HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-10-05, Page 6Wednesday, October 5, 201 1 • Goderich Signal Star 5
ericb debate turns up the heat on energy costs
:.tine down to spe-
nt were few people
led following the
r 26 all -candidates'
it the Goderich
ice of the six candi
ruling in Huron -
le present: Grant
oldie NDP, incum-
sral MPP Carol
and. PC candidate
son.
ing cost of energy
r1 energetic debate.
three participants,
rison and Mitchell
opportunity to lay
1son about the PC
ut the. HST from.
ating remove the
very charge. The
idate noted that by
both the provincial
1 the HST and the
10 per cent energy
s would be making
-ent increase on the
me heating.
n't spend it three
tchell said, adding a
pricing structure
nal smart meters.
ate a blended costs
eing revealed. She
her party's mixed
t r.ategy, of which
vides the base.
costs, however,
n all ways around
hompson was firm
rty's stance to stop
ung wind turbine
g deal: She took
Green Energy Act.
example of tax dol-
ndered. Time and
again she said. the PCs are
treating energy policy as eco-
nomic- policy.
"Ontario
is broke,"
she said.
"We can't
afford that
nonsense.
Mean- r,
while, some
in the audi-
ence were CIS Miftchell.
hoping to
hear even more about the
hundreds of turbines that are
planned for the area directly
surrounding Goderich.
Dave I lemmiingway, mem-
ber of Central Huron Against
Turbines, was hoping there
would be direct questions
about. turbines asked at the
meeting. He was not pleased
with the submitted questions,
which were garnered both
from the floor the night of the
debate and through email.
leading up to the debate.
"Even in Holrnesville they
had a half hour for people to
ask questions," he said. "My
feeling is it should be people
from the floor asking ques-
tions, not :people who didn't
show up."
Chamber of Comtnerce.
CEO Judy Crawford noted this
has been the format of the
Chamber -sponsored
Goderich debates for the past
eight years, though time
restraints had limited the
number of questions received
and asked.
"We had more than 30
questions handed in. We only
got 16 answered," she said.
"We tried to have a number of
different topics .- health,
schools, education, agricul-
ture, small business, plat-
form... We had quite a range
of ques-
tions, we
Just didn't
3k_
get to the ,•-
wind issue"
Crawford
noted wind
was in the
next round
of ques-
tions when
time ran
out.
Many tithes over the course
of the evening, Thompson
brought the debate back to
the Walkerton Jail closure,
and two of the 16 questions
posed to the candidates dealt
with the jail closure specifi-
cally and one with youth cor-
rections. While she ham-
mered on Mitchell for the job
losses and transportation
costs associated, she was una-
ble to say more than the Pro-
gressive Conservatives would
do a comprehensive review of
the costs if elected. Only Rob-
ertson came out and said if
elected the NDP would keep
the jail open.
While the municipality of
Brockton would not be on the
hook for the estimated $4.5:
million shortfall; ultimately,
Robertson said, that means
the rest of Ontario would.
Mitchell said there .are other
opportunities, such as a
remand centre and increased
investment in mental health
services that could tackle the
source of marginalized
people not necessarily need-
ing detention.
When the topic turned to
education,
Mitchell
noted the
develop-
ment being
made' by
children in
the Full Day
Kindergar-
t e n pro-
gram
ro-gram is
'remarkable adding her par-
ty's commitment to a 2014
implementation across the
province. Robertson, how-
ever, argued that Toronto -
centric policies and funding
formulas have left rural
schools without the resources
to properly prepare for it. Bas-
ing services on population,
he said, drastically reduces
what is available to rural
students.
Both the NDP and PC can-
didates called for better mar-
ket access for Ontario pro-
ducers to Ontario markets, in
both agriculture and
resources. In 'noting the.
United States' buy American
policy, Robertson said "It's
time we look after Ontario
first."
On the defensive, Mitchell
argued the market space for
Ontario products has dou-
bled since the Liberals took
power in 2003, using Ontario
Foodland as a current exam-
ple and the Southwest Eco-
nomic Alliance, SWEA, as an
emerging economic driver.
We've missed the mark on
standards for long-term care
for seniors, Thompson said,
adding a new benchmark
would be set by her party to
the tuned of 5,000 new beds
and 35,000 renovated beds, as
well as doubling the tax credit
for long-term caregivers in
the home.
"There were no standards
for retirement homes (prior
to 20 03)7 Mitchell said. "We.
brought that in." Along with
that, she added the liberals
also instituted measures such
as public reporting and sur-
prise inspections to better
hold retirement homes to
standards.
Robertson said minimum
standards should not be the
focus as much as just doing a
better job of care itself. The
current system, he said, nickel
and dimes seniors.
To no one's surprise, all
three candidates said their
parties would uphold the 21.
funding arrangement in place
between Goderich and the
Province of Ontario. Mitchell
reiterated that the $5 million
announced so far is "a
downpayrnent"
In her closing arguments,
Mitchell told the audience
that the 45 -plank Liberal plat-
form is the only one that talks
about where we carne from,
where we are today and
where Ontario is headed in
the future. The Minister also
pointed t,o low wait times for
medical care and the drastic
reduction in orphan patient
list as proof that government
has made a difference in the
riding in health care. How-
ever, she elicited laughs from
the crowd when she said
Ontario's schools are the best
in the world.
Robertson used his closing
tnarnents to highlight his
ability and willingness to
cooperate across the board
for the betterment of the
province, not the party: He
urged for less bickering
between parties and more
small town values and com-
mon decency in life and
legislature.
Thompson closed by say-
ing the PCs were the only
party to stop raising taxes and
eliminate waste and fraud,
adding the party is looking to
eliminate the deficit by
2017/18.
GODERICH CLINTON WINGHAM
27 Bruce St. West 90 Albert St 238 Josephine St.
519-524-7251 519-482-3677 226-422-2020
www.huronoc.ca
Full Service Optical Dispensary and lab - Contact Lenses
Treatment of Eye Disease - Ocular Surgery Comanagement
21 south of Goderich at Hyundai of Goderich.
519-524-1795
r„ sr,t
Ott tr W,.r,.,, . 1h. t R. TiohM
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41Wfmrt • - 014.7: ' re.*
The doctors and staff at Huron Optometric Centres in Goderich have
moved into their temporary location at 27 Bruce St. WEST. Demolition
and rebuilding of the destroyed office on West St. should begin shortly.
The members of the Omar
Nile United Church would
tike to say "Thank You"
to the following Individuals, businesses and the entire
community for all of your kindness, generosity and support
(ottotOing the closing of our church.
ACW Council; Norman Pickett; Auburn Co -Op; Lucknow Co -Op;
Art's Landscaping; Mike Scott Trucking; Silt McWhinney; Taylor
Gi'esbrecht; Charles Culbert Backhoeing; Collins Construed" &
Chad Mann; The Hotyrood Mennonites; Eric & Diane Drennan;
Eugene & Cheryl Johnston; Courtney Grain & Seed; The Drennan
Girls; Ross & Glenna Pannabecker; Custom Rock Creations, Cheryl
Campbell; Helen Sager, Bob, Don & Glen McNeil & Families; Bryan
Stothers Bricklaying; Bob, Karen & Kyle Shepherd; Barry & Kathy
Austin; Grey Feagan; Brian Pollock; Mike Miller; Ann Feagan;
Phyllis Scott; Dwayne Rising, Goderich Print Shop; Myrtle Kerr
& our minister Larry Sayers for all of their encouragement and
support. To anyone that we have not named "Thank You".
Sincerely
Faye Ribey & Glen McNeil
On beha(f of the Session and Board of Trustees
Nile united Church