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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-10-15, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015. Huron-Bruce candidates answer ‘Citizen’ questions Protecting the environment Jutta Splettstoesser, a Bruce County farmer, has decided to represent the Huron-Bruce riding for the Green Party. She wants to focus on Canadians, rather than politics, she says, while paying great attention to the environment. (File photo) In advance of the Oct. 19 election, The Citizen posed a handful of questions to the four candidates vying for the title of Huron-Bruce Member of Parliament. 1. As voters go to the polls, why would you (personally, not your party) be the right representative for the people of the Huron-Bruce riding? Incumbent Ben Lobb of the Conservative Party (BL): Since 2008 I have worked hard to deliver results for the people of Huron- Bruce. I have been engaged with constituents from north to south and from east to west. Young, old, farm, town, sports, industry, education and healthcare, the reward for being your representative is to be a part of your lives. But the task goes much deeper. I have helped deliver over $137 million in federal funding to this riding for infrastructure, seniors programs, affordable housing, environmental initiatives, local festivals, economic development and jobs. I’m proud to represent you and together we are building a better Canada. A strong voice in Huron- Bruce, with proven results. Allan Thompson of the Liberal Party (AT): Growing up on a farm near Glammis, in Bruce County, gave me a sense very early on for what hard work means. Our Dad always said that things done by halves are never done right and I always think of that whenever I take on a project. I was born and raised here but have also been fortunate to work at interesting jobs in other places, notably as a political reporter for the Toronto Star on Parliament Hill and more recently as a university professor. I think my upbringing here and my work at the Star and at the university in some ways gives me a foot in both worlds and a good skill set to work my hardest to represent the people of Huron- Bruce. I have been campaigning for more than a year, have visited virtually every community in the riding, meeting thousands of people at events and on their doorsteps. The people of Huron-Bruce deserve an MP who is going to work hard for them and who will stand up for their interests. I want to be the voice of Huron-Bruce in Ottawa, not Ottawa’s voice in Huron- Bruce. Gerard Creces of the NDP (GC): I am the right representative for this riding because I am passionate about the people in it, having told their stories for nearly a decade. I have seen first-hand how poverty and inequality continue to erode the health of our communities – even more so following the manufacturing meltdown of 2008 – and strongly believe that people should come before profit. As a small town reporter, I have made rural Ontario the focus of my entire career, and I understand the issues we face at street-level. I am a fighter, a person who is never afraid to speak his mind, and will risk being unpopular for the sake of doing the right thing. I’m not in this race to make friends and connections – I’m in it to make sure this riding has proper representation in Ottawa. Jutta Splettstoesser of the Green Party (JS): My experience, training and an open mind are the tools I bring to the job. I will first listen to the priorities and concerns being expressed by the constituents in our riding, then work to clarify them. Building through consensus, I will then set out to accomplish as much of these objectives as possible. I am pragmatic and believe in a collaborative approach with positive vision and am convinced this can be beneficial for our prosperity in Huron-Bruce. One of the emerging items is services for seniors and would be on my list, subject to the above approach. 2. What do you see as being the role of the local Member of Parliament for residents of the Huron-Bruce riding? BL: First and foremost I represent the people of Huron-Bruce. My job is to be their voice in Ottawa. Locally, my staff and I have helped solve problems for constituents on a wide variety of federal government matters from helping them to get visas or passports, immigration, employment insurance, pensions and income tax. I try to engage with as many residents of Huron-Bruce as possible from one end of the riding to the other by attending local events, from celebrations to community meetings and opening ceremonies and other activities. This gives me a chance to hear constituents’ ideas and plans and raise issues that affect Huron- Bruce in Ottawa. AT : As an MP, my top priority in Ottawa would be to speak up for rural communities when decisions are being made by government. The most important thing, in my view, is for the MP to be the voice of their community and to do everything possible to help constituents any time they are having some difficulty getting the services they deserve from government, from any level of government. I think it would be worth exploring having additional offices or satellite offices beyond the current presence in Goderich and Port Elgin. Driving around this vast riding it has been my sense that the thousands of people who live inland, on farms or in small towns in the eastern part of the riding, might benefit from having more access to their MP. I would also make it a priority to establish good working relationships with municipal leaders in the riding, with my provincial counterpart as well as representatives of such key groups as farming organizations, cultural groups, small business, environmental groups and so on. I also feel very strongly that a rural riding like Huron- Bruce needs stronger representation in Ottawa. GC: I see two roles. The first is the constituency work: outreach and administration of the kind found in any constituency office across this country. Secondly, the role of MP is to make sure this riding’s values, concerns and needs are addressed at the federal level. To me that means sticking up for the disadvantaged, working with existing service and community groups to make sure we have the social infrastructure we require to address inequality. It means lobbying for our local physical infrastructure projects and fighting for a rural perspective on any legislation prior to completion. JS: I see the local Member of Parliament as Huron-Bruce’s voice in Ottawa. The Green Party of Canada believes that a Member of Parliament fundamentally works for their constituents, not for their political party. That is why the Party doesn’t whip votes. VOTE GERARD October 19 The big issues Four candidates have thrown their hats into the ring ahead of the Oct. 19 election, from left: Ben Lobb of the Conservative Party, Jutta Splettstoesser of the Green Party, Gerard Creces of the NDP and Allan Thompson of the Liberal Party. The Citizen asked the candidates a number of questions, spanning issues like the economy, agriculture and climate change. The four candidates are seen here late last month at the Huron County Federation of Agriculture’s all-candidates meeting, held in Holmesville. (File photo) Continued on page 9