Sarnia-Lambton’s candidates for the June 7 provincial election squared off on agricultural issues at an event organized by the Lambton Federation of Agriculture and held at the Plympton-Wyoming Fair Building.
During opening comments at the May 16 meeting, NDP candidate Kathy Alexander said she’s seeking election because the riding is an incredible place to live, but she believes a lot more can be done to help the region achieve its full potential.
Kevin Shaw, representing the Green Party, said he believes residents are looking for change and are ready for politics to be accomplished with honesty and integrity.
He said in farming, as in other industries, decisions must be made on sound scientific advice but with a good dose of common sense mixed in.
The Trillium Party’s Andy Bruciewicz said that while he is not a farmer, he would love to be one.
He said agriculture is among the world’s oldest professions because people always have to eat and as such farmers contribute to the wealth of the nation.
If election, Bruciewicz said his commitment is to represent the people of Sarnia-Lambton in Toronto and not the other way around.
Incumbent MPP Bob Bailey, the Progressive Conservative candidate, said it’s been his privilege to represent the rural part of Sarnia-Lambton at Queen’s Park for the past 11 years.
He said if the Tories form the next government they would do away with the proposed carbon tax, eliminate the Green Energy Act, and where possible cancel contracts for wind turbines, and reduce burdensome regulations, all of which, he said, is a net cost to farmers and businesses.
Bailey also noted party leader Doug Ford has promised that if, if elected, Ontario’s next agriculture minister will be a farmer.
On the question of how their party would support investment in natural gas infrastructure expansion in rural communities, Bruziewicz said high energy costs in Ontario began with the Progressive Conservatives in the 1990s with that government’s movement to privatize the energy sector.
He said three-quarters of the rise in energy prices can be correlated to privatization and the inclusion of the profit element.
Bruziewicz said the only way to correct the situation is to reverse the past blunders of both the Conservatives and Liberals.
Alexander said the NDP has a strong commitment to rural communities and green energy initiatives, and said an NDP government would invest $100 million in natural gas expansion in rural Ontario.
Shaw said the intent of the Green Party is to generate natural gas from landfill sites and promote the use of anaerobic digesters to generate green energy.
He said he supports a recent study outlining the use of new technologies to generate natural gas from cattle and pig manure, thus reducing the dependence on fossil fuels.
He said the Green Party also advocates importing low-cost electricity from Quebec.
Bailey said a number of private-sector companies are eager to sell natural gas to rural residents and have offered to extend natural gas lines to the rural parts of the province.
But the Ontario Energy board turned down those offers, he said.
He said a Progressive Conservative government would reverse that decision and allow the private sector to provide that infrastructure at their expense rather than at the taxpayer’s.
Asked if they find the current level of government spending acceptable, and if not, and how would their party balance Ontario’s budget, Alexander said fiscal responsibility is incredibly important to the NDP.
However, she said the party’s plan for the immediate future is focused on investment and would continue with deficit spending over the next few years.
Alexander said there is a critical demand to reinvest into programs that past Conservative and Liberal governments have slashed in recent years.
She said spending on health care and services for seniors would be a priority.
Alexander added that the NDP intends on carrying a deficit for a few more years but will eventually balance the budget by taxing Ontario’s wealthiest individuals and corporations.
Shaw said spending is out of control and the Green Party would address that challenge by making smart, sustainable decisions on spending.
He said unifying the school boards would be an example of how duplication could be eliminated and improved efficiencies could be found.
Bailey said the provincial debt is approaching $315 billion and costing the government more than $1 billion a month in interest charges alone.
He said the debt is not sustainable, adding that the biggest threat to health care and social programs is unsustainable debt and the cost of its service.
Bruziewicz said spending in Ontario has been out of control for more than 30 years. He blamed all three of the mainstream parties for driving up the debt during their terms in office.
He said it is time to dramatically downsize the provincial government and suggested reducing Cabinet membership from more than 30 ministries to just six.
He also suggested that cancelling thousands of redundant regulations would save businesses and taxpayers money.
On the question of rural school closures and their impact on rural communities, the candidates were asked if they would support a moratorium on rural school closures until the issue could be fully addressed.
Shaw said the Green Party policy is to examine the funding formula. He said the one-size-fits-all approach that comes from Toronto does not work in rural communities.
He further added that people from urban areas don’t understand the importance of schools within the rural community.
Bailey said he has voted numerous times at Queen’s Park to change the funding formula to keep rural schools open.
He said he attended one-room schools and understands their importance within a community.
Bruziewicz said the Trillium Party has been a champion for changes in the funding formula to keep rural schools open and he is in agreement with that position.
Alexander said the NDP supports a moratorium on rural school closures but charged that Tory leader Ford has publicly opposed keeping rural schools with small populations open.
Asked how they would work with the local farm organizations to ensure the Drainage Act thrives and continues to be accessible to farmers, Bruziewicz said he was not an expert on the subject but would ask for input from farmers to get a consensus on how to represent them.
Alexander said she wanted to be upfront by saying she didn’t have a lot of knowledge on the subject. She said she would defer to experts on the subject for advice.
She said she could assure people that the NDP is committed to the rural Ontario and strengthening services that were previously cut.
Shaw said he wasn’t well-versed on the act either and couldn’t offer specifics.
He noted, however, that the leader of the Green Party grew up on a farm and does have a good understanding of agricultural issues.
Bailey said he was a personal friend of former MPP Lorne Henderson, who was chairman of the select committee that reviewed the Drainage Act in the 1960s.
Bailey said at the time it hadn’t been looked at for nearly 100 years. He said it had been more than 50 years since Henderson reviewed the legislation and said it may be time to take another look at it.
Bailey said many farmers had benefited from tile loans and improvements to drainage because of the legislation.
Asked what approach their party would take to cap and trade or carbon tax if the federal government proceeds with imposing it on the provinces, Alexander said the NDP is committed to keeping the carbon tax in place.
She said their plan is to use resources that come into government coffers from that tax for things such as education and health care.
Shaw said the Green Party supports a carbon dividend. He said the cap and trade approach is very expensive and lets large emitters of carbon buy credits but doesn’t require a reduction in their carbon footprint.
Bailey said the Progressive Conservatives would eliminate the carbon tax and join with the other provinces in opposing the federal government on its imposition.
He said they would take the federal government to the Supreme Court if needed.
Bruzeiwicz said the Conservatives have flip-flopped on the issue of a carbon tax since Patrick Brown left the party’s leadership. He said the Trillium Party has been consistent since the start – no carbon tax. He said the carbon tax will not improve the environment and is just an excuse to pick the pockets of businesses and individuals.
A Liberal candidate was not available for the event. Neil Wereley, however, was nominated to represent Sarnia-Lambton at a meeting in Sarnia that same evening.
~John Phair~
Petrolia Topic