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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-09-28, Page 13elict1 S il. Star • Wedti tsclay, ;:it;ptti►t►t, t 24,,ZO11 ompson would bring autonomy to rural Ontario c' candidate says the time has come r change umpson is ready to -into the electoral ring for the wheel in }Huron- Progressive Conservative Party. And, says the East p,.on, a TeeswaterWawanosh nativeandlong- . is tossing her hat term agriculture booster, the MEWS NE Se mit-1r We are now OPEN our Temporary Location 53 South Street 19-524-4333 rim—. MI MI MI time has come for change. Thompson, who childhood was spent on a beef farm near Belgrave where the root of her love for all things agriculture were first sown, says growing up in the culture of the 4H Club and later studying polit- ical administration and eco no.mics at the U-niversity of Guelph, helped shape her skills. Indeed, she was a rural community advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Agricul- ture Food and Rural Affairs before she married Teeswater farmer Dennis Schiestel and became general manager of the Ontario Dairy (,oat Coop- erative. That cooperative started out of her home with three million litres of bro- kered milk per year and has grown to a new location with four trucks and more than 17 million litres of brokered milk each year. "We have been able` to access markets and give our communitl(' an opportunity to grow," says 'Thompson.. -several veins late], l`ni very proud of NO) it t t (' Opera - The Cahii Atter The Storin DeflBODY LTD. way 35157 Hayfield Rd. R . R # 1, Bayfield ON : NOM 1G0 519-482-7569 Looin8,forjake? We would like to welcome Jeff (Jake) Brown to our team of employees. +ys we are your Preferred Insurance. Company Recommended facility for all yt ur collision repair needs. Repairs always come :t Life Time Warranty. Yes we have iatc model company owned vehicles on premises for your convenience. Just ask Joyce, Dennis, 1, Jake or William for details, 'c have air Specialists on Site with free esttmatcs you Goderich for allowing us to take care of all your vehicle needs and g very past while we all work through this very overwhelming time. Lisa Thompson Live tlas grown into.' hompson's childhood was not oniv Immersed in agriculture as her home also `doubled as the political centre for. East Wawanosh as twr father was the clerk treas- urer. Iler family members were strong sup- porters of the Tories,: which made joining the local riding an easy decision when she first moved back to the area seven years ago. "I was a Young PC as a teenager and I renewed my membership in 2004," says "Thompson, noting she also managed to sell 675 memberships -prior to the leadership nomination meeting in Ripley last year. Thompson says her No. 1 goal, as a repre- sentative for Huron -Bruce isto "bring autonomy and a voice to rural Ontario." A large part of addressing that issue, says Thompson, involves' addressing the -short- comings of the controversial Green Energy Act, particularly where it comes to Indus- trial Wind Turbines. Thompson says the GEA has "stripped away local decision-making powers" and divided rural communities. "That has to change,' she says, noting the PC platform contains a pledge to put a mor- atorium in on all industrial wind develop- ment until a comprehensive epidemiologi- cal study is conducted. "There are real health issues and con- cerns: We need to slow down here." The Tories are also pledging to turn wind turbine siting power back over to the lower tiers. Healthcare is another top .priority, says Thompson. "There has been a lot of promises made recently," says Thompson of the Liberal party. "These are not new projects." Thompson says her party is the only one that is pledging to deal with the high cost of living, "It doesn't matter what door we are knocking on In Tiverton or Zurich, people are finding their pocketbook stressed. They need a break." One step in that direction, says Thomp- son, is to remove the HST charge off of necessities like home heating bilis. Another plan is to scrap the utility company's "debt recovery charge." Further, says Thompson, the Tories' plan to reduce personal income tax rates by five per cent and reintroduce income sharing for single parents and senior citizens. Another promise, says Thompson, is to remove the eco tax off of items like batteries. While eyeing Liberal incumbent Carol Mitchell's track record in office, Thompson says one of the policies her government takes credit for, Risk Management, is some- thing the Tories have been barking all along. Thompson says'there is evidence of that in that the Progressive Conservatives tried to introduce RMP in 2010, only to have it rejected by the Liberals. Thompson says while "pocketbook' issues are universal across the riding, there are certain segments; like Walkerton, where specific Liberal party plans are ringing alarm hell,. "At the first debate in Walkerton, the pri- mary issue was the closure ofthe Walkerton jail," says Thompson. noting her part is pledging to keep operations at the status quo °until all the pertinent financial infor- mation is reviewed, "Economic drivers are needed in rural communities," says Thompson, who says rural school closures are another area of concern and education is an area slated for Tory investment of an additional $2.5 billion. As for the aftermath of a F3 tornado that touched down in Goderich on Aug. 21, Thompson gives kudos to the federal arm of her party for standing back andasking the community where the needs are rather than "riding in like a white knight" like the pro- vincial Liberal party did with a.$5 million cheque. 1 think that was responsible," she says of the federal Tories, noting she was ready to set up a campaign office at The Square but instead gave it up for other businesses to use following the storm. While .'Thompson says she is confident in Goderich's renewal given the community's "spirit is awesome." Asked whether the ghosts of Mike Harris's ultimately unpopular Progressive Conserv- ative government are hiding in voters' clos- ets, Thompson says she has not -heard any Harris -re lated criticism on the campaign trail. "It's all about looking forward,' she says. Thompson adds her party's cost savings are targeted to come from a number of areas like the elimination of redundant bodies, like the Ontario Power Authority. She says the salaries of thepublic sector will also be reviewed. "We need to run the province like a busi- ness." usi-ness" says Thompson, who Is married to Dennis and isthe stepmorn to three chil- dren, Vanessa, Devin and Deldra.