Candidates questioned at Rapid City debate
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, October 14, 2015
By Sheila Runions
Banner Staff
Rapid City and District Chamber of Commerce hosted a federal candidates meeting last Wednesday which also drew voters from Oak River, Cardale, Minnedosa and Neepawa. Chairs were set in the Legion hall and more were added as people flocked in to become better informed before marking their ballot on Monday, Oct. 19. Each of the five candidates was given two minutes for opening remarks and one minute to answer questions. Moderator Vern May of Minnedosa & Area Community Development Corporation rang the bell many times to indicate they had exceeded their time limit.
A panel of scrutineers ensured no duplicate questions were asked but they had a difficult task to select only 18 of the more than 100 written queries that were submitted. To close the evening chamber president Garry Jones said, 鈥淚 apologize if your question wasn鈥檛 answered but our goal has been accomplished 鈥 you are more educated come election time.鈥
NDP鈥檚 Laverne Lewycky spoke of Tommy Douglas鈥 analogy from 70 years ago and how it鈥檚 time to elect mice to run Mouseland, no longer electing either a white or black cat. 鈥淎fter 150 years of Conservative or Liberal governments, it鈥檚 time to learn from Tommy鈥檚 parable. Mulcair is the way to make effective change. Elect a mouse to 鈥榮queak鈥 up for you in Parliament.鈥
Independent Inky Mark believes 鈥淐anada is at a crossroads as a country and a democracy. Who would guess our last nine years would be ruled by a dictator? We promote democracy but we鈥檙e left in the dark and that鈥檚 undemocratic. I believe governors should be for the people, not themselves and staying in Ottawa.鈥
Ray Pich茅 said his most-asked question is why he is running as a Liberal candidate. 鈥淚 love Canada but more to the point, it鈥檚 time for real change, not volleyed attacks. We have no intent of bringing back the long gun registry, and that鈥檚 just one example of the lies spread by the Conservatives. NDP are also doing the same attacks as their numbers are dropping at the polls. We are the only G7 country presently in recession; this is not the Canada I am proud of.鈥
Kate Storey is 鈥渞unning for Greens and for democracy. The Green Party is the only party which MPs run for you; if we as a riding want to vote against the party, I will vote for you. I also want to end confrontational politics. I have entered this race as a frustrated taxpayer. I believe Greens have the best policies on everything; we are poised to make history.鈥
Incumbent Robert Sopuck said, 鈥淢y focus has been on the growth and development of rural communities. I am proud of our oil sands and our natural resources, which have helped lots of my constituents pay for their houses, education, etc. We have the finest economy in the world and no deficit. Eighty per cent of what we produce here is exported, which makes trade critical. Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement we have access to 800 million people with a GDP of $28 trillion.鈥
Question: The first question was regarding government funding of any potential new recreational infrastructure grants; all were in favour of spending more.
Answers varied for a question regarding personal projects and how they plan to lobby for them. Sopuck is 鈥渟pecifically interested in the lake behind the dam [in Rapid City]. I am a fisheries biologist and we have a program I鈥檒l work with to access funds to return your lake to what you once saw.鈥
Lewycky is concerned that Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) 鈥渋s reduced to three seasons, not four; this strikes a chord with people in all our towns.鈥
Mark spoke of nothing specific, only reminded the crowd that with 鈥渆ight years in municipal politics and 13 years as MP, my role is to work with everyone and that will continue as it did before, if I am elected.鈥
鈥淩MNP is also on my list of priorities,鈥 said Pich茅. 鈥淎ll local projects need partnerships. If elected, my leader will meet with provincial and territorial leaders within 100 days; we cannot ignore our municipal or provincial leaders. I would make sure our leader keeps that promise.鈥
Storey wants 鈥渢o bring people back to rural life by creating jobs. We have seen a loss of jobs for youth; we want to reinvigorate climate-friendly projects to renovate homes to save money and not waste energy. There鈥檚 a whole list of projects to bring people back to small communities.鈥
They were asked how their goals will directly impact the people in the room.
Pich茅 wants us to 鈥渞eally understand each other; I鈥檇 be very, very happy to bring local issues to Ottawa.鈥
Lewycky has 鈥渃ommitted to have four zones of Local Advisory Committees to voice their concerns on a regular basis and have it fed up to the NDP government so we鈥檙e pro-active.鈥
Mark said, 鈥淩eal democracy starts at the bottom; it鈥檚 time to change the top and how MPs do business. I was the only Conservative MP who voted against Harper 鈥 twice!鈥
Storey鈥檚 goal is to 鈥渇inish the job Tommy Douglas started鈥 and have home, dental and mental care 鈥渦nder the health plan. We will improve it and make it universal on all aspects.鈥
Sopuck wants 鈥渕ore and better infrastructure. When the regulatory burden is reduced, you enhance trade. Water management and flood control are important, as are income-splitting, seniors and child benefits.鈥
They were also asked what rural 鈥減roblems鈥 they consider most pressing.
Lewycky would implement a 鈥渞ural stay option. We will work on education and health care, but we must support agriculture. We have lost 1,200 research inspectors, PFRA farms, CWB; we need to re-energize research in the ag sector to make a difference.鈥
Mark basically agreed when he said, 鈥淎ll farm support programs have been killed by Harper and TPP will only make it worse as all marketing boards are gone. If TPP is so good, why did China opt out? Our trade with these TPP countries is too small.鈥
Storey believes 鈥渞ed tape is not a difficulty, but we need smart regulations. There are job issues that face rural inhabitants; we鈥檇 start a re-orientation program.鈥
Sopuck also sees the 鈥渘eed for more jobs and economic growth through access to trade. TPP is supported by Beef Canada, Canola Council, Canadian business owners, the pork industry鈥. these members are our friends and neighbours, telling us better trade is critical.鈥
Pich茅 wants to 鈥渟pend money to grow. Liberals promise infrastructure money to create jobs and get our young people to stay in agriculture, which is okay, but we need small trade too; we need to train them and that鈥檚 how they stay [in rural areas] 鈥 if jobs are here.鈥
Someone wanted to know how the candidates would support small businesses which are developing in the Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa riding, which at 56,000 square miles, is one of the largest ridings in 水果视频.
鈥淣o one says we don鈥檛 need trade,鈥漵aid Mark,鈥 But we want fair trade. Norway and the North Sea are built on petro money and they tax on every barrel, up to $20. Harper charges our cartel $4 鈥 he gives it away.鈥
鈥淕reen is first to prioritize small business; it鈥檚 70 per cent of our country. We want to decrease small business tax and increase corporate tax. We also have to consider the impacts of federal legislation on small businesses; what works for big corporations many not work for small businesses.鈥
鈥淭he Liberal platform is to reduce business tax and reduce employment insurance premiums for small businesses. We will invest in green energy and work with them in renewal energy. Fossil fuel has been good but it will not be here forever; we need to take all our eggs out of one basket.鈥
鈥淪mall businesses are the backbone of our communities. NDP will reduce the small business tax and stand against TPP; how much of TPP will go to national corporations, from the sowing seed to the exports?鈥
Sopuck defended his government鈥檚 implementation of TPP. 鈥淭o denigrate trade is to denigrate communities. Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which is the voice for small businesses, has endorsed ALL our policies and programs.鈥
Regarding the protection of Canada Post/home delivery/privatization all agreed to the importance of keeping all the offices in the constituency. Sopuck informed the crowd that when home delivery was eliminated, it only affected Dauphin but he found one thing ironic, 鈥渆very person who contacted my office with their negativity, all complaints came by email!鈥
Mark was the last to speak to this matter and he 鈥渄isagreed with Bob鈥 and his statements that eliminating home delivery only affected Dauphin. Mark has 鈥渄ropped into post offices this summer and I鈥檝e talked to postmasters and heard of cuts in time and salary. I see it as a rural culture, like schools or elevators. People gather there to talk and socialize; we lose a big element if we shut down post offices.鈥
Storey literally jumped at the chance to answer a question regarding the benefits of refining oil in Canada as it would create jobs and be of lower risk to the environment. 鈥淵es, it鈥檚 much safer to refine it closer to where it鈥檚 mined; it makes economic sense to add value to our resources here. Trade is good, but let鈥檚 have it sensible.鈥
Pich茅 thinks it would be 鈥済reat to demand they refine our product here but we would need to work hand-in-hand with corporations and ALL levels of government to eliminate corporate greed.鈥
Sopuck said Canada 鈥減roduces way more than we would ever need. We process and refine what we can; with canola we process 30 per cent because that鈥檚 all we use. In terms of safety, we have, by and large, safe lines in Canada.鈥
Mark reiterated a previous statement that oil is 鈥済iven away at $4 a barrel, and we export over two million barrels a day. Harper is a lobbyist for multi-national companies.鈥
Lewycky knows it鈥檚 鈥渧ery important to have a shift in culture mentality, to not export but refine it here. We鈥檙e disproportionally disadvantaged; in the auto sector for example, the US has given them 25 years to adapt; we have to do it in five years. We need to control our destiny.鈥
Although one minute is relatively quick, not one candidate answered a simple question with a simple number. The question was 鈥淭o what degree should federal politics control government-sponsored scientific research?鈥 One would think each would say zero per cent, 10 per cent, 100 per cent, and move on, but each took their minute or more to bash Prime Minister Stephen Harper and how he 鈥渕uzzled scientists,鈥 鈥渄ictated reports鈥 or is 鈥渁nti-science.鈥 Sopuck asked if 鈥渦nqualified bureaucrats should make comments? We comment on policy [not research].鈥
Each spoke eloquently when enquired how they would 鈥渆nhance the constituency鈥檚 representation in Ottawa.鈥
Pich茅 would 鈥渃ome to any town hall meeting and listen to concerns. I would be glad and proud to bring them to Ottawa; I will come back and tell you how I made out.鈥
Lewycky has had 鈥渁t least 40 meetings with the 37 councils in our constituency in the last two months. If I鈥檓 busy in other meetings, I would even Skype with them, IF we ever get high-speed Internet!鈥
If Mark has the 鈥渉onour of being re-elected, I will always put you first. I鈥檒l go to the end of the earth to help you, as I did for 13 years as your MP. I鈥檒l do my darnedest to deal with it person-to-person, as I did before.鈥
鈥淕reen Party organizes town halls and we do referendums so if there鈥檚 a divisive issue, yes, it鈥檚 expensive, but it鈥檚 important to find out how [divisive]. I am quite prepared, if the riding wants it, to vote against Elizabeth [Mae, leader]. I鈥檝e disagreed with her before 鈥 not that I鈥檝e won 鈥 but I鈥檝e done it.鈥
Sopuck has spent 135 days in Ottawa yet has still managed 843 meetings in 57 communities during his time in office; he knows an MP has to be 鈥渆ffective. Because I was a trusted member of the Stephen Harper government, I got more than 10 per cent of the national parks budget of infrastructure grants for Hwy. 10 through RMNP.鈥
They were asked to address senior housing in small towns.
Lewycky reiterated the 鈥渞ural-stay option. We need to help with infrastructure and ensure we have senior care, health care, pharmacare and Mulcair!鈥
Mark thinks senior housing is 鈥渙nly one element. I know seniors who have a tough time to live in their own homes because of income; raising Old Age Security (OAS) to satisfy big multi-national employers was ridiculous. You work your whole life to make a pension, so why are you taxed on it?鈥
Sopuck replied, 鈥淢ost pension plans 鈥攕enior income 鈥 is dependent on natural resource industries. Their secure income is often dependent on the energy companies my opponents were critical of. But back to the question, I will eagerly look for proposals to take forward to Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.鈥
Pich茅 agreed with Mark: 鈥淲e need more than housing. Part of the money Liberals have promised is to retire with dignity. The Harper government brought OAS to 67; we鈥檒l bring it back to 65 and index some of it. Infrastructure money is put aside to go toward that, right away; we won鈥檛 wait four or five years. 鈥
Storey believes, 鈥淧ension plans are divesting from oil sands. We鈥檒l invest $1 billion into affordable housing and double OAS for low income seniors to have more disposable income to afford a house in the first place.鈥
Then it was time to hear how each person/party planned to pay for all these promises.
Pich茅 admitted the 鈥渓iberal platform includes a modest deficit, but the time to do that is now as interest rates are at two per cent. We have a fully-costed platform; if you make more than $210,000 per year, we鈥檙e going to ask those one per cent to pay more. How ironic is it that they [Conservatives] balanced the budget in an election year?鈥
Mark thought similarly when he said, 鈥淗arper held back $8.6 billion in his budget to get it balanced. We鈥檝e had a trade deficit every year he was in power; he鈥檚 added $124 billion to our debt. Coming from a government whose leader has nine years of deficit is a joke.鈥
As Lewycky mentioned an old politician in Tommy Douglas, he mentioned another when 鈥淭rudeau voted against large corporate tax. NDP will raise corporate tax, we鈥檒l not double tax-free savings accounts (TFSA), we鈥檒l close the stock option loop holes so CEOs with six-digit incomes get taxed.鈥
Storey鈥檚 Greens will 鈥渙perate on fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets鈥 and cited an example of $1.6 billion for the tar sands yet $1.2 billion will be enough for dental benefits for low income children. 鈥淲e鈥檒l take that from oil for kids for example. We鈥檙e based on taxing what we don鈥檛 want; marijuana is bad, so legalize it so we can tax it.鈥
Sopuck said 鈥淎ll I hear from my colleagues is spend, spend, spend. You cannot spend yourself rich. You don鈥檛 run credit cards to the limit. We manage taxes so well we鈥檝e reduced the GST, introduced income splitting, a senior reduction in Registered Retirement Income Fund, TFSAs鈥︹
Someone wanted to know when licensed day cares will receive 鈥渁ppropriate鈥 government funding.
Lewycky suggested a successful program in Quebec may work here in that 鈥淚f parents fulfill their careers and make good incomes, to be taxed is fair to pay for the child care.鈥
Greens would 鈥渟eriously look at guaranteed annual income鈥 and have 鈥渂udgeted $500 million more for daycare.鈥
Pich茅 thinks, 鈥淧art of the dialogue needs to start with the provinces and territories in that 100-day meeting. We鈥檇 work with them to invest in what they started and are doing; we鈥檒l work with leaders to better understand. Our present government doesn鈥檛 talk with leaders.鈥
Sopuck suggested these plans would 鈥渁ffect 350,000 Canadians, we鈥檙e helping 4.5 million kids. And it鈥檚 not true that if you legalize marijuana鈥. has trade in illicit cigarettes stopped? No, it鈥檚 exploded. Legalizing marijuana is a very bad idea.鈥
鈥淐hild care and culture changes today have two working parents to make ends meet,鈥 said Mark. 鈥淭his idea of giving cash for kids has shown to be $13 per month benefit as they forgot to be told it鈥檚 taxed. The way we deal with our children is what forms our society of the future, so we better take care of them.鈥
Question: Over the past several years, federal funding has been significantly cut for employment service officers. If elected, how does your party plan to ensure there is adequate funding to provide vital services to those who are unemployed?
Lewycky: Reinstate federal employment programs.
Storey: Cuts to unemployment insurance need to be restored.
Sopuck: Our youth employment program, not for the disabled or those who can鈥檛 work, but there is a labour shortage.
Pich茅: We should provide services to citizens; we have to offer employment and move forward.
Mark: Government is there to help in good times and bad times. We need to change our attitude in bureaucracy, not put road blocks in the way.
