflated prices. He said there were a number of contracts signed by the Liberals that pay up to 80 cents per kilowatt hour for the generation of electricity through solar. He said the price of electricity being sold is only a fraction of that.
“Our party believes green energy will be part of the future and we want to encourage it – but not at any price.”
He believes the green energy program will continue, but it must be affordable, and responsible.
Hamilton said the NDP suggests whenever possible, it would honour existing contracts, but in the future the priority would be for small operators, farms, cooperatives and individuals interested in creating energy, rather than large corporations.
Johnson said “I am very proud of the Liberal government’s green energy and the fact that our air is now a lot cleaner.”
She said eight coal plants have closed and the rest will be closed by 2014. She added that in the past summer there were no brownouts.
“I fully stand behind the green energy program.”
In response to Johnson’s comments, Arnott said the Liberal party in 2003, promised to have the coal fired plants closed by 2007. Now that estimate is to close them by 2014.
He said no coal-fired electrical generating plants have yet been closed with the exception of the Lakeview generating station in Mississauga, which was announced by his PC colleague Elizabeth Witmer.
He, too, hopes there will be a point where the coal-fired generation plants will no longer be needed. “At the same time, we have to ensure a secure and safe supply of electricity is there to replace it because it is totally irresponsible to shut off generating capacity if we don’t have something to replace it.”
At that point, Lindsay noted there were a number of questions on wind turbines and those would be interspersed with questions from the floor “to have a bit of variety here.”
To Johnson: It is obvious the Liberals believe or deny there are no negative health concerns regarding wind turbines. However it can be proven there are negative impacts on property values in communities where wind turbines are proposed and completed. What are the Liberals going to do to compensate landowners that suffer?
Johnson said the Liberals implemented the wind turbine system because it is clean and renewable energy and does not create pollution.
“I am aware there are people who believe there are health risks. I know that the government is continuing to study the effects.”
She acknowledged people do not like to look at turbines, “but I would challenge people who don’t like the look of them to tell me what the alternative is.”
Johnson said it is a new technology, “but it is not the plan of the Liberal government to compensate landowners, because it is the will of the government to create green energy.”
Arnott said, “This is a very big issue in our community. When I first talked to some of my constituents, I wanted to act on their behalf and brought forward a private member’s bill calling upon the government to place a moratorium on the approval of any new wind farms pending a health and safety study.”
He said his party advocates reinstating municipal planning authority.
“It is interesting that in the planning laws, the local council has a great deal of say over whether or not a Tim Hortons is going to be built on a main street, but absolutely no say because of the Green Energy Act, in the decision whether a big wind farm is going to be built.”
He recognized there is a study being done in conjunction with the University of Waterloo on health impacts.
Arnott suggested the government should not be going whole hog building a lot of wind farms across the province until that study is completed.
“I think it’s crazy not to wait until those results are in before they proceed.”
Hamilton said she found herself agreeing with Arnott. “It’s very pleasant,” she added
She said the NDP would require a full environmental assessment in a long-term energy plan to look at the cost to humans and to the environment.
“We need to be aggressive in bringing clean energy online, but tone of the big difficulties for me and the NDP is the lack of public consultation.”
She said there is a way to address people’s concerns and bring green energy to the province.
Johnson said she is listening to concerns on the health effects and it is being studied, and the Liberal government has heard the concerns of people.
She understood that the Green Energy Act does not always allow municipalities to have a say, but the intent is to move forward.
Can Ted Arnott give us unequivocable guarantee that when PC leader Tim Hudak dismantles the LHINs, it will not set back or delay the design work and planning of the new Groves Hospital?
Arnott said that is a valid question. “I can only promise my best efforts, as I’ve done in every election on behalf of all of my constituents.”
His party is committed to folding the LHINs and hopes to replace them with a new mechanism for local decision making that doesn’t cost $300 million.
“At the same time, I will say to you, as long as I am in the legislature my voice will be heard in support of the Groves Memorial Community Hospital and I will do everything possible to ensure the time frames are respected.”
Johnson said, “I guarantee the hospital will be built if a Liberal government is re-elected.”
As far as the LHINs are concerned, she said they are very lean organization, “much leaner than their predecessor.”
She believes it would be a mistake to get rid of them.
Hamilton said the NDP is also for eliminating LHINs.
She served on the board of Groves a number of years ago and was delighted to see the announcement and is committed to be there for the ribbon cutting of a new hospital.
Arnott said, “It is cheap politics to suggest any future government would not respect the commitment by the province of Ontario.”
Each party has formed a majority government in recent decades. What do you consider the biggest policy mistake [of the candidate’s own party] or failed policy pursued and how would you do things differently if elected?
Hamilton said for her it meant the Rae years. She said some people may know she ran during that election and came in second, behind Arnott.
“In some ways,” she quipped, “I won by losing.”
She recounted horror stories by her colleagues in trying to govern at a time when no one thought the NDP would win.
She cited the huge recession the province faced.
“The biggest mistake … getting elected,” she laughed.
She said what happened was bad timing all around.
Hamilton added Bob Rae is no longer with the NDP and the party is now within grasp of governing.
“Twenty years later we have a lot clearer platform, policies and talent. In 2011, I’m feeling very proud to be a New Democrat.”
Arnott quipped, “do I get to talk about the mistakes of the NDP government?”
When the Conservatives were in power, Arnott said “Mike Harris sometimes wondered whether I was in the opposition, as I would stand up on Tuesday mornings and ask questions.”
The premise of those questions was if the government was doing as well as it could.
“We did a lot of things which were good.”
“In terms of regrets,” Arnott said “I regret the tenor and tone of the debate in education when we were in government. Unfortunately it degenerated into a situation where the kids lost out.”
Arnott said he believed in public education and in a culture which allows for continuous improvement.
Johnson said the Liberal government should have had more consultation regarding the Green Energy Act with municipal government and the public. She believes the government now believes the same thing. She, too, as a municipal councillor, has concerns when edicts come down from any government.
Johnson said municipal governments are the closest to daily lives of people.
“It’s always a good idea to consult with all the partners when changes are made that affect people.”
