Lakeshore Advance, 2012-08-29, Page 11Wednesday, September 21, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 9
200 show up for all candidates' meeting Just a day after wrlt drops
Peb'k:k Bales
QMl Agency
Approximately 200 people
attended the first all candidates'
midr.meeting of the 2011 Ontario pro-
vincial election for the Huron -
Bruce riding in Walkerton 'Thurs-
day night.
Liberal Incumbent Carol Mitch-
ell was joined by challengers
Gram Robertson of the New Dem-
ocratic Party and Lisa Thompson
of the Progressive Conservatives
at the meeting. Green candidate
Patrick Main and Family Coalition
Party candidate Christine Schnurr
were unable to attend.
The meeting was organized by
the Walkerton Kinettes and I luron
and Grey -Bruce Labour Councils.
Moderator John Finley of Walker-
ton said in his preamble he hoped
it would be "a positive evening,"
with candidates refraining from
personal attacks toward their
opponents and rather focussing
on why each of their parties would
be the best choice for voters. For
the most part he got his wish,
While none of the candidates
completely dropped the gloves,
they mainly stuck to their own
parties' platforms, occasionally
veering off to highlight differences
in ideologies.
Being just a block away from the
Walkerton Jail, the prospective
closure of the institution, the job
tosses and financial cost associ-
ated with it, was highlighted
throughout the evening on differ-
ent occasions in questions posed
from the audience.
The only question directed at
one specific candidate during the
meeting was about the amount of
money the jail closure will cost the
community and save the prov-
ince. Mitchell was asked if the Lib-
erals will make those numbers
public.
1 believe you should see those
numbers," Mitchell said. "I want to
see them."
Mitchell continued she wants to
slake sure the town is not left
financially burdened by the clo-
sure. She also added she does not
support any position that would
take jobs away from the
community.
however she could not commit
to keeping the jail open. 'lie only
party who has committed so far to
doing that is the NDP, said Robert-
son. The NDP candidate was the
first to use props at the ►neeting by
emptying one pants pocket at a
time, saying whether or not the
province or the municipality is to
pay for the costs associated with
the jail closure, the money is still
coming out of the taxpayers'
pockets.
Thompson provided the first
surprise of the night by saying the
PC party would commit to keep-
ing the jail open, drawing both
shock and heckles from many in
attendance, including Paul John-
stone, NDP candidate for Bruce -
Grey -Owen Sound. Later,'Ihomp-
son clarified 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 NDN to task for
being concerned for the 50 jobs at
the Walkerton jail while not sup-
porting nuclear power, which
employees thousands throughout
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 party's
energy platform.
"We support the re-furb (at
Bruce Power)," Robertson said to
a shattering of applause.
Throughout the sleeting and
afterward on Twitter, numerous
comments were made about the
NI)P's anti-nuclear stance. In a
July 23 article in The Sun Times,
NDP leader Andrea Iiotwaith said
her party would not support new
nuclear builds in the province,
however Robertson, who was
present at the interview, immedi-
ately 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
government would make people
less afraid to open their hydro
bills, by immediately removing
the T in from hydro and ending
the debt recovery charge as soon
as the PC government tables its
first budget.
With 25 per cent of the prov-
ince's energy produced in the
1luron-Bruce riding, the liberals'
25 year energy plan is the right
way to go, Mitchell said. tier
Impaired drivers arrested
OPP
Lakeshore Advance
O►1 September 15, at around 9;45
Lambton County Ontario Provin-
ial Police (OPP) officers stopped a
Ford car on Bradley Street. While
speaking with the driver, it was deter-
mined that he had been consuming
alcoholic beverages. Subsequent tests
indicated that a 61 year old man from
Forest was over the legal limit. lie will
appear 111 a Sarnia court on October 3,
2011 to speak to the charge of Being
•
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2384484
EXETER
235-2420
Gasser C.Y.ENTON
Kneale 482-3401
Incl, arokor Ino,
Over the Legal Limit.
(LAMBTON SHORES,
ON.) On September 15, at
around 10:45 p.m., Lambton
County Ontario Provincial
Police (OPP) officers stopped
a Dodge truck on'I'ownsend
Line. While speaking with
the driver, it was determined
that he had been consuming
alcoholic beverages. Subse-
quent tests indicated that a
56 year old man from War-
wick Township was over the
legal limit. He will appear in
a Sarnia court on October 3,
2011 to answer to the
charges of Impaired Driving
and Being Over the Legal
Limit.
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government, she said, has Continues to energy 111 the province, but not in the cur -
take steps to correct more than 30 years rent industrial set-up championed by the
of little -to -no investment in electric infra- provincial government.
structure, including the $650 million Thompson, who lives on a century
Bruce -to -Milton traulsmission line. farm near Teeswater with her family, was
Eventually, energy talk shifted to wind approached by a wind power company
turbines, a contentious issue throughout and did not return its call. She said it is
the riding. In the 25 year energy plan, the time to put an end to "the subsidies going
Liberals have allotted 10 per cent of out of your pocket for this experiment."
energy production to renewable sources, She added the PCs will "re-evaluate the
such LIS wind and solar. She lauded tur- energy mix" in Ontario and will not hesi-
bine restrictions in the province as being tate to cancel any current renewable
the toughest in North America and tur- energy contracts if there is value in doing
bines themselves as 0 new income so.
method for fanners. Among other issues discussed at the
Robertson slummed the Liberals for meeting included the full roll out of full -
the way The Green Energy Act has been day kindergarten, which both the Liber -
enacted and what it has done to renewa- als and PCs have committed to, the rural
ble energy efforts in the province. education stabilization plan, a plank of
"It takes a great amount of incompe- the NDP platform developed in part by
tence to mess up something as positive as Robertson and the equalization of gas tax
renewable energy," Robertson said. Ile payments to every municipality in the
added there is a place for renewable province.
•e
sly : Family Coalition Party
Strong Families =
Strong Ontario
CHRISTINE SCHNURR
Huron Bruce
www.familycoalitionparty.com
Authorized by the CFO for the Christine Schnurr FCP Campaign
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