HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-04-28, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011.Candidates answer integral election questions
1. What’s the biggest issue
involving the federal government
facing the Huron-Bruce riding
specifically? How would you deal
with that issue?
Ben Lobb, Conservative: I think
the biggest issue facing this riding is
jobs and the economy. We will
continue to focus on creating jobs
through training, trade and low
taxes.
We will provide a hiring credit for
small business that gives a one-year
Employment Insurance (EI) tax
break on any new jobs created. The
new $1,000 hiring credit will help
approximately 525,000 small
employers.
We will also extend the
accelerated capital cost allowance
for Canadian manufacturers to help
them invest in new equipment and
machinery to make their operations
more productive and hire new
workers.
Since taking office, we have
signed free-trade deals with eight
countries and are in negotiations
with 50 others. We will continue to
seek improved access to other
markets for Canadian businesses and
their workers.
Our government will remain
focused on creating jobs and
completing Canada’s economic
recovery.
Charlie Bagnato, Liberal: The
most important issue surrounds itself
with agriculture. This industry is the
lifeblood of the economy and its
tough times have led to the bleeding
of our young people to the cities, as
they see better opportunities in other
lines of work.
I believe the Liberal platform,
which includes two dynamic action
plans, will address agriculture’s
malaise.
The first-ever National Food
Policy which will see importers
forced to produce to the same
standards of Canadian farmers. This
will level the playing field and vastly
improve the local farmer’s lot. This
policy will also includes investments
in food safety, healthy eating and
exercise to improve overall health
and intensified food labelling that
will lead to Canadians buying
Canadian.
The second very important
component is a Risk Management
Plan which will give farmers the
stability they require to financially
sustain when market prices fluctuate
and quickly drop. These measures
will hopefully sway young people to
choose farming as their career.
Grant Robertson, New
Democratic Party: Whether it is at
the hockey rink talking to other
parents, in line at the grocery store,
or out at community events across
Huron-Bruce, I hear the same things.
Families are struggling.
Families are finding it harder and
harder to get ahead. Between the
HST, soaring gas prices, rising hydro
rates and climbing debt levels, it
seems like families never get a break
from Ottawa. Instead it is the big
banks, oil companies and insiders
who constantly get the help.
Nothing’s being done for you.
Ottawa is broken and it is time to fix
it.
It is time we elect a Prime Ministeryou can count on. A Prime Ministerwho will help your family get ahead.Someone who will put aside the
political games and work with others
to get things done. Someone who
never gives up until the job is done.
It is time to elect Jack Layton as our
Prime Minister. Jack Layton has an
affordable, practical plan to help
your family, including removing the
HST from home heating, hiring
more doctors and nurses, capping
gouging credit card rates, improving
and securing your pension. We’ll
improve access to post-secondary
education and help rural and small
town communities get access to
affordable, accessible and flexible
high quality childcare. Jack Layton
and the NDP also have a plan to help
families when they need to take time
off work to care for a sick loved one.
Eric Shelley, Green Party: I
think the two main issues in this
riding for this election are health
care and agricultural insurance.
Green Party members believe in
strong communities, where farmers
are supported in their own
communities and can produce value-
added products for sale, like garlic
butter or ketchup. The federal
government should learn from
Ontario and work together to make
sure that risk management is a part
of every budget. Farmers feed cities;
we need to get back to basics and
make sure the farming community
has security and is attractive to youth
as a career choice.
Focusing in on health care, in my
college classes on that very topic,
we’ve been talking about the issues
facing rural Canadians; the lack of
family doctors and the rising cost of
medication. These are both serious
issues which need to be addressed.As a Green MP, I would push to setup a universal pharmacare program– a crown corporation to act as a
bulk drug purchasing agency – and
make new drug patent protection
times shorter. I would also push for
allocation of funds to begin training
more doctors and nurses.
Dennis Valenta, Independent: I
believe the big issue is the same in
all ridings, and that is no
representation.
To fix this, I run as an
independent, the benefit is no party
line and no party whip, which meansI will be free to work for themajority of voters in the riding.2. With the area still experiencing
the effects of the recession, what
would you and your party do to
assist the recovery?
BL: Huron-Bruce has not been
unaffected by the global recession.
The global economy is still fragile
and we need to stay focused on the
economy. We need to help create
jobs and foster a competitive
business environment to attract
THE EDITOR,
I have recently discovered that
two-thirds of my ancestors settled in
Huron County after arriving from
Scotland. These lines appear to be
unaware of my family connection
from Grey County. Exhaustive
research online has been helpful, but
now it’s time to try and find some
living cousins.
I am looking for descendants of
Elizabeth Betsy Hislop who married
Thomas Ballantyne. Ballantyne was
a weaver who worked in the woolen
mills in Wroxeter and Blyth for over
40 years. He died in 1929 in Blyth.
They had five sons, James married
to Jessie Graham, John B., Thomas,
Walter married to Nellie Angus and
Andrew married to Mary Ann
Smith. As well they had five
daughters, Elizabeth, Bessie married
to James Davis, Mary Jane married
to Samuel Willis, Rebecca married
to Gerald Graves and Mary married
to William Cousens. These families
lived in or near Wroxeter, Blyth,
Brussels and Seaforth.
Elizabeth had a sister, Jane, who
married Richard Jones, was
widowed very early but lived with
her son James Jones and daughter
Betsy in Wroxeter up until 1911.
If you think these may be some of
your relatives I would like to hear
from you. I can be contacted at
photoman@porchlight.ca
There is no wealth to share, no
debt to bear, I just like to know what
my cousins have been up to for the
past 150 years.
Gary Moon, Listowel, Ontario.
Letter to the Editor
Writer looks for
his ancestors
Five candidates answer questions onhealth care, the economy and jobs
Continued on page 11