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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-10-09, Page 12Continued from page 11 university. I:(See question 4 answer.) 4. What do you feel about the lack of skilled tradespeople? CHP:For many years in Ontario there has been a poor attitude towards trades. But machinists, welder, especially pipe welders, millwrights, etc., are tremendously skilled people and many earn as much per year as family doctors or teachers. Trades are where it’s at! Standardize the trades training across Canada and put much more emphasis on the practical aspect of the trade, simulating as closely as possible real-life trade situations. C:I believe in encouraging youth to pursue the skilled trades. This riding has a great deal of opportunity. The Conservative government introduced a few measures to assist individuals getting started in the skilled trades such as the Apprentice Incentive Grant, while will help to offset the cost of tools for tradespeople and province incentives for employers to take on apprentices. Also available is the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit. This is a non-refundable tax credit equal to 10 per cent of the eligible salaries and wages payable to eligible apprentices. And last, the Tradesperson’s Tools Deduction, which provides employed tradespersons with an annual deduction of up to $500 to help cover the cost of new tools necessary to their trade. We will continue to support the skilled trades as they are an essential part of sustaining growith within the economy. L:I believe that schools must begin to view university, college and the trades as equally important to the overall success of our society. Without skilled tradespeople, Canada will be at a disadvantage when building tomorrow’s infrastructure. Ten years ago we saw the beginnings of the doctor shortage. Because governments did nothing to effectively deal with that problem, we now have a doctor crisis. Under Mr. Harper’s direction, I fear that a real shortage of skilled tradespeople is not far off. Under the Liberal Plan all students in full-time apprenticeship training will receive a $400-a-month education tax credit and will be eligible for $5,000 per year in student loans. NDP:I am concerned that we are loosing young farmers and tradespeople. Jack Layton and the New Democrats will take action to increase skills training and apprenticeship opportunities. We will create more opportunities for training by broadening eligibility for EI training benefits. To make it easier for workers to access full- and part-time training programs we will open the doors to employed Canadians who take leaves from their jobs to participate. We will extend opportunities to employed Canadians engaged in full- time training and retraining programs who do not otherwise qualify for EI. We will waive the eligibility waiting period for EI benefits when tradespeople are entering courses. We will develop partnerships with provincial and territorial governments, and labour and management organizations, to make EI a key resource for public training strategies and programs. The employment of certified apprentices and journeypersons should be made a condition in government construction contracts. The NDP supports skills upgrades in the health sector through training leaves. We would work with trades, in collaboration with provincial governments, to set Canada-wide standards for apprenticeship entrance requirements, curriculum and recognition requirements. Incentives for employers would be created to make sure apprenticeships are completed. G:This comes down to education. I would like to see many more apprentice programs happening. We may even want to fastrack high school students into programs. Many youth respond better to hands-on training as opposed to studying a textbook. If we had easy to access programs we could guide people into the skilled trades. I:The previous question and this one are inter-connected. I believe that schools should be working with industry (I like the concept of co-op education). Bring the community college into the local community so youth can learn at home and save on room and board. In Huron-Bruce, schools should be teaching farming, manufacturing and tourism skills and so on down the line as to what’s important to the local area in the global market. Sometimes I think the school boards are too busy pushing pie-in-the-sky learning to actually produce what is needed in our industry. 5. Federal support for protecting the Great Lakes environment has plummeted in recent years. This despite the litany of concerns making headlines, including posted beaches, rotting alge, invasive species and destruction of sensitive habitats. This year, the federal government is spending more on cleaning up Lake Simcoe than all of the Great Lakes combined. What specific commitments will your party make to restore funding and resources to support Great Lakes protection now, before the problem worsens and becomes costlier to fix? CHP:Restore full funding, but at the same time make sure the funding goes for genuine research, not environmental extremism. C:In the 2007 budget the Conservatives committed $93 million towards the Action Plan for Clean Water, with $48 million going directly to the Great Lakes. Under this plan the government will clean up eight areas of concern on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. Since 2006, five of the eight areas of concern have been identified to receive funding, including: • $30 million to clean-up the Hamilton Harbour Area in the Great Lakes. • $2.9 million to clean up the Niagara River • $600,000 to help clean up the Detroit River. • $3.3 million to clean up the St. Clair River. • $200,000 to help protect and preserve the Bay of Quinte. Also, this government has taken action to protect water quality, imposing new regulations against the dumping of raw sewage and improving raw sewage treatment in communities across Canada. These measures will directly affect the quality of the water not only in the Great Lakes, but across Canada. L:The Great Lakes and our other water resources are among the most important natural resources that we have. Despite this reality, we have not always treated the Great Lakes in a manner befitting a resource of their value. For as long as there have been people living along the shoreline, we have abused the lakes by polluting them, drawing from them, and harvesting their bounty, with little or no real regard for their long-term sustainability. As a result, the lakes now face countless challenges including a marked decrease in water levels; elevated levels of bacteria such as e-coli; an increasing number of days per year when swimming is not permitted; a reduction in fish stocks, increasing numbers of invasive species gaining a foothold in the ecosystem; and destruction of habitat. While the full brunt of the negative economic impacts of these are yet to be felt, the threat is real and promises to get worse if we fail to act decisively now. There has been great debate in Huron and Bruce with respect to the root causes of the above. Cottagers blame farmers and vice-versa; industry and local governments wrangle over who should pay for clean-up and conservation; and senior levels of government study what future actions should be taken, but often fail to bridge the existing disconnect between the local citizenry and the bureaucratic and technical process already in place. I firmly believe finger pointing must be replaced with action - there is more than enough blame for all of us to share. If elected, I would seek to convene a forum, in Huron-Bruce, on the future of the lakes. The guest list would include international bodies such as the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the International Joint Commission; federal and provincial political and bureaucratic representatives; farm leadership; tourist organizations; ratepayer associations; local elected officials; conservation authorities; and the general public alike. The group would be tasked with the sole objective of finding and refining innovative solutions to the challenges facing the Great Lakes and the basin immediatelysurrounding them. Never has such athink tank been established inHuron-Bruce. I strongly believe thatthe time for real action is longoverdue. I would also propose that this should be part of an ongoing/regular dialogue which would work to advance the said solutions by bringing them to the attention of our national/provincial/local leadership. NDP:Jack Layton and the New Democrats would: • Invest in new municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, and establish national standards to require a minimum of secondary treatment for all Canadian municipalities. • Ban bulk fresh water exports from Canada by federal law. • Improve the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. •Enact the New Democrats’ Blue- Green Algae Proliferation Prevention Act, which addresses the biggest sources of the blue-green algae problem that plagues Canada’s lakes and rivers. Visit http://www.ndp.ca/platform/environ ment/fightingpollution for the full list on initiatives. G:Sustainable communities and sustainable livelihoods need healthy watersheds. The Green Party is committed to responsible water stewardship. That includes restoring and protecting watersheds from industrial activities. We advocate a renewed federal government role in water management, focused on strong regulations and programs created in collaboration with provincial and municipal governments. When it comes to our vision for fresh water the Green Party’s message is clear: Keep it. Conserve it. Protect it. I:I do believe we are mandated by God to take care of His creation. So,yes, we should be cleaning up/andpreventing further pollutants as wecan. I think we owe that to futuregenerations. 6.What can you tell me about thefinancial impact of professional arts organizations in our region? CHP:Art is an expression of culture and worldview thinking. But it should be privately, not publicly funded. C:(See question 7 answer) L:Each year the Blyth Festival brings 100,000 people to Blyth. Each year, those 100,000 people spend millions of dollars in our local shops, restaurants and hotels. In fact, $1 spent on the arts represents $7 worth of direct spinoffs. With this in mind, it is absolutely clear that a cut to arts funding, such as the one PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008.Candidates weigh in on Great Lakes concern DENNIS VALENTA Independent TONY MCQUAIL New Democratic Party GLEN SMITH Green Party Continued on page 13 15 Midwestern Ontario Hospital Foundations join together for the SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18th, 2008 Listen LIVE 9am to 5pm Foundations Chesley Clinton Durham Exeter Goderich Hanover Kincardine Listowel Markdale Mount Forest Palmerston Seaforth Southampton Walkerton Wingham Wingham and District Hospital Foundation Raising $100,000 towards our goal of $265,000 for Ultra Sound Equipment in the Radiology Department Your donation will greatly assist us in achieving our goal! IF WE ALL GIVE A LITTLE, WE ALL GET A LOT Proudly Sponsored by Raising $100,000 towards our goal of $265,000 for Ultra Sound Equipment in the Radiology Department Your donation Will Greatly Assist Us In Achieveing Our Goal. IF WE ALL GIVE A LITTLE,WE ALL GET A LOT Please support your local hospital with their project Call: 519-357-1310 or Toll Free: 1-877-CARE 4 U 6 (1-877-227-3486) MEETING NOTICE MUNICIPALITY OF MORRIS-TURNBERRY Thursday, October 9 at 7:30 pm Emergency Planning Committee Meeting Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 pm History Book Committee Meeting The Regular Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 23, 2008 is rescheduled for Monday, October 20, 2008 at 7:30 pm