Over 150 people packed Main Place here Oct. 1 to hear five candidates of Wellington Halton Hills riding debate political issues of the coming Oct. 14 election.
More people will likely hear it on Erin Radio 105.5 FM, which broadcast the event. Host Jay Mowat said the station would rebroadcast it leading up to the election.
After introductions, Mowat read questions from the audience. Candidates had two minutes to respond, and went in random order. They are cited here in the order they spoke.
The first dealt with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s remarks, which he repeated on two different occasions that Ontario is a poor place for business to invest these days.
Conservative Mike Chong said the issue Flaherty was speaking to is the province has “not adopted the economic policies we need.”
Chong said Ontario should harmonize the GST with the PST. That distinct disadvantage is coupled with high corporate tax rates that discourage new business, and he would encourage the provincial government “to work with us.”
NDP’s Noel Duignan said Mike Harris ruined Ontario with downloading costs onto property taxpayers, and Flaherty was part of that.
He said of the federal Finance Minister, “If this guy worked for any corporation, he would have been fired. You stand up for Canada. You stand up for Ontario. You don’t run them down.”
Jeffrey Streuker, of the Christian Heritage Party, said Ontario’s problems are moral issues. He opposes double and triple taxation “and GST on top of taxes.”
He said he would eliminate all corporate taxes entirely to encourage companies to operate in Ontario. He also castigated the Conservatives for saying they would protect income trusts and then doing away with them.
“Our policy is to not to tax any kind of investments,” he said.
Brent Bouteiller, of the Green Party, said transportation costs increase as distance in shipping goods is added, and he would like to see more local economies developed.
He added Ontario business has not done enough research and development, and private business infrastructure has not been kept up to date, and that made it “easier to move [jobs] to China.”
Liberal Bruce Bowser said Flaherty has twice spoken against Ontario, and Flaherty should be fired.
“Ontario drives this country,” Bowser said, adding the government should simply admit Flaherty made a mistake.
He noted Flaherty had left Ontario with a $5.6-billion deficit, and took federal surpluses of $15-billion and turned those into a deficit.
“Sometimes, you just need to say, ‘I’m sorry,’ Bowser concluded.
Agriculture
The candidates were asked a three part question on agriculture, which dealt with genetically modified foods and should they be labeled, food crises and food aid, and would they encourage organic or conventional production. Not all candidates had time in two minutes to speak to all three.
Liberal Bowser said the federal government must get involved with food safety, and imports, and dumping of food into Canada.
He supports food aid, having worked in several poorer countries. He called it “a high responsibility for Canada to get involved.”
Chong said Canada must have stronger labeling, and said when he sees coffee in stores with a Produced in Canada label on it, something is wrong.
He said four months ago, the government passed legislation for new food labelling that will tell if it is produced or processed in Canada, and he expects that to be visible on labels within the next year.
Genetically modified food labelling, he said, is “tricky” because Canadian farmers grow a lot of that, but the European Union does not like it and will not buy it. Forcing a label on it would hurt Canadian exports.
He supports working with poorer countries so they can purchase Canadian crops.
The NDP’s Duignan said genetically modified foods should be labeled. He is buying more organic food these days.
He said the government must keep an eye on the Europeans and see how they manage with their policy.
As for encouraging organic or traditional food crops, he said he doubts organic crops can feed the world like more traditional crops can.
Green Party candidate Bouteiller said the onus for genetically modified foods should be with the companies that create it, and not the farmer that grows it.
As for food aid, he noted Canada gives 0.25% of its gross national product, and the Untied Nations calls for almost three times that in charity.
As for encouraging organic crops, he said he is in favour, and would restructure farming in cooperatives to accomplish that.
Christian Heritage Party candidate Streuker said, “A nation that can’t feed itself is no longer a nation; it is a colony.” He said the have nots must be given the means to become self sufficient in food, and his party would be “glad to help them out.”
As for genetically modified foods, Streuker cited the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, whose policy is “the consumer is more important than the technology.”
When it comes to genetics, his party supports spliced genes for new hybrids, but opposes using mixed species genetics such as fish genes for new strawberries.
“We’re against that.”
Leadership
The question on leadership dealt with how an MP can have a strong voice locally when party leaders have so much sway, and how important is leadership.
Chong said he supports his leader, the Prime Minister, who has offered “modest, steady leadership over the last two-and-a-half years.
“I support Stephen Harper … but that doesn’t mean I’m going to agree on every single issue,” Chong said. “On issues of fundamental conscience, I will not compromise. I will speak out – and my record shows that.”
Duignan said he would be a strong, independent MP, “plus support my leader.”
He said his party considers all citizens, and not just those with money and rank. He said politics in Canada needs shaking up and many parties are offering the same things, asking people to choose between various “brands of corn flakes.”
“I think we’ve gone too far [sticking with the leader at all costs] and we need to get back to a regional brand of politics,” Duignan concluded.
Bouteiller said, “I have never been muzzled by my leader.”
He favoured a decentralized government run from the “grass roots,” and “I believe proportional representation gives better leadership.”
Streuker said Christian Heritage leader Ron Grey, if elected, will discuss issues what other parties do not want to talk about. He added that his party has no restrictions on free votes, and, “If elected, I represent you.”
Bowser said the election is a crucial turning point for Canada, and citizens should consider a leader who can put together a strong team.
He said Harper “has not shown good integrity, and has allowed a senior cabinet minister to bad mouth Ontario. He added that Harper set a date for an election and then called one before that date.
“That’s not integrity,” Bowser concluded.
The economy
When it comes to the problems of world wide economic difficulties, the candidates offered a number of options and solutions.
Streuker said the root cause of current economic woes is “the unbridled creation of money by the private banking system. He added he is not in favour of bailing out any banks.
“I support people; not companies. We would try to keep families together.”
Bowser noted the prime minister has spent the last three weeks saying the economy is in good shape, but he said personally, he does not want to look at what has happened to his own investments.
He said Harper is trying to convince Canadians “to bury your heads.”
Bowser said to recover, he would “start by making Ontario a priority – a good place to invest.”
He would also work with industry and manufacturing, and the Liberal’s proposed Green Shift policy would create a whole new economy and jobs.
Chong said Canada is facing a “period of uncertainty and the unknown. I’m not sure if people are aware it could be one of the biggest crises since the Great Depression.”
He blamed corporate leaders, and its “sheer greed.”
He noted, though, that while real estate values have dropped 20 to 30 per cent in the United States, and banks have failed in the U.S. and in Europe, that has not happened in Canada. Neither have thousands of citizens lost their homes, as has happened in the U.S.
He said Harper’s “steady hand on the tiller” has helped avert most of the problems being seen elsewhere in the world, and now is not the time to change financial direction.
Duignan said it was nice to note Chong “got a tinge of socialism when he talks about corporate greed.” He said Jack Layton has asked all party leaders to meet and discuss the economy and “put aside politics and “make sure all Canadians are protected.”
Bouteiller said when jobs began to move to Mexico and then China, that hurt buying power in North America.
He noted that was accompanied by many banks making bad loans.
He prefers a “greener economy” to what he sees today, which, he said, “is not the economy we want.”
