HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-05-26, Page 4Ex i`"I'iri e# --Ad bo `Wednesday', 'May26, 1999
Candidates discuss the issues
Continued from page 3
What about library funding?
Johns: She admitted her party origi-
nally moved to download libraries to
municipalities but later reversed the
decision.
Freiburger: Suggested installing user
fees to help pay for library materials
and services.
McQuail: He said funding libraries is
important and the Bob Rae NDP govern=
ment spent money on library computers.
"The public library is an important insti-
tution that reflects our communities."
Lamont: The Liberals believe provin-
cial support of libraries is "critical." He
agreed with McQuail that library com-
puters are important since many fami-
lies can't afford computers in their
homes. '
Are you in favour of granting special
rights to homosexuals?
Freiburger: No special rights, just the
same rights as everyone else.
McQuail: The Quaker faith has strug-
gled witli the issue but McQuail's local
church group has decided to recognize
committed relationships. "Our humanity
is more than our sexual orientation," he
said. He feels everyone should have the
same rights.
Lamont: He said the Supreme Court
has ruled discrimination due to sexual
orientation is against the law.. He sides
with giving homosexual couples the
same rights as heterosexual couples.
Johns: She said we should be careful
granting rights to special interest
groups. She is opposed to homosexual
couples adopting children and said she
would do anything in her power to stop
gay adoptions, especially since hetero-
sexual couples find it hard toadopt chil-
dren. "I. differ from the rest of the group
here."
The meeting was then opened up to
questions from the audience at a micro-
phone.
Someone asked how each party would
address the treatment of the homeless,
mentally ill and other downtrodden
members of society.
Lamont said the Liberals would ensure
there are programs in place to take care
of the less fortunate.
Johns said the common good is more
important that the rights of one individ-
ual. She said more had to be done to
help those that have problems and that
intervention should be used for those
that need help but do not want it.
Freiburger said there should be some
sort of support system.
McQuail called for an immediate
increase in the minimum wage and the
reinstatement of . affordable housing pro-
grams.
Lamont was questioned on the Liberal
plan . to repeal Bill 160 and restore the
power to school boards to levy taxes. He
said his party would try to ensure the
money went to schools and not to
administrators.
McQuail said the NDP would replace
Bill 160 and allow school boards to levy
Lam inatft
10 per cent of needed revenue. He
added the problem with bureaucrats
rests in Toronto, not in rural Ontario.
"Every time you centralize you lose
some local control," he said. "I think we
need a local voice and local control."
Freiburger said her party would cut
back government in every sector includ-
ing education,
adding administrators are paid well
while teachers and classrooms are lack-
ing.
Johns said the Liberal repeal of Bill
160 would pave the way to big tax
increases in the education portion of the
mill rate.
"Every child in the province should
have the same dollars spent on them
whether they are in Toronto, Clinton or
up north," she said.
Another question focused on the priva-
tization of the Bruce Nuclear plant and
the transportation of U.S. plutonium
through the riding.
Freiburger said the private sector
would probably run the plant better
than the public sector and the transport
of plutonium should be studied.
McQuail said the NDP is against the
privatization of Ontario Hydro and that
the permanent long term storage of
nuclear waste should be addressed.
Lamont opposes the privatization of
the core elements of Ontario Hydro,
opposes U.S. ownership of Canadian
power and added the transport of
nuclear materials is a highly regulated
business and is safer than people think.
Johns said Ontario Hydro is "a mess"
and a better way to run the super
indebted power company is needed.
She added the Ontario Energy =Board
and the Atomic Energy Board both need.
"to get teeth" and she is in favour of pri-
vate
rivate partnerships.
She also said plutonium is being stored
there now and the community seems to
be comfortable with it.
The last question was ,thrown at Johns
and addressed the downloading of
ambulance services. ,
Johns said the issue was stili in the dis-
cussion stage with the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario but that she.
was not in favour of passing the respon-
sibility on to municipalities.
She added a number of private ambu-
lance operators have been taking care of
ambulance service in Huron County for.
some time.
Freiburger said maybe private opera-
tors could do a better job and that
response times need to be quicker espe-
cially in rural Ontario when it comes to
farm accidents.
McQuail said the province is simply
downloading responsibilities to pay for
its tax cut for the rich.
"When you start smashing away at
government...it is in fact tearing our
society apart," he said. "Government is
what we decide to do together."
Lamont said he's in favour of upload-
ing ambulance service back to the
province.
L.z
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