By Pepper Parr
October 5th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It was billed as a discussion and not a debate – and it was a good solid discussion on the issues as seen by the four candidates running for election to the House of Commons.
The discussion, recorded by Cogeco Cable Television, took place live at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast before an audience of less than 75 people.
Running against incumbent Mike Wallace were Karina Gould, Liberal, David Laird, NDP and Vince Fiorito, Green Party. Fourteen questions from the audience were put to the candidates – some of the questions were directed at a specific candidate. Every candidate was given a chance to answer every question.
Mike Wallace with his election results the last time out – will he do as well this time?
There was no winner but a viewer of the discussion should come away with a perception of each candidate and where they stand on issues.
Mike Wallace didn’t appear as confident as one would have expected him to be – the polls suggest, even though the evidence is skimpy, that he is leading – the bubbly personality just didn’t come across during the Chamber of Commerce event.
Karina Gould on the right looking at reports from her young, energetic team working the constituency.
Karina Gould was direct, knew what she was talking about during most of her answers but didn’t project the sense that she was going to do more for Burlington than Wallace has – and Wallace has delivered for the city.
The surprise was Vince Fiorito, the Green candidate, who with zilch in the way of political experience, stood up quite well.
David Laird reminded the audience several times that this was his fifth election – and it showed. What Laird did point out was that the questions put to the candidate were all social in nature which he saw as positive – and on that issue he was right.
Gould has been canvassing very hard – her team is young energetic and she has done well at those events the public has been able to see. Many thought there would be a significant uptick for Gould as a result of the Liberal win at the provincial level – that doesn’t appear to have happened.
The shift in the polls nationally, that show slippage on the part of the New Democrats, and gains for the Liberals does not seem to have worked its way into the hearts of the voters in Burlington.
The real dislike that many have for the way the Prime Minister has run the country does not appear to have done Wallace any harm – his core vote does not seem to have a problem with the way Harper as created wedge issues and promoted fear and misunderstanding when there was an opportunity to heal and grow.
The list is legion; all the way from the Duffy Trial, to the way Harper refused to take in refugees because he suspected terrorists would use this humane gesture to slip into the country. His exploitation of the hijab issue is shameful and the secrecy surrounding the biggest trade deal that the country is about to agree to is close to criminal.
Wallace who has a strong core vote must cringe at times when he thinks about the positions his leader has taken.
The enthusiasm the country had for Thomas Mulcair has yet to reach Burlington.
It is still a fluid situation with the fight now between Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper – the leaders will either carry their candidates on their coat tails or they won’t.
Given the look of the numbers nationally at this point the Conservatives are not going to be able to form a majority government and will need the support of another political party – the New Democrats and the Liberals have made it clear that such support will not be forthcoming – which means the choices are another election or a sharing of power between Trudeau and Mulcair – which will be interesting to watch.
During the Chamber discussion every candidate threw around numbers as if they were ping pong balls – millions, billions – it didn’t matter. The average taxpayer can handle thousands – none of the candidates managed to present the numbers they were tossing around in a manner that made them understandable.
The question on where each candidate stood on minimum wage got sloughed off by Wallace as a provincial responsibility – but when health spending was brought up – it is also a provincial responsibility, Wallace spoke highly of what the federal government provides in the way of funds transfers to the province.
The public also got a look at where those transfers are headed – they are to be cut in a few years at a time when the seniors are not getting younger.
Both Laird and Gould said the minimum wage has to be raised – Fiorito wanted it raised to $20 an hour
What would the candidates do about the public debt? Gould argued that money had to be spent now on public infrastructure, (roads bridges) social infrastructure (affordable housing, sustainable infrastructure which Gould didn’t define.
David Laird, New Democrat taking a question during a campaign meeting.
Laird said the country has a stagnating economy and money had to be injected into that economy to bring about growth.
Fiorito said we should never spend what we don’t have and pointed to the billions that corporations have in their bank accounts. If they are not going to use that capital to grow the economy said Fiorito, then the government should tax it so they can spend it.
Mike Wallace said the first task is to pay down the public debt – and added that the debt the current government has was a result of the 2008 recession, brought about by the misdeeds of the financial sector when it was de-regulated.
Wallace claimed that Canada had the best record of managing the 2008 recession of the G7 countries.
Asked if the New Democrats would support some form of coalition Laird said: Yes to the Liberals; no to the Conservatives. Fiorito said the Greens wanted to cooperate and hoped that they ended up holding the balance of power. Gould made it clear that Justin Trudeau was not going to support a Conservative government.
Wallace said the solution was to vote for a majority Conservative government.
Sex trade laws got a good going over – you can guess who stood where on that issue.
Candidate were asked: How would they increase manufacturing in Canada. Gould said manufacturers don’t have a partner in Ottawa; that there is no focused strategy and that the federal government doesn’t work with the provinces – the Prime Minister she added won’t even meet with the Premiers.
Fiorito said the country needed a more educated work force – all the lower level manufacturing jobs that paid reasonable wages are moving out of the country. With a highly educated work force claimed Fiorito, Canada would attract manufacturers.
Vince Fiorito, Green Party candidate looking over a piece of equipment left in the Sheldon Creek by a construction crew years ago.
Citizenship – is it a right or a privilege? Canada now has a situation where a young man, born in Canada, whose parents came to Canada from Pakistan, will be deported when he complete a prison sentence for terrorist activities. They can do that is the question most Canadians ask.
Fiorito, Gould and Laird said citizenship is a right to anyone who is born in the country or who chooses to become a Canadian citizen.
Wallace argued that it is a right that can be taken away from a person – even if they were born in Canada.
Karina Gould wanted to make an important point about the separation of powers that the government was getting into but the 90 second response time was just not enough to explain what is believed by many to be an important point. Citizenship is something we are given at birth – others apply for citizenship and are accepted.
Each candidate was given 90 seconds to sum up – for Wallace it was about competency and he said Stephen Harper was the most competent person to lead the country.
Karina Gould said the country deserved better leadership and was dismissive of Harper’s leadership.
The Cogeco discussion is being re-broadcast on channel 23 and 700 at:
October 4 at 8PM
October 5 at 7PM
October 8 at 2PM
The Canadian Federation of University Woman are holding their all candidate event this evening, Monday October 5th at Central High School.
