Agricultural issues were at the forefront of discussions at a Wellington-Halton Hills all candidates debate hosted by the Wellington Federation of Agriculture on June 2.
While not filled to capacity, nearly 100 residents and supporters were at the Elora Legion to hear four of the six candidates.
On hand were Dan Zister (Liberal), Michael Carlucci (NDP), Dave Rodgers (Green) and incumbent MPP Ted Arnott. Absent once more were Jason Cousineau (Libertarian Party) and Mitch Sproule (Freedom Party).
Moderator Gary Nelson explained the federation holds such meetings to discuss the issues of particular importance to the rural and agricultural community in Wellington County.
Introductions
Zister said Ontario’s agriculture is what makes the province beautiful and is one of the biggest economic engines.
“I know the agricultural industry is one of the best parts of our province. I also know that it has been seriously undervalued in the past.”
He contended elections are a chance for change – something the province has done since Kathleen Wynne came into power.
“A change to any other government would be a mistake.”
Carlucci’s commented mirrored his introductory speech in Aberfoyle the week before.
The candidate again noted that he has lived, worked, volunteered and studied in the region for 12 years.
He has a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University and is studying law at the University of Calgary.
“The NDP are here to provide a reasonable alternative to (Tim) Hudak’s plans.”
He said “I’m running to change the prospects for Ontario’s future.”
Rodgers said he supports the Green Party and its committment to integrity, social justice, the environment and vision of a sustainable future.
He noted the Green Party’s motto is “think big, expect better”.
Rodgers commented then Greens have the support of Conservatives with heart, ex-NDPers who have tempered idealism with pragmatism and Liberals with backbone.
He then noted Ontario’s farmland is disappearing at an alarming rate.
He said a key component of the Green Party platform is to protect prime farmland.
Arnott noted this meeting was the first in the riding dedicated to agricultural issues.
“We care about this province that our children and grandchildren will inherit.”
Arnott acknowledge the federation for the important role it plays in the community and as strong voice for agriculture.
“We know there will always be challenges, some predictable and some unforeseen. But I have faith in the future.”
He said the strong values of farm families have defined this part of rural Ontario since the first Scottish settlers arrived in Centre Wellington in the 1830s.
“Together we confront adversity head on.”
He said one of the responsibilities of an MPP is to be prepared to go to bat for the residents and farm families and working across party lines and holding the government to account to support farmers’ needs.
The Questions
Candidates were first asked if they and their parties would provide public investment to provide natural gas pipelines to rural Ontario.
Zister said his government was committed to that plan.
“We have to be careful, we don’t want to make mistakes. We want to do it right the first time.”
Carlucci said lately there have been serious concerns within the NDP on this issue.
“For a time it seemed natural gas seemed a cheap alternative to outrageous hydro prices.”
However, since this spring natural gas prices have skyrocketed, which the Liberals have allowed, Carlucci said.
He said the NDP are ready to work with local farmers to address natural gas issues “and together develop an energy plan which makes sense for Ontario.”
Rodgers agreed more should be done to bring natural gas to farmers, but wasn’t as certain it should be done through a public-private partnership.
He explained part of the high costs behind the provincial gas plant closures was that the private interests had been guaranteed 25 years of profit.
He also believed farms should be looking at other energy options such as solar, wind and bio-fuels.
Arnott said the OFA has recommended a government investment into extending gas pipelines.
“I agree that is a good idea.”
However, he suggested if the government had not spent $1.1 billion cancelling gas fired plants, the money would be there to extend the pipelines.
Candidates were asked how their government would address the struggles of local municipalities dealing with the loss of infrastructure money, specifically the loss of the Connecting Link program (which covered 90% of the capital costs to repair highways located within urban municipalities).
Carlucci suggested this could be done by working with municipalities to adjust municipal taxation.
Another way could involve increasing provincial transfers to municipalities.
However, he said the NDP has an alternative – to reconsider the download of services to municipalities and to perhaps upload them back to the province where it makes sense.
Rodgers said the Green Party is fully-committed to funding transit related infrastructure programs.
He too believed the tax system should change to lower tax rates on farm and conservation land – and perhaps a surtax on lands converted from Class 1 farmland.
He also recommended a prohibition of aggregated extraction on Class 1 farmland.
“Farmland should come first.”
Arnott clarified the question was directed at how the government could assist municipalities with the cost of infrastructure.
“It is quite true that a few years ago, the government arbitrarily cancelled the Connecting Link program – a partnership which existed with Ontario municipalities since 1927.”
He said that move was something no one had anticipated and that it was done without consultation.
“The impact to communities like Centre Wellington will be on the hook for the costs for bridges on the connecting link – without any provincial support.”
Arnott said his party was committed to sharing provincial gas tax revenues with all municipalities, not just those with transit systems.
He added the federal government already shares the gas tax with municipalities large and small.
“We need predictable sustainable funds for infrastructure funds in rural Ontario.”
Zister said his understanding was that the province has already uploaded certain taxes from the local level.
“But (the province) is squeezed in the middle because our friendly Conservative government at the federal level does not have any regard for pushing taxes down to our level.”
He contended the Liberals are looking to ease the burden, but the issue is a hard nut to crack in regard to property taxes.
Candidates were also asked how a proposed reduction of public sector employees would impact front line workers in the agricultural industry.
Rodgers said the Green Party is opposed to that portion of the PC platform which calls for the 100,000 reduction of public sector workers.
He added right now there are a lot of jobs for individuals with agricultural training.
Arnott said Tim Hudak’s proposal is to reduce the size and cost of government to an affordable level.
He spoke of the numbers revolving around the deficit and the debtload of the province and the interest charges on that debt.
“We have to deal with this problem. If we are going to balance the budget, we can’t do it without looking at the payroll side of the equation.”
He also stressed that the Hudak plan is that front line services will continue, and the intent is to reduce the layers of bureaucracy in order to balance the budget.
Zister questioned the Hudak 1 million jobs plan in general.
He agreed there should be responsible financial management.
In regard to “Arnott’s fearmongering on the size of the deficit” Zister said “interest rates are the lowest they’ve been in our lifetime so borrowing money at this time is not that bad.”
“If interest rates go up, we could make cuts,” he added.
Carlucci said Hudak would have people believe hard cuts are the only way to reduce the deficit and balance the budget.
He said the NDP have plans which do not involve those kinds of cuts.
Carlucci said his party wants to work with farm organizations to ensure succession planning for farm operations for future generations.
“We need to encourage more young people to enter the field of agriculture.”
Why haven’t the Liberal and NDP candidates seen fit to place election signs in the Centre Wellington area?
Zister acknowledged the lack of signs locally.
“There’s no good reason other than lacking resources. We haven’t been in power for 24 years and have the resources to be out there as early in the game.”
He assured those at the meeting he had a number of signs in his car ready to be placed.
Carlucci has a similar response.
“Unfortunately when you order signs, you can’t just go into a back room and pick them up. It takes time.”
He too said there were a number of signs in his car ready to be installed.
“You can take some home if you want,” he offered.
“It’s absolutely nothing to do with neglect.”
Rodgers noted that if one looked at the Elections Ontario website and compared the monies going to the larger parties – and then that going to the Green Party – “you’ll see why we are fairly thrifty with our signs.”
“We admit we may lose the sign war, it’s the idea war we want to win.”
Arnott said it would be appropriate to thank his sign team who have worked so hard.
However he also pointed out that the vast majority of signs put up are left over/recycled from his last election.
“We took them down, put them away so we could put them up again.”
Candidates then responded to the potential future or elimination of Ontario’s Drive Clean Program affecting both personal and commercial vehicles.
Rodgers said the Drive Clean program was started to reduce emissions and that emissions are actually slightly increasing, possibly because of traffic congestion.
Arnott noted it was the Conservative government which first initiated the program in the late 1990s as a means of either getting older polluting cars off the road, or at least to make owners responsible to get them fixed.
“We always said it was intended to be a temporary program – until the job was done.”
“I believe it has now outlived its usefulness.”
However, he said fees were recently reduced because it was pointed out the government was using them as a revenue source rather than cost recovery.
Zister agreed that it is difficult defending the Drive Clean program as it stands.
“But there is still work to do and our priority for now, is to keep it going.”
Carlucci said to his knowledge the NDP did not have a policy related to the program.
“If it should come up as an issue, I would be happy to be involved in that discussion as it affects local farmers and the local community.”
Mudslinging
The jabs by candidates specifically directed at Arnott was not particularly well received by those in the audience – many of whom had fought alongside Arnott to address local issues.
In his introduction, Zister said “I believe a career in politics should begin with a career. No matter how nice a person may be, it is impossible to cultivate a true appreciation of others without having a true world experience.”
Carlucci said “It has been said quite often that our incumbent Ted Arnott is a really nice guy.”
“I chose to run because this riding does not need a representative who stands behind Hudak’s plans, no matter how nice they are and no matter how much experience they have.”
Zister said the change Wellington-Halton Hills needs is the person representing the area at Queen’s Park.
He said Arnott has been representing the area for 24 years “… and in my opinion living in a political bubble for so long that he is no longer in touch with the world the rest of us live in.”
Zister said “despite having the position for so long, Arnott has never held a ministerial post and it seems highly unlikely that he ever will.”
Zister said “to continue paying him MPP salary to warm a seat in the backbenches of opposition is in my opinion not money well spent.”
Though Arnott made his fair share of comments on the current Liberals and the NDP, none were directed specifically at his fellow candidates.
