HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2015-09-09, Page 22 News Record • Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Huron -Bruce NDP candidate says it's time for change
Dave Flaherty
Postmedia Network
Huron -Bruce NDP candi-
date Gerard Creces believes
the riding is "ready for
change':
The former journalist with
The Goderich Signal Star
and Clinton News Record
who was known for his polit-
ically charged editorial opin-
ion has crossed over into the
world of politics.
Creces had to officially
resign from his post at The
Strathroy Age Dispatch due
to the potential conflict of
interest.
"It's been interesting, Cre-
ces said of the switch to poli-
tics, adding that while at the
newspaper he spoke on
political issues more broadly
than from an NDP
perspective.
According to Creces, a
large focus of his campaign
platform is addressing pov-
erty amongst Huron -Bruce
residents, particularly sen-
iors and young families.
"We are proposing that
seniors should be able to
retire with comfort and
dignity:'
To achieve this, Creces
said the NDP would boost
guaranteed income supple-
ments and lower the retire-
ment age back down to 65,
which would open up entry-
level jobs for younger
workers.
Creces said another high-
light of his party's campaign
is the proposed $15/per day
care program.
Day care costs differ
depending on the area, Cre-
ces said, noting he has heard
of fees ranging from $30 to
$40 per day.
Creces pointed to closing
"corporate tax loopholes" as
a way of finding revenue to
help pay for the program.
"We also have to make
sure the provinces are on
board," he said.
Creces said the NDP will
stand up for Canada's farm-
ers, as he said the Harper
government is using supply
NDP candidate Gerard Creces
management as a bargaining
chip in the proposed Trans -
Pacific Partnership.
"It shouldn't be on the
table at all."
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In terms of the economy,
Creces said the government
needs to provide incentives
for "small-scale manufactur-
ers" which are becoming the
main employers in ridings
such as Huron -Bruce.
However, with local
employers stating they are
having trouble finding quali-
fied workers, Creces said
education and training pro-
grams should be geared
towards the needs of
employers to find out where
the skills gaps are.
Creces said from his inter-
actions with voters it is
apparent "a lot of people are
disappointed" with the
Harper government.
"They say 'they took our
votes, they did what they
wanted and they ignored us'.
There's no leadership, just
regurgitation of party
policies:'
He said if voters looked "at
every Conservative voting
record on issues that
affected Huron -Bruce, you
will be surprised and
disappointed:'
"I think it boils down to
the Conservatives aren't
conserving anything," Creces
said. "They are making it
easy for foreign ownership to
put profit over people."
Creces said "progressive
politics" is reflected in what
is going on in local
communities.
"Even conservatively
political people are quite
socially progressive," Creces
said. "It's just time that our
politics caught up with that:'
With this current election
being the longest in Cana-
da's history, Creces said it is
"unfair to volunteers - as
they had family plans and
other things they wanted to
do over the summer."
Creces said he is planning
to put up his signs the week
of Labour Day and they have
had a lot of requests.
"The NDP is in the best
position we've ever been.
We're ready to roll," Creces
said.
Creces can be reached at
gerardcreces@gmail.com,
facebook.com/GC4NDP,
Twitter @GerardCreces or
youtube.com/user/
gerardcreces
The future of palliative
care in Huron County
Laura Broadley
Clinton News Record
Sentiments of friends and
family members who have
passed away resonated
through county council on
September 2.
The Huron Hospice Pallia-
tive Care Steering Commit-
tee made a presentation to
council last week in hopes of
getting $3,000 in financial
support.
Kathy O'Reilly, co-chair of
the committee, said the group
is undertaking a public con-
sultation process to determine
the palliative care needs of
people in Huron County. The
funds would go towards com-
munity engagement, includ-
ing stakeholder meetings and
consultation sessions.
The end goal would be to
create viable recommenda-
tions to support hospice and
palliative care services for
Huron County.
There are no dedicated
hospice services in Huron
County.
O'Reilly explained that
palliative care involves phys-
ical health of the patient but
also the psychological, cul-
tural, social and spiritual
needs of the family.
A common assumption is
that palliative care is only in
the last months or days
before a person passes away
but O'Reilly said the service
is needed earlier.
"The term palliation refers
to a time when diagnosis is
actually given. It falls along a
continuum of care that does
include therapy to modify
disease. But, at the end of the
day, it does result in the cli-
ent's death," said O'Reilly.
Beyond the death of the
client, there is a continua-
tion of care for family.
The South West LHIN has a
government mandate to look
a palliation, which includes
talking to people within the
community to get feedback
on a palliative care program.
Some councillors spoke
about past experiences with
palliative care within
hospitals and hospices
around the area, reflecting
on the good support their
loved one received.
There are services that are
already available and some
councillors questioned
whether the county should
be the body funding some-
thing like this.
Howick reeve Art Versteeg
said that it was important to
be able to influence the
LHIN when it made its deci-
sion regarding palliative care
in the county and that's
where the steering commit-
tee came in.
"Our mission is very clear
in the fact that we're to
solicit a grassroots level of
opinions and ideas from
Huron County residents and
then forward recommenda-
tions for a sustainable model
that fits the needs of Huron
County residents," said
O'Reilly.
Council passed a motion
to support a staff report
regarding the steering com-
mittee's request.
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