Federal candidates take centre stage at forum
- Details
- Published on Friday, October 9, 2015
By Kate Jackman-Atkinson
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
Last week, about 80 Neepawa area residents had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the federal election candidates. On Sept. 30, the Neepawa United Church鈥檚 Mission and Services committee hosted a candidate鈥檚 forum in advance of the Oct. 19 vote.
While the forum鈥檚 main focus was child poverty, members of the public had the chance to ask general questions of the candidates for a portion of the two hour event. Four out of the five candidates running to represent this constituency in Ottawa attended the event: Laverne Lewycky (NDP), Inky Mark (Independent), Ray Pich茅 (Liberal) and Kate Storey (Green). Moderator Lyle Watson explained that incumbent MP Robert Sopuck (Conservative) was unavailable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
鈥榃hy are you running鈥�
The event began with the candidates鈥� opening remarks, the order of which was randomly selected and Pich茅 spoke first. He began by explaining his motivation for running, 鈥淚 love Canada, I鈥檓 sitting here in front of you because I have many concerns with the path this country is heading down. I鈥檓 appalled at the way this government is treating veterans. I鈥檓 concerned about the environment and the lack of team work displayed by the present government. We need to get back on track and invest in our country. We need to do it now. [The Liberal] plan will infuse money now, this is the time to invest, with low interest rates and too many unemployed Canadians looking for good jobs.鈥�
Talking about children in particular, Pich茅 said, 鈥淓very Canadian child deserves the best possible start in life and that a comprehensive approach must start early. High quality, affordable child care options are critical.鈥� He added that the Liberals would work with provinces, territories and indigenous populations to create a new national early learning and child care framework, which would invest $20 billion over the next 10 years. He added that they will also introduce two new options for parental benefits to be more flexible for family and work circumstances.
Storey used her opening as an opportunity to educate voters about the Green Party, 鈥淧eople often ask me, 鈥榃hy do you want to run for the Green Party?鈥� And I tell them I鈥檓 running for democracy鈥� She continued, saying, 鈥淕reens are the only party that gives you an MP who can vote with their conscience and represent you... I鈥檓 part of a growing number of Canadians who are voicing their discontent with all the status quo parties.鈥� The environment is the foundation of the party, but Storey explained that there is more to the party, 鈥淕reens understand that it鈥檚 the environment that creates jobs. Greens have even deeper roots as a party for peace and against poverty. We鈥檝e grown into a national party with policies on everything鈥� The Green party has the best jobs creation strategy. The Green plan is put an army of carpenters, electricians, plumbers and welders to work making homes more efficient. Saving you money, while saving the climate.鈥�
Talking about poverty, Storey said, 鈥淒ealing with poverty is one of the best things we can do to stimulate the economy, make our streets safer and lower our taxes.鈥�
Independent candidate and former Conservative MP Mark came out of the gate swinging against current Conservative party leader, Stephen Harper. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this country can afford four more years of Stephen Harper鈥� I鈥檓 speaking from experience. I鈥檝e never ever experienced a man so possessed with power and control over other people. This country is at a cross roads, either we restore democracy to the people of the this country, or we鈥檙e going to keep going down the same path. He governs for the one percent, the billionaires,鈥� he said.
Talking about poverty, Mark said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only children who are impoverished, look at the senior citizens鈥� Poverty exists at all levels.鈥�
Lewycky, a former MP, opened his comments referencing author and former Neepawa resident Margaret Laurence, 鈥淚 thought, she must have some inspirational thoughts for us. What can I say about Margaret Laurence? She was characterized by an intelligent, forward looking attitude. She must have wanted to vote NDP鈥�
Talking about poverty, Lewycky said, 鈥淩ecently, Mulcair announced that the NDP government will commit to reducing income inequality through Canada鈥檚 commitment to eliminate child poverty. Canada committed to eliminating child poverty by the year 2000, we鈥檝e had all these Conservative and Liberal governments who agreed to that, and did absolutely nothing. Mulcair is encouraging all party candidates to recommit themselves to that issue.
Reducing child poverty
The candidates were first asked how they or their party would work to establish an overall strategy to reduce child poverty.
Mark answered first, saying, 鈥淚f we attack the problem step-by-step, it can be fixed. The problem is that there鈥檚 no will to fix it. Issues like poverty get lost.鈥�
Storey explained, 鈥淭he Green Party plan鈥ncludes looking at income, looking at housing and looking at the supports for families. With income, we have to look at fixing the employment insurance program so that people can get the benefits that they paid into.鈥� She added, 鈥淲e have to address the fact that there are 11,000 children in care and that is leading children into poverty and into despair.鈥�
Lewycky explained that the NDP approach is multifaceted, 鈥淥ne of the hallmarks [of the] platform is the child care program. The average family is paying $1,000 per month, per child. We want to have an affordable program, which means that we will create and maintain 1 million high quality child care spaces and cap fees for parents at no more than $15/day.鈥�
He added, 鈥淭his would alleviate a lot of the child poverty issues that many are facing. Because spouses who are working can further their career, we鈥檇 collect from them in income tax, yet the children would be looked after.鈥�
Pich茅 outlined the Liberal plan, saying, 鈥淭he Liberal platform is very clear on this, our Child Benefit is the essence. We aren鈥檛 prepared to give the Canada Child Benefit to people who are in the one per cent. We鈥檙e going to give that money to the people who need it.鈥� The Liberal plan would provide $533 per month per child.
鈥淚f we want to grow as a country, all of us, we鈥檙e not bridging that gap. We need to work together and grow together,鈥� he said.
Child care to support low income families
With child care being a major component of many of the parties鈥� platforms, the candidates were asked about the investment in affordable and accessible quality child care as a way to support low income families.
Storey was the first to answer, saying, 鈥淲e would would start by creating community child care programs. These spaces have to be free to those in poverty鈥� [they] would be a safe space, available 24 hours a day for kids to come, at any age, to have loving care, to have good food, to learn how to be cared for.鈥�
Lewycky talked about how the NDP would fund their child care program, saying, 鈥淐urrently, there are all these [tax] loop holes being used by CEOs.鈥� He explained that the NDP would close those and use the money to enhance the working income tax benefit and national child benefit supplement. 鈥淭he working poor and those who have a very low income would have an enhanced opportunity to receive a greater income,鈥� he said.
Pich茅 emphasized his party鈥檚 timeline, 鈥淣ot like the NDP, we鈥檙e willing to do this right away, not four, five and six years up the road鈥� We need to deal with these issues immediately.鈥� He explained their plan to talk to provincial, territorial and indigenous leaders and work on this issue immediately. With provincial programs already in place, Pich茅 said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not fair for us to come in 鈥� and impose the will of the federal government on any provinces or territories. We鈥檙e much better to work with them and come up with appropriate solutions for each of [them].鈥�
Mark sees the solution as bringing child care into the public sector, 鈥淎lready, we have pre-nursery schools, it鈥檚 not a big jump backwards from pre-nursery to child care. We already have the infrastructure in place and you鈥檙e going to get better care because the people providing the care are better trained.鈥� As for funding this, he said, 鈥淎ll we need to do is quit dropping a few more bombs and that would probably pay for the child care. We waste so much money in this country and we forget about the essential programs that the public really needs.鈥�
Unequal funding for First Nations children
With 14 First Nations in the riding, the candidates were asked about the inequalities in funding for education and child welfare for indigenous Canadians.
Lewycky, who has worked on a First Nation, said, 鈥淚 think that if we worked together with them, addressed the issues, we would be able to solve some of these problems鈥�
鈥淚f we brought the education to them, made sure we have internet and other facilities for them, this would enable them to deal and cope with some of the issues they are facing.鈥�
Pich茅 talked about the work done by provious Liberal governments, saying, 鈥淭he Kelowna Accord was the brain child of the Liberal Party and when the Conservatives came to power, after three years of working it, the document was basically tossed. The problem is that it addressed many of these concerns. We need to work with First Nations and have discussions and dialogue or nothing will get solved. Immediately though, we will lift the two per cent funding cap on FN programs for education. Right now the average First Nation receives about $5,500 per year per child for education, in Neepawa, it鈥檚 between $10,000 to $11,000.鈥�
Mark, who has also worked on a reservation sees the Indian Act act the major road block. 鈥淭he problem with a lot of the aboriginal issues is that until we get rid of the Indian Act, a lot of these problems aren鈥檛 going to disappear鈥� The problem is that there鈥檚 too much control in Ottawa.鈥�
For Storey, the answer lies in giving First Nations more control. 鈥淥ne of [the reservations visiting during campaigning] is very well managed, [with a] beautiful school and buildings in good repair鈥� On a second one, the kids were going to school in a building I wouldn鈥檛 use to house cattle. Heating was almost non-existent. Houses are falling apart.鈥�
Storey explained that in the first case, 鈥淭hey are in control of the decisions that happen.鈥� In the second case, she explained, 鈥淭hat band is under the thumb of the government鈥�. Those kids are in desperate need because their resources were stripped away, rivers polluted and place where they hunt were taken away from them.鈥�
Affordable housing is a challenge for many families, especially those with low incomes. The candidates were asked about their parties鈥� plans for more affordable housing.
Pich茅 said, 鈥淎ffordable housing is a problem. It鈥檚 been around for many years and never really been addressed. This is something that we take seriously, this is part of our infrastructure plan, part of where we want to go. It鈥檚 an essential part of growth for any families.鈥�
Mark explained, 鈥淎ffordable housing affects everyone. I鈥檝e always supported public involvement in low income housing and certainly, this place needs it as much, if not more, than other communities.鈥�
Storey explained that this is part of the Green Party鈥檚 plan. 鈥淭he Green Party has already made a commitment to municipalities to help them with things like affordable housing by committing 1 per cent of the GST to municipalities directly. We鈥檒l also help families through the Guaranteed Annual Income Program, this provides a low level of support to all families that need it.鈥�
Lewycky explained, 鈥淭he NDP wants to work with municipalities with respect to infrastructure funding and we want to make sure that pensions are raised, so that seniors can afford to be in housing that is acceptable.鈥�
Mincome
The candidates were asked their thoughts about 鈥淢income鈥�, a experiment done in Dauphin from 1974 to 1979, to test the viability of a guaranteed income. All of the candidates supported further study of the program, although they noted that it would require changes to the tax system as well as a major overhaul of existing welfare programs.
Debate covered a range of topics
Candidates also answered questions about a potential ban on Roundup and other glyphosates; ways of improving attendance at schools, especially on reserves; overcome issues that dissuade welfare recipients from going to work; staying in touch with this diverse constituency; the end of the Canadian Wheat Board; the affordability of post secondary education and pension protection.
鈥淲hat kind of country do you want to leave your grandchildren?鈥�
As the event came to a close, candidates had one more opportunity to persuade voters. Lewycky closed first, saying, 鈥淚鈥檝e been listening to voters and if elected, that鈥檚 exactly what I would do. I am proud to be with Tom Mulcair NDP party, we have a workable plan for families and we鈥檙e going to put it to work. NDP will balance the budget, stimulate the economy by asking corporations to pay a little bit more, to pay their fair share鈥� I鈥檓 willing to put my federal, my provincial, my municipal, my first nation, all my academic and other experience to work as well. I鈥檓 very excited to be part of the change that I believe we need in this country. We can repair the damage that has been done.
Mark re-iterated his concern for he country under Prime Minister Harper, saying, 鈥淐an Canada stand another four more years of Stephen Harper? I believe three out of four Canadians say, 鈥楴o, we want change in Ottawa.鈥� You all know now I operated as a former Member of Parliament, I always put you first, not some leader or some party. I leave you with one question, what kind of country do you want to leave your grand children?鈥�
Storey continued to promote the benefits of a Green vote, saying, 鈥淧eople are telling me they don鈥檛 know who they鈥檙e going to vote for, and then they say, they love Green leader Elizabeth May, but they鈥檙e hesitating to vote Green. I say, 鈥榃ell, why not? What鈥檚 holding you back?鈥� When did you stop feeling empowered and when did you stop owning your vote? The Green vote is a worthwhile vote because we鈥檙e non-whipped, I don鈥檛 have to follow the party line, I can vote with my conscience. Greens don鈥檛 split the vote, we grow the vote. We have the best policies, we鈥檙e brave. I鈥檓 running for democracy, it鈥檚 time to feel good about your vote.鈥�
Pich茅 was the last to speak and criticized Sopuck for not attending. 鈥淥n July 24, even prior to the writ being dropped, this debate was set up, all five candidates agreed to be here. And now, here we are, [Robert Sopuck鈥檚] not here tonight. He shows a very great lack of respect towards us, the candidates and most of all, towards all of you who attended here tonight hoping to see democracy at its best. He has failed us again in my opinion. The Liberal platform has lots of issues involved in it, but the bottom line is that we are trying to make Canada a fairer place, we are trying to grow Canada as a whole. We need to grow Canada for this to work. The most common message we are hearing is 鈥榃e want change鈥�, this is a similar message across Canada. I am presenting myself as the best choice. Bring the voice of the riding to Ottawa, not the will of Ottawa back home, which is what has been happening for far too long. It鈥檚 time to get back to grass roots.鈥�
