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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2015-09-30, Page 3The CBC, the Senate and ISIS CONTINUED FROM > PAGE 2 The NDP is committed to investing in infrastructure but determining how it would pay is difficult. Adding another cent from the federal gas tax for municipalities is his party's approach, said Creces. Creces said the NDP wants to invest in things like long term care because as of now county staff are spread too thinly. When municipalities have funding gaps it increases the tax burden on the citizens, said Lobb. Since 2008 the Conservative government has tripled the amount of gas tax funding that each municipality receives. Bluewater has received over $200,000 each year. Huron County receives $2 million per year is gas tax transfers, said Lobb. The Conservative govern- ment has invested in significant infrastructure projects like the Hensall arena and the Bayfield wharf, said Lobb. After Lobb, Splettstoesser said taxes are collected dispro- portionate and at the wrong level. The Green Partywants to increase the gas tax transfer to five cents per litre as well as rec- ommended long term pool of municipal infrastructure funding. "We are committed to give also one per cent of the GST back to the municipalities for infrastructure projects," said Splettstoesser. In the fourth question the candidates were asked what they would do to restore Cana- da's environmental reputation. Creces said Mulcair would attend Paris for the UN confer- ence and commit to some hard targets. "Canada needs leadership that's actually going to show up on the world stage when it comes to environmental poli- cies. That is something we haven't seen in the better part of a decade;' said Creces. Lobb took to a defensive strategy for this questions and said that going to environmen- tal conferences accomplishes nothing unless all the world's highest emitters sign on, mean- ing developing countries. Perhaps the biggest audible support of die night came when Thompson countered Lobb's point by saying it was "ridicu- lous" to say Canada can't make progress on climate change until every other country does. He said that in order to bring others alongwith Canada it has to do its part. Canada has failed to deal with the environmental respon- sibility and needs good leader- ship to get back on track, said Splettstoesser. She said Canada needs to look at environmental responsibility as more than just putting a blue box at the end of the driveway. The second last prepared question asked candidates to answer with a "yes" or "no" to whether they would support a free trade if it cost Canada its supply management system. Supply management pro- vides stable domestic market and that Canadians are not ready to give it up, said Splettstoesser. Thompson said it was too complicated to come up with a definitive answer. The current government keeps trade negotiations private and no one really knows what is going on, said Thompson. Joining a trade partnership with Europe would be critical and it's important to pursue the negotiations without giving up what is important to Canada, he added. Creces said the NDP stance is "crystal-clear": take supply management out of free trade agreements. "Our farmers shouldn't be used as bargaining chips," said Creces. Lobb said the government has concluded trade deals with 43 different countries while protecting supply management. "These trade deals are great and it's bringing dollars right into the local economy," said Lobb. The last of the prepared questions asked what candi- dates would do to stop major corporations from exploiting Canadian waters. Splettstoesser said water is Canada's number one resource and she wants the govemment to implement the 1987 federal water policy to meet the requirements of sustainable water management. Passing federal legislation to prohibit bottled water export and immediately remove water from potential trade agree- ments is a priority. Drinking water protection strategy, source water protection, water- shed restoration and commu- nity-based conservation are all part of a solid water manage- ment strategy, said Splettstoesser. Thompson commended Bayfield on the initiatives it has taken to promote sustainable water. Reiterating a point made earlier in the evening, he said leadership at the national level was needed. Creces took a similar stance by saying that NDP stands for a national water strategy, siting that First Nations people having to boil their water before they can drinkit Lobb said no candidate would say he or she supports the selling of bulls water to the rest of the world. "The reality is there are provisions to prevent that," he added. The audience erupted with derision after Lobb said that if the government was to ban major companies from selling bottled water it would also have to ban Gatorade and pop. The second half of the meeting allowed the audience to ask questions and it touched on a wide range of topics, from the CBC to the Wednesday, September 30, 2015 • News Record 3 Senate. Thompson, Creces and Splettstoesser all said their parties supported reinvest- ment into the CBC, while Lobb said the Conservatives have funded the broadcaster with record high numbers, prompting laughter from the audiene. Creces was the only candi- date who said that he sup- ported getting rid of the Senate. All the others said only that the Senate needed to be reformed. An audience member asked what the candidates' parties were choosing to do about the threat of ISIS. Creces said Canada has fallen from its previous reputa- tion as peacemakers. He said that Canada has crises of its own like the growing number of missing and murdered aborigi- nal women. CONTINUED > PAGE 19 If you got this card, you're ready to vote! •+Inl owllA FM, yl w. 1,tilr-e ll 34.9 I saesr ��.— rie,l _ •lfir`: r. !LI H. 1• kph ®1.+•• flI era rm. arm 1• ems rrrell rms =real • •0l r4..•w s: f ▪ ymeei W 4N1�®Y Y�+Y9 feL: _.. =Pr Pre el �a mill•IL.P.Orgro F'.:, r. SJ ?ie IBM r:. . _. .:• N. .Id WF.., la -14 ur+FS+e .1cnr •: u.k in ,i.rrr AKf.1FAH•25 116 V. 1:31 Fie • Weer Federal election day is October 19. Did your voter information card arrive in the mail? It tells you that you're registered to vote, and explains when and where you can vote. If you didn't receive one, or if it has the wrong name or address, check, update or complete your registration at elections.ca. Or call 1-800-463-6868 (® TTY 1-800-361-8935). Elections Canada has all the information you need to be ready to vote. Ready.! to vote October 19, 2015 Elections Canada