While there was the odd jab, the gloves remained on during an all-candidates meeting in Midland Wednesday.
Aside from a few pointed remarks Liberal hopeful Gerry Hawes threw toward Conservative incumbent Bruce Stanton and party leader Andrew Scheer, the bout to represent Simcoe North in the next federal government remained relatively cordial as prospective candidates spent much of their time reiterating party positions on a range of topics from climate change and affordable housing and Indigenous affairs and immigration.
“We have seen how (Premier) Doug Ford has governed and Andrew Scheer is cut from the same cloth,” Hawes said. “There is a clear choice.”
For his part, Stanton said he’s been very involved with positive investments and spending in Simcoe County as both a government and opposition MP.
“People are facing rising expenses and struggling financially,” he said, noting a Tory government would restore, for families, tax credits that were eliminated by the governing Liberals and combat the ballooning federal budget deficit.
“Our party will make life more affordable so you can get ahead. Mr. Trudeau promised a balanced budget for this year. Our plan will get us back to balanced within five years," said Stanton who is seeking a fifth term as the region's MP.
Hawes said he would bring a strong, confident and progressive approach to Ottawa.
“The Liberal government has made concrete strides these past four years,” he said.
Throughout the tame two-hour affair, federal campaign neophyte Angelique Belcourt (NDP) held her own against seasoned election veterans like Stanton and Green Party candidate Valerie Powell. Chris Brown (Christian Heritage Party) and Stephen Makk (People’s Party of Canada) rounded out the roster.
Presented by the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce, the event at the North Simcoe Sports & Recreation Centre attracted about 200 area residents who listened to candidates answer pre-selected questions.
Climate change featured prominently throughout the meeting with Powell and Brown staking positions at opposite ends of the spectrum.
While Brown said he has “stacks of scientific studies” that indicate man-made climate change is largely unproven, Powell said her party would bring all legislators together to fight it.
“The biggest issue is the climate emergency,” she said. “It’s about our survival on this planet. The climate crisis will get worse if we don’t act now.”
Powell, who noted the environment and economy are intricately linked, said the Green Party would seek ways to reduce food waste and encourage people to eat less meat to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The other candidates all acknowledged that climate change is indeed real, with Belcourt pointing out that, regionally, there’s been an increase in flooding and forest fires directly linked to the issue.
“In our communities, we’re witnessing the big effect of climate change,” she said, noting her government would support more green energy and infrastructure.
Stanton applauded the work organizations like Sustainable Orillia is doing in the climate change fight.
“We have a responsibility to do all we can locally to reduce our carbon footprint,” he said.
And while Hawes praised the Liberals' work on the file through the carbon tax’s introduction and investments in renewable energy and public transit, he said it’s not just up to the federal government to address climate change.
“Climate change is real and it’s a very real problem,” he said. “The solution to this is not top-down. It requires all levels of government working together. We have to take this matter very seriously.”
On the immigration file, Stanton said Canada benefits greatly from immigrants with nearly 75% of those coming here already having jobs with the balance made up of refugees and those reuniting with family members.
Added Belcourt: “To have a concern about more immigrants coming here and calling this country home baffles me. The NDP is still the party of Jack Layton and Tommy Douglas.”
Powell said while all growth affects the country’s ecology that shouldn’t mean closing the doors to those in need.
Brown said Canada has always been a welcoming country, but would benefit from stronger vetting of would-be immigrants arriving from “some” countries.
Hawes said the country’s immigration system already works well with Makk pointing out his party would reduce and carefully monitor immigration by stopping the flow of “false” refugees.
Makk said immigrants should also be better screened to ensure they agree with the values outlined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Immigration is a concern of many Canadians,” he said. “It’s more a question of quality, not quantity. We want to make sure the immigrants will fit in.”
As for his party, Makk noted that voters could essentially get in on the ground floor of his party’s growth.
“It’s an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime event,” he said, referring to the birth of a new national political party.
“We will take less of your hard-earned money and freedom. We would set the reset button on government sprawl. We stick to the basics and get them right. You can’t be a good referee if you’re also a player and coach at the same time," said Makk.
As for affordable housing, Stanton said his party would help Canadians by leaving “a bit more money so they can get ahead” while Hawes pointed to the Liberals' creation of a national housing strategy to make it easier for first-time home buyers.
Belcourt, meanwhile, pointed to her party’s plan to immediately begin working to create more affordable homes across the country if elected and help current homeowners with energy-saving retrofits.
“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable space to call home,” she said. “We want to offer immediate relief for those struggling to make ends meet with rent.”
And with the federal deficit continuing to balloon, all candidates noted it’s important to balance the federal budget, but offered varying ways of how to get there.
Belcourt said the NDP would make large corporations and wealthy Canadians pay their fair share of taxes with the money going toward social programs while Brown noted the issue could be effectively managed by cutting government waste.
They also all agreed that Canada needs to do more to help its Indigenous population, including ensuring everyone has access to safe drinking water.
“We believe in individual freedom and respect for all,” said Makk, who noted his party would tear up the Indian Act and work with all stakeholders “to come up with something better.”
Added Stanton: “When you see the rift that continues to exist…there’s a lot of work that has to be done.”
One of the evening’s final questions asked candidates what ministry they would like to head should they be elected and their party forms the government.
While Stanton and Belcourt (who is Métis) opted to become the minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Hawes said he would want the industry or heritage portfolio with Powell opting for the seniors’ affairs portfolio to help strengthen the national dementia strategy.
Makk said he would want to be the minister of internal trade to make it easier to do business between provinces.
“Impaired trade through interprovincial borders is a big issue,” he said before jokingly adding, “after four years if I could pull that off, I’d want to be prime minister.”
But the best line of the evening arguably belonged to Brown who quipped: “I think if I made it to Ottawa, it would be an act of God.”
Candidates return to the fire tonight. The Orillia Chamber of Commerce All-Candidates debate is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in Orillia council chambers.
