HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-09-14, Page 26pnal$Ier Wx4nesJay, SeOtemDei 14,2011
indidates debate election issues in Walkerton
Jail closure is hot
topic .for
residents
oximately 200 people
rd the first all candi-
meeting of the 2011
provincial election for
run -Bruce riding in
on Thursday night.
ral incumbent Carol.
11 was joined by chat -
Grant Robertson of the
erocratic Party and
o npson of the Progres-
iservatives at the meet -
t en candidate Patrick
nd Family Coalition
andidate Christine
rrwere unable to
neeting was organized
Walkerton Dinettes and
Ind Grey -Bruce Labour
ils. Moderator John
)t' Walkerton said in his
Ile he hoped it would be
ive evening," with can-.
t refraining from per-
;ttacks toward their
Rrlts and rather focuss-
why each of their par -
;lid bethe best choice
rs. For the most part he
6Vish:
none of the candidates
i f ly dropped the gloves,
they mainly stuck to their own_
parties' platforms, occasion-
ally veering off to highlight dif-
ferences in ideologies.
Being just a block away from
the Walkerton Jail, the pro-
spective closure of the institu-
tion, the Job losses and finan-
cial cost associated with it, was
highlighted throughout the
evening on different occasions
in questions. posed from the
audience.
The only question directed.
at one specific candidate dur-
ing the meeting was about the
amount of money the jail clo-
sure will cost the community
and save the province. Mitch-
ell was asked if the Liberals
will make those numbers
public.
"I believe you- should see
those numbers," Mitchell said.
"I want to see them!
Mitchell continued she
wants to make sure the town is
not left financially burdened
by the closure. She also added
she does not support any posi-
tion that would take jobs away
from the community.
However she could not com-
mit to keeping the jail open.
The only party who has com-
mitted so far to doing that is
the NDP, said Robertson. The
NDP candidate was the first to
use props .at the meeting by
emptying one pants pocket at
a time, saying whether or not
the province or the municipal-
ity is to pay for the costs asso-
ciated with the jail closure, the
money is still aiming out of
the taxpayers' pockets.
Thompson provided the first
surprise of the night by saying
the PC party would commit to
keeping the !ail open, drawing
both shock and heckles from
many in attendance, including
Paul Johnstone, NDP candi-
date for Bruce -Grey -Owen
Sound. hater, Thompson clari-
fled her statement, saying the
jail will stay open "until a com-
prehensive economic study" is
completed.
Mitchell was allowed a
rebuttal where she took the
NLP to task for being con-
cerned for the. 5U jobs at the
Walkerton jail while not sup-
porting nuclear power, which
employees thousands through-
out the riding.
While many in the audience
shouted for Robertson a
chance to defend himself
against the attack, he was the
first candidate to answer the
succeeding question, which
was about each pasty's energy
platform.
"We support the re-furb (at
It takes a great
amount of incompetence
to mess up something
as positive as
renewable energy."
-- Grant Robertson
DONNELLY
MURPHY
Bruce Power)," Robertson said to a
smattering of applause. Throughout
the meeting and afterward on Twit-
ter, numerous comments were made
about the NDP's anti-nuclear stance.
In a July 23 article in The Sun Times,
NDP leader Andrea Horwaith said
her party would not support new
nuclear builds in the province, how-
ever Robertson, who was present at
the interview, immediately added the
current operations at Bruce Power
have the party's full support.
Thompson threw her party's full
support behind nuclear power, using
her answer timeto say a PC govern-
ment would make people less, afraid
to open their hydro bills, by immedi-
ately removing the HST from hydro
and ending the debt recovery charge
as soon as the PC government tables
its first budget.
With 25 per cent of the province's
energy produced in the Huron -Bruce
riding, the Liberals' 25 year energy
plan is the right way to go, Mitchell
said. Her government, she said, has
continues to take steps to correct
more than 30 years of little -to -no
investment in electric infrastructure,
including the $650 million Bruce -to -
Milton transmission line.
Eventually, energy talk shifted to
wind turbines, a contentious issue
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rick J. Murphy, B.A., LL.B., C.S.
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Cite Square, Goderich 969B Queen St., Kincardine
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YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE HOME TO GET
A Tradition of Results
throughout the riding. In the 25 year
energy plan, the Liberals have allot-
ted 10 per cent of energy production
to renewable sources, such as wind
and solar. She lauded turbine restric-
tions in the province as being the
toughest in North America and tur-
bines themselves as a new income
method for farmers.
Robertson slammed the Liberals
for the way The Green Energy Act has
been enacted and what it has done to
renewable energy efforts in the
province.
"It takes a great amount of incom-
petence to mess up something as
positive as renewable energy,". Rob-
ertson said. He added there is a place
for renewable energy in the province,
but not in the current industrial set-
up championed by the provincial
government.
Thompson, who lives on a century
farm near Teeswater with her family,
was approached by a wind power
company and did not return its call.
She said it is time to put an end to
"the subsidies going out of your
pocket for this experiment. She
added the PCs will "re-evaluate the
energy mix" in Ontario and will not
hesitate to cancel any current renew-
able energy contracts if there is value
in doing so.
Among other issues discussed at
the meeting included the full roll out
of full-day kindergarten, which both
the Liberals and PCs have committed
to, the rural education stabilization
plan, a plank of the. NDP platform
developed in part by Robertson and
the equalization of gas.tax payments
to every municipality in the
province.
More all candidates' meetings 'are
scheduled for the riding in advance
of the Oct. 6 election, including Sept.
21 in Saugeen Shores.
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