Times Advocate, 1993-10-20, Page 8Page 8 Times -Advocate, October 20,1993
Eight of 11 candidates 'Lace the issues
•
ioters meet the candidates in London -Middlesex
By Adrian Harte
T -A Editor
ARVA - An all candidates meeting held last Tuesday at London Town-
ship Centennial Central School near Arva may have had to compete with
the Blue Jays championship and peak harvest time, but it still managed to
address some of the main issue of the federal election campaign.
The meeting, auended by only a few dozen people, was sponsored by
the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and got eight of the 11 candidates
running in the London -Middlesex riding to put their policies on tt'e line.
Those not attending were Arun Sehgal 'of Canada Party, David Good-
man of the Natural Law Party, and Marva Foster of the Abolitionist Party.
Each candidate was asked to make a brief introduction and address the
issues and their policies. In a lottery drew, Sven Biggs of the Green Party
was elected to speak first.
-Sven Biggs (Green Party): "When making policy we should also con-
sider ecology," said Biggs, who argued future governments will have to be
more environmentally conscious.
As for agriculture Biggs said "Cash cropping isn't working anymore"
and argued that farmers should be -supplying their local areas first, before
focusing on exports. The result, he said, would be to expend less energy
on shipping, and less money to get products to market.
Biggs said the Green Party is firmly in favour of conservation farming,
methods, and the reduction of chemically based farming methods. He said
farmers may be able to use strains of plants more hardy to weather and in-
sects.
"I think we should remember the planet is the most important resource
we have right now," he said.
David Howell (National Party): Howell said Canadians continually
forgive "our elected officials for lousy performance", and said he would
have been fired if he had done as poorly as the Canadian government.
Howell said parties should not be taking contributions from large corpo-
rations and multinationals, arguing that gives them control of tax policy.
"These corporations are paid back tenfold when you consider the tax
laws of our country," said Howell.
Attacking Reform Partypolicy, Howell said Preston Manning has said
he "would change the 'fabriclof Canada...I think this is what he had in
mind" and unfoldedan American flag for the audience.
Howell said the National Party wants to strengthen. the economy by in-
creasing employment,using:tl c ark of Canada to play a stronger role in
the economy, eliminate the GST, -and improve Canada's negotiations in
trade agreements.
Ed Holder (Conservative):'Holder-said he understands the need for
debt reductiod, and eliminating deftcitflmmcing.
"When all you do is borrow from. Visa to pay your Mastercard...you can-
not do that inlife," said Holder.
While not a fanner himself, Holder said he has pledged to work with ag-
ricultural groups, recognizing that the region around London produces $2
billion in farm products annually. He said he supports GATT and the
strength of marketing boards.
Pat O'Brien (Liberal): O'Brien congratulated the other candidates for
running, and said he knows how difficult it is after running five times for
municipal office in London.
"This election isn't about the size of your signs, but the size of your vi-
sion," he said, making a veiled reference to the large signs used by the
Conservative candidate.
O'Brien offered some reasons why he felt the Liberal's had the best bal-
anced plan for the country.
"We must get the 1.6 million unemployed back to work," he said, point -
filing out this election -is all about jobs.
He promised thr4ifiprals won't anpptiit tuser..fees for health care, and re-
ject what he said was a two-tier system proposed by Preston Manning.
He said the Liberals are committed to Article 1.1 of GATT, and accused
the PCs of waffling on their position.
Carolyn Davies (NDP): Davies said the NDP are still committed to the
farm economy and its families.
"Orderly marketing systems...should be expanded and defended," she
said, and argued for a better approach to farm financing and debt, land
transfers, tax fairness for farmers, and sustainable agriculture.
As for NAFTA Davies said "we need to cancel it", and called the treaty
especially bad for farmers
"You've all heard the road to hell is paved with good intentions, well it
applies here," said Davies.
Stan Winters (Christian Heritage): Winters said his party is soundly
based on Christian morals and biblical principles.
"We recognize the family is the foundation of society," he said, clarify-
ing he meant only traditional families.
As for agriculttue, Winters says the CHP want to protect Canadian mar-
kets from being dumping grounds for overproduction of other countries,
particularly those that are heavily subsidized.
He said he supports low interest loans for farmers. and supply manage-
ment, but not "so entrenched as to impede the competition between prov-
inces".
Winters said the CHP also wants it illegal to pass deficient budgets.
Peter Ewart (Marxist-Leninist): "Canada very much needs renewal of
its political process," said Ewart, adding that voters cannot be guaranteed
officials will keep their promises, or not having secret agendas.
He said his party wants to give voters more power, candidates obligated
to represent the riding, not the party, and supports the right to recall repre-
sentatives.
"Whatever party gets in on October 25 is going to betray you, especially
if they belong to one of the big parties," said Ewart, arguing it is not a
question of bad politicians, but the process.
"Once elected, the politicians believe they can do any thing they want, a
blank cheque, for five years."
"Why not vote for a smaller party?" he asked. "Why vote for these es-
tablishment parties, You know what you're going to get with them," he
concluded.
Mark Simpson (Reform): Simpson said opponents of the Reform Par-
ty are generating "a lot of distortion and fearmongering", and insisted that
Reform is a "democratic, grass roots, bottom up party."
"There are people [in the party) like you -here tonight who are fed up
with self-serving governments," said Simpson.
Simpson refuted O'Brien's suggestion that Preston Manning wants a
two-tier health system, saying Reform only wants to leave such decisions
to the provinces. He said there are actually three tiers today: regular peo-
ple wait in line, those who know somebody get preferential treatment, and
the rich who can go overseas.
The real issue is the deficit and debt, he said.
"Canada's credit card is well over its limit," he said, and added that Re-
form is committed to the agricultural economy and makes its farm policies
openly available.
Eight candidates running in the London -Middlesex riding at-
tended last Tuesday's meeting at London Township Centenni-
al Central School near Arve. From left_ are the Green Party's
Sven Biggs, -the 'National Party's David Howell, PC Ed -Holder,
The candidates respond
The candidates were each given
an opportunity -to respond to sever-
al questions `asked •by the audience
during the evening. Here are some
of their responses.
"What's your •position on the.
GST. !f you will : abolish it, how
will you replaceahatmoney?"
Biggs .saidImports. different
types of on, -including taxing
polluters. - The Oreen tarty's only
p is.are.to:r+emove-dte;GST from
books ymd. iitattatu a mitil.an :aker-
native sottrroe.can ate tTound.
Iliolder seid7he GSTatplaced "a
very sloppy :a ikaelesatax". He ,
amidccanomic .warn alnras. export
driven, and the•OST-helps export-;
ers. He said •the GST helps .farmers
because they can claw back the tax
from vehicles and materials. If oth-
er parties say they will eliminate .
the GST, how will that affect farm-
ers, he asked?
O'Brien said the government has
tripled its .administration to collect
the GST, even though its /avenues
are less than the old.tax. O'Brien
said the Lrberals!wi11 call an all -
party committee,.to come up with a
tax that doesn't need 6,000 more
tax collectors, and Twill replace it
only "after consultation with the
public".
Davies said the NDP would first
take the GST off products that will
create jobs, rincluding homes and
furniture. In -the second year, they
would reduce it to five percent and
see it gone by five years.
"We can't eliminate it immediate-
ly because it will leave too much of
a hole there," she said.
Winters said he favoured a fairer
taxation system.
"If we could eliminate it we
would," he said.
Ewart said the public needs a
referendum on any changes to tax -
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es, and suggested a Liberal replace-
ment "could be worse".
'Simpson said the Reform Party
wants to balance the budget, so
GST -revenue can be applied to the
deficit Once spending is under
control then the GST can be low-
ered as a reward to the Canadian
people", he said.
'What pis •your position •on health
care"
Holder said itis iwpartwtt.tosee
equivalent care across Canada, -so
doesn't change -fran :province .to
province. He said :it seeds to -be
more efficient, withartanyaugges-
• dons for a two-tier system.
O'Brien said Prime Minister
Kim Campbell suggested she was
prepared to look at user fees. He
said Preston Manning has said that
those -who are willing to pay can
get care quicker at a higher level.
The Liberals reject those ideas
completely, said O'Brien.
Davies, a nurse, said 'I don't be-
lieve we need to spend a single ex-
tra penny on health care, only man-
age it better."
She said Medicare is only as
strong as the transfer payments
from the federal government, and
those payments have been drop-
ping. "The provinces are prisoners
from a lack of money" she said,
adding that we have to ask whether
we have to accept more cuts, or
start having to pay into private
health insurance plans. More em-
phasis on prevention is also needed.
Liberal Pat O'Brien, NDP Carolyn Davies, Christian Heritage
Stan Winters, Marxist Lenlnist Peter Ewart, and the Reform
Party's -Mark Simpson.
•
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REFORMQ
PARTY OF CANADA
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