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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-10-13, Page 7Table talk Area people had their chance to question the federal Huron-Bruce candidates at the Federation of Agriculture sponsored all-candidates meeting in Londesboro Oct. 7. From left: Liberal Paul Steckle, CHP Henry Zekveld, PC Murray Cardiff, NDP Tony McQuail, Reform candidate Len Lobb and Libertarian Allan Dettweiler. Less Than 16% Fat Content LEAN GROUND BEEF 3.73 kg Olinda Pure APPLE JUICE 48 oz. tin Frozen Assorted Varieties YORK MEAT PIES 200 g Scrimgeour's Food Market BLYTH 523-4551 Values In Effect From llonde, Oct 11, 1993 to Saturday, Oct 16,1993 Savings Are Based On Regular Retails We Reserve The Right To Limit Quantities To Normal Family Requirements. Product of Ontario Canada Fancy McINTOSH or CORTLAND APPLES 10 lb. bag 2.99 ea. McCain FRENCH FRIES Frozen Assorted Cuts 1 kg bag .99 Clover Leaf SOCKEYE SALMON 7.5 oz. tin THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1993. PAGE 7. Candidates offer wide political spectrum Just about every point on the political spectrum with the excep- tion of communism was represent- ed when the six Huron-Bruce riding candidates in the Oct. 25 federal election spoke at Hullett Central School in Londesboro Thursday night. The meeting was sponsored by the Huron County Federation of Agriculture but excellent harvest weather meant many farmers were unable to attend and other issues other than agriculture took up much of the evening. The smorgasbord of ideas ranged from the Libertarian party, repre- sented by Brussels-area candidate Allan Dettweiler which wants to limit government to roles in only the military, police protection and the judicial system, to the New Democratic Party, represented by Tony McQuail of Lucknow, which sees government as a way to pro- tect the individual from the imposi- tion of big institutions. In between were various shades of political opinion ranging from the Christian Heritage Party and Reform on the right, through Progressive Conser- vatives to the Liberals. A sample of the opinions expressed on various topics to the 150 people in the audience were: On the deficit: From their opening statements onward, several of the candidates expressed their concern with the deficit and determination to do something about it. Mr. Dettweiler said the minimal role of government should be to protect people from dangers from inside and outside their country and should concentrate on police, the military and the judicial system. He did, however, agree that minimum health care must be provided for those who cannot afford private insurance. Taxation, he said, is theft. Len Lobb for the Reform Party said that with interest on the nation- al debt now taking up 33 cents of every $1 the deficit must be reduced. He repeated the Reform pledge to eliminate the deficit in three years. Tony McQuail for the NDP said high interest rates and currency speculation are part of the problems of the deficit. When Canada has higher interest rates than its neigh- bours it makes it harder for busi- ness to operate and people are unemployed. "We have to get peo- ple back to work to solve the deficit." Mr. Lobb countered, arguing the only way to get people working is to get the deficit under control. Murray Cardiff, incumbent Pro- gressive Conservative Member of Parliament, said he decided to run again because he didn't want to return to the old days when there was high interest and high govern- ment spending. "I ran because I don't think the job is finished." Arguing that getting interest rates lower and putting the North Ameri- can Free Trade Agreement in place would help the economy, he said: "Things are just going to improve." Henry Zekveld for the Christian Heritage Party said the deficit and national debt are "way out of hand" and said a return to the Judeo- Christian value system was essen- tial for getting the country back on track. On health care: All candidates supported the idea of subsidized health care to varying degrees. Paul Steckle for the Liberals said his party has always been against user fees in health care and for a national system. He pointed out that in the U.S. per capita spending on health care is $2,900 compared to $1,900 in Canada yet many cur- rently still have no coverage. Use fees, he said, would just make it harder for those with little money to get proper treatment while those with money could still abuse the system. He also argued for a national set of standards. "I want to be able to travel across this country from one province to another and be sure I am protected." Mr. Zekveld said the CHP wants to maintain the medicare system and will cut expenses in other social programs to do so. Mr. Cardiff says the Conserva- tives are not in favour of user fees, that they penalize those who can least afford it. He suggested, how- ever, that if people got a bill when they went to the doctor for what the service would have cost them, they would be more aware of how much the government was having to pay. He rejected a claim by Mr. McQuail that the medicare system was in trouble because of funding cuts from the federal government to the provinces. The federal govern- ment have never reduced its pay- ments to the provinces for health care, he said. Mr. Lobb said a poll of party members showed them that medi- care was the most important of the social programs and so his party would maintain it, cutting other programs to find the money. The deficit, however, must be addressed, he said. For Libertarians, Mr. Dettweiler said, "Medicare is the only part of the social safety net system we would maintain." Protection for marketing boards: All candidates except Mr. Det- tweiler professed support for sup- ply management marketing boards. "Marketing boards would not be allowed to exist," under a Libcrtari- to control the importation of food if they have programs in place such as supply management, that protect self-sufficiency of the country without distorting trade elsewhere. Mr. Zekveld said the CHP also stands behind Supply Management. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Mr. Cardiff said his government's position on seeking stronger protec- tion for supply management has not changed. "I believe we have a strong case for a balanced posi- tion." He denied a questioner's sugges- tion that different members of the government were saying different things. Speculation by cabinet min- ister Gilles Loiselle that the gov- ernment might have to give up its position on Article 11 if it stood in the way of an agreement that would help other segments of the econo- my was wrong, Mr. Cardiff said, and both the trade minister and the prime minister had said so. Mr. McQuail teed off on the question of free trade in his answer. Article 11 had been in the GATT agreement since the beginning and must be supported and strength- ened, he said. But while we must do some trading, he said, large- scale trade supported through free trade agreements left Canadians "stuck with the weaknesses of the rest of the world." when some other part of the world is caught in an economic crisis, we all get dragged down. Free trade experts were a lot like other experts who know more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing, he said. Similarly we are trading more and more for less and less and we may end up with nothing, he said. Mr. Lobb said the best friends of supply management are those who are the most honest about it. While he pledged support for supply man- agement, if the new GATT agree- ment passes as written his party will support it, he said. "We have to concentrate right now on the post- GATT period." With multi-nation- als prepared to exploit the vacuum left if supply management is lost under GATT its important that a government be prepared to move to install tariffs high enough to protect farmers until they can adapt to the new rules, he said On abortion: Most candidates expressed their personal opposition to abortion even if their party's position was different than their own. Mr. Zekveld came out most strongly on the issue saying his party is pro-life from conception to natural death. Members of parlia- ment must show leadership on the issue, he said, voting because "this is right or wrong" not because it is popular. Mr. Steckle said he was personal- ly pro-life and "I will remain true to my own position." Continued on page 8 an government, he said. When asked point blank if their party, if it formed a government, would be prepared direct negotia- tors to get a special deal to protect marketing boards through strength- ening of Article 11 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), however, qualifications crept into some arguments. Mr. Steckle said the Liberals stand strongly behind strengthening Article 11, which allows countries