A Recap of The Second Local Debate

Human trafficking and climate change were among the topics during the second All Candidates Forum. Last night's debate saw four candidates on hand, organized by the Woodstock-Ingersoll and District Real Board.

WOODSTOCK - A larger crowd showed up for the second All Candidates Forum inside of the Unifor Local Hall.

Four of the six candidates were on hand last night, answering 11 predetermined questions on various topics like climate change and human trafficking.

Conservative Party candidate Dave MacKenzie was among those in attendance.

"Our campaign is based on a commitment for you to get ahead. Some of our agenda includes eliminating GST and home heating bills, scrapping the carbon tax, making parental EI benefits tax free, lowering personal taxes, attracting better, higher paying jobs, implementing a children's fitness tax credit, implementing a children's arts and learning tax credit and boosting the RESP."

MacKenzie was also joined by New Democratic Party candidate Matthew Chambers, whose opening speech looked at several topics including pharmacare.

"We are going to bring in universal pharmacare and dental care. We are going to save families over $1,000 every year on their phone and their hydro bills, we are going to stop profiting off of our young people's student loans."

The debate featured People's Party of Canada candidate Wendy Martin and Heritage Christian Party candidate Melody Aldred on stage as well.

Green Party candidate Lisa Birtch-Carriere and Libertarian candidate Henryk Szymczyszyn and Liberal candidate Brendan Knight were all absent.

Following their opening speeches, the evening saw each candidate answer 11 predetermined questions under a two minute time limit.

They opened up the forum by addressing human trafficking.

Aldred says the HCP would offer support for the victims, along with services to assist survivors. She adds they would also promote chastity before marriage.

As the microphone was passed over to Chambers, he says he is appalled that human trafficking is still happening in 2019 and the NDP are committed to working with community groups, advocacy and victim support groups.

Martin says 95% of the people in human trafficking are women, including Indigenous women. Although the topic was not on the party's platform, Martin took points from their immigration platform to answer the question. She says the PPC would increase border security and CSIS, as well as the RCMP and the Canadian immigration and citizenship.

MacKenzie says the statistics are totally minimized and there should be more emphasis on enforcement from a court.

The topic then shifted towards climate change and Chambers says it is a threat to the planet and the NDP would end subsidies with fossil fuel companies. He also says all public transit would be electric by the year 2030. 

Martin says Canada has over 300 billion trees and the PPC would prioritize Canada at implementing practical solutions to make the county's air, water and soil cleaner. They would also keep the tax dollars here to create projects.

MacKenzie says the Conservatives would stop cities from pumping raw sewage and they'd work on the environment and all aspects of it.

Aldred says the CHP would be opposed to all carbon taxes and focus on replacing man-made chemicals with more natural solutions. They'd also prevent raw sewage from going into cities.

As the evening went on, members in the audience were told a few times to not interrupt while the candidates were speaking. 

Despite the commotion, the candidates continued to answer questions as the topic then shifted to the most important challenges to Canada right now.

Martin says the rights and freedoms are being taken away from Canadians and the PPC would want to restrict the definition of hate speech to the criminal code, to the expression which explicitly advocates use of force against identifiable groups or people.

MacKenzie says there is an opportunity in offering exports around the world and that they want to open all markets around the world.

Aldred says the most important challenge to Canada is for people to elect a government that respects and promises the supremacy of God, as in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Chambers says affordability is a challenge in Canada as some of the highest housing prices are in Southwestern Ontario. He says universal healthcare and being on the edge of climate change are also challenges. 

The microphone was passed around from candidate to candidate as they gave their answer on access to healthcare.

MacKenzie says the healthcare system is already good as it is and the Conservative Party is committed to giving $4.5 billion to healthcare equipment such as MRI's and CT scans. 

Aldred says the CHP won't cover drugs for the purpose of ending life, abortions, drugs for puberty blocking and elective hormone treatment. However, she says they would cover drugs for life saving purposes.

Chambers says while budget cuts are not the answer, they would bring in universal pharmacare and mental health care.

Next on the docket was investing in Canadian industries, which Chambers says the NDP would strengthen infrastructure projects and introduce a Made in Canada policy.

Martin says by selling the Trans Mountain Pipeline it would create tens of thousands of jobs and limit the number of temporary foreign workers. As a result, she says this would bring prosperity to Canada.

MacKenzie says the opportunity to fill jobs is an issue and the Conservative Party would increase the immigration of skilled trades and individuals, as well as lower debt.

Aldred says the CHP would look into infrastructure, creating a lot of jobs.

When it comes to taking specific steps for inequalities for minorities, Chambers says the NDP are committed to confronting racism and the party's leader Jagmeet Singh is the perfect leader to face this issue.

Martin says the PPC want to create jobs that are filled with the proper people with the proper skills and to ensure they are safe while they're doing a job. She says the laws are already in place to protect all of the rights and freedoms, assisting any disadvantaged groups.

MacKenzie says there are no inequalities with minorities and we shouldn't lose sight of what inequalities are. He adds we need to work harder as a society to welcome people into our communities. 

Aldred says Indigenous people need help being welcomed into society with education and support. She says Christians are becoming targeted as a minority group and there is unnecessary anger against them.

Each candidate then took turns answering how the working class would benefit from their party; Martin says the PPC would eliminate carbon tax and phase out supply management. She says temporary foreign workers would be given temporary jobs, as well as the first $15,000 would be tax free and the public would save $529.00.

MacKenzie says the Conservative Party would lower carbon tax, which would go a long way to help the working class. He says they'd make universal tax cuts and make maternity benefits tax free.

Aldred says the CHP would introduce a fair tax and pay off debt like a mortgage. She says there would be workplace equality and introduce a Personal Income Security Account where employers would put so much money into the account.

Chambers says the NDP is made by the working class and all of their policies are aimed at making life more affordable for Canadians. 

Just a few more questions followed before the debate ended.

Each candidate was asked if they were in favour of an electoral reform, which Aldred says the CHP is in favour of some form of proportional representation, along with another model which is a preferential ballot allowing voters to rank candidates or parties in order of preference. 

Chambers says the NDP would bring a mixed member proportional representation and they'd run it for the next two elections, holding a national referendum where people can choose to keep it or not.

MacKenzie also spoke on the electoral reform and he says he doesn't see anything wrong with it.

"Our system is what they've used for hundreds of years, we've used it here for one hundred some odd years. I think it isn't broken. And I don't know if we can fix it with simple fixes."

Martin says it is not a priority to the PPC, saying there are more pressing issues like balancing a budget. She says it isn't a perfect system but it works.

The last topic of the night was about what steps each party looks to take when moving forward with Indigenous people.

Martin says their population is diverse and it is a very complex issue, but the PPC would look into options of replacing the Indian Act and look at a lack of real private property rights.

MacKenzie says they must keep working with Indigenous people and that the issues are within the community. He says although it is not a federal issue, they must keep the dialogue going.

Chambers says the success of the federal government has denied the basic human rights of Indigenous people, forcing them off of their lands and territories and claim lands without compensation.

"New Democrats are committed to undertaking the important work, reconciliation in good faith and in true and equal partnership with Indigenous communities across the country."

At the end of the debate, each candidate took turns answering questions from the audience.

The topics ranged from poverty, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and job automation.

Regarding job automation, Martin says people shouldn't use self checkouts in stores and the PPC plan to look after their citizens and they will have a platform on this topic shortly.

MacKenzie says automation doesn't cost jobs, but it creates them. He says people need to become educated on how to operate and build them. 

Aldred says the CHP has no stance on the topic, saying there are many jobs available.

Meanwhile, Chambers says people need to be educated and put back into the workforce and require training.

Following the debate, candidates met and spoke with different community members, sharing their platform and answering any of their questions.

The last forum will be held at the Unifor Local 88 Hall in Ingersoll tomorrow night. It'll go from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.