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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2004. PAGE 7. Alternative viewsp resented on current issues Continued from page 6 But she charged that the Liberals had wasted $500 million in cancelling the helicopter contract which the Mulroney government had awarded, paying high fees for the cancellation, and then had to turn around and buy other new helicopters after all. She also said there needs to be a veterans bill of rights. She called it embarrassing that the federal government did not originally offer free travel to all D-Day veterans to the 60th anniversary service earlier this month. GAY MARRIAGE/ABORTION: Robertson said freedom of religion should give religious groups the right to define what is marriage within their own church without dissidents being able to challenge the church's rules in the courts. But in the public sphere, marriage should be the union of two people, including people of the same sex, he said. He recently attended a marriage of two gay people who had lived together for many years. "I don't find my very traditional family threatened in any way by this." On abortion, Robertson said the issue is complicated for him personally because he is adopted. But he said he doesn't have the right to tell a woman what to do with her body. Fisher said she is opposed to same-sex marriage but supports benefits for any two people or group of people who are cohabiting. On abortion, she said 'she doesn't support it unless the life of the mother is endangered. Should there be a vote in the House of Commons, however "I will come to my constituents", she promised saying she would hold meetings and try through other means to determine the opinions of her constituents. "As an elected representative you're there to represent the people." Joslin said the Christian Heritage Party feels homosexuality is "unnatural, immoral and unhealthy", claiming that the life expectancy of a homosexual male is only 40 years. Canadians worry about tobacco shortening life expectancy but homosexuality is far worse, he claimed. On abortion, he rejected the claim that a woman has the right to control her own body. "It's not her body," he said. "From the moment of conception it (the fetus) has unique DNA. At no time is it part of her body." Steckle said he has tried to represent his constituents but he always stated-that "I would always follow my religious convictions." On that basis he was against gay marriage, though he could support a civil union that was not called marriage. He called the use of the word "marriage" a degradation of the relationship between a man and a woman. On abortion, he was unequivocally opposed. "It is the killing of a child. That is murder.", Vasey said he supported gay Marriage. On abortion, he said everything must be done to find ways to avoid abortion through better sex education and providing support such as employment insurance ' to help women who continue pregnancies. LEADERSHIP: On a question from the audience, all candidates praised their party's leader. Vasey said Green Party leader Jim Harris isn't looking a % mere few years ahead but "hundreds of years down the road" to protect society from an environmental crisis. "Our vision is sustainability." Robertson said he liked the direction Jack Layton is taking on having practical solutions to problems, not just ideas and vision. He's proven himself as a leader of the country's largest city, he said. But as a father, Robertson said what impressed him most was a conversation he had with Layton when Layton told how he had become so active in environmental issues after his young son with asthma had a near-death experience because of polluted air. Fisher said she had supported a candidate other than Harper for the Conservative leadership but in the three times she had met the man since she had been more impressed each time. She feels he has high moral values and believes in showing respect for others. She related this to what she claimed are Canada's troubled international relationships and she took a personal shot at Paul Martin's former job as head of Canada Steamship Lines which has some of its ships registered in foreign countries. "He (Harper) believes that if you work in Canada you should pay taxes in Canada." Joslin said Christian Heritage Party leader Ron Gray is a close personal friend, and a committed Christian who believes in biblical principles being a central part of government. "I'm impressed with Ron Gray's personal integrity," he said. Steckle pointed out that Canada has had seven straight balanced budgets under Paul Martin and that he is the first prime minister with a business background in years. At the same time he supports the Kyoto Protocol and the banning of land- mines, which the Americans have still not supported, he said. VISION OF AGRICULTURE: Candidates were asked to explain their vision of agriculture in answer to an emotional question from Seaforth-area farmer Bill Wallace who said when he became involved in farm politics (as a member of OFA), the average Canadian spend 18 per cent of his or her income on feeding the family but now spent less than 10 per cent. "I'm working harder and harder so people can work less to feed themselves." Joslin sympathized with the plight of farmers but said we must find new alternatives to build farm incomes rather than more subsidies. "Can we expect the state to do it for us in the long term?" Steckle agreed with Wallace that the current model isn't working. In 1993 Canada had $13 billion in farm exports and now there are $21 billion, but 2002-2003 net realized farm income in Canada was a net loss of $312 million. But the problem is in farm ,commodities that are not controlled by supply management, Steckle said. He urged farm leaders to come up with proposals for their commodities to solve the problem similar to the solutions of the supply managed commodities. But he warned farmers not to expect government to come up with a miracle solution for them. Government can only facilitate the solution, he said. "My vision of agriculture is that we have more family farmers, not less," said Robertson. "My vision is that we have more small businesses, not less. My vision is to have my children take over my farm." But Canada's reliance on exports causes problems like the BSE crisis, he said. As well, "as our efficiency has increased, our farm income has come down." Fisher said a vision for agriculture has to be longer than five or 10 years. She said her party supports supply management as part of the solution. Farm safety-net programs are needed she said but the current Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program is not working. She charged several times during the evening that the problems with the program had been pointed out a year ago to the government but nothing had been done to fix the problems. SUPPORT FOR SUPPLY MANAGEMENT: Fisher's .claim that her party supports supply management was attacked by Steckle and Robertson following a question on whether candidates would support supply management. Fisher said Stephen Harper supports supply management and so does she. But supply management must be instigated by farmers. "The government does not know how to run farming." But Steckle said he has sat on the House of Commons agriculture committee and the NDP and the Progressive Conservatives had always supported supply management but "the Alliance/Reform did not support supply management between elections but came on board at elections." Robertson said "It's not enough to say you 'support' supply management. Stephen Harper has consistently opposed supply management. When push comes to shove people like Stephen Harper will stand with large corporations. Conservatives don't stand with farmers but with big companies." Joslin said the problem with supply management is the high cost of quota and called for alternative solutions to help young farmers get into the business, perhaps including leasing of quota from the marketing boards. BSE CRISIS: While the BSE-related loss of export markets came up several times, none of the candidates could offer immediate help for farmers caught in the crisis. The packing companies did come in for a bruising for seemingly gobbling up money governments had intended for farmers, Robertson opened the debate claiming the Conservatives have to explain why they stood with the packers when Steckle's agriculture committee tried to bring contempt of parliament fines against the major packers who had refused to open their books to the committee. Fisher claimed all parties on the committee had worked well together until about three hours before the adjournment of parliament for the election. The packers were coming forward with their figures but didn't want their financial details discussed in an open committee and wanted the competition bureau to consider the details, she said. "The bottom line is the government had a chance to do something and didn't." Steckle charged that the packing companies had lowered their prices to farmers by the equivalent of the government grants to farmers and had taken $1.5 to $2 billion out of rural communities.