The evening of Wednesday, Sept. 25, declared candidates in both the Abbotsford and Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon riding were invited to attend a Q&A session in Evered Hall. The event was put on by the Student Union Society (SUS) and the Abbotsford University Women’s Club, and was open to the general public.
The event started with a greeting from President Joanne MacLean, commending the community’s involvement in local politics. The Q&A was moderated by Kimberley Hunter, SUS vice president students; Gurvir Gill, SUS vice president external; and Kate Jordan of the Canadian Federation of University of Women.
The event had a question-and-answer format with six questions where the parties each had two minutes to answer questions predetermined by the organizers. If there were two representatives for a party, they decided among themselves which representative would answer each question.
The Parties
Conservative Party: Ed Fast (Abbotsford) and Brad Vis (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon)
Christian Heritage Party: Aeriol Alderking (Abbotsford)
Green Party: Stephen Fowler (Abbotsford) and John Kidder (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon)
Liberal Party: Seamus Heffernan (Abbotsford) and Jati Sidhu (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon)
New Democratic Party: Madeleine Sauve (Abbotsford) and Michael Nenn (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon)
The People’s Party of Canada: Locke Duncan (Abbotsford) and Julius Cszar (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon)
During the closing statements the candidates urged people to research their platforms more, and to contact their offices about any questions, comments, or concerns they may have about their platform. Voting takes place Oct. 21 and registration can be done online, in person at any Elections Canada office, or at the polls.
Question 1: (Addressing the Environment and Climate Change) How would you use government regulations and enforcement to reduce emissions?
Conservative Party: Fast spoke of the party’s plan to move from taxes to technology. Fast said the Conservative party would require major emitters producing more than 40 kilotons of emissions per year, to invest in technology to help them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The intent would be for those emitters to reduce their emissions to unspecified standards to be set by the government. Fast also spoke on the Conservative party’s green patent tax credit, which would allow green technology commercialized and patented in Canada to be taxed at five per cent. Fast also mentioned the Green Homes retrofit plan, which supports green, sustainable updates to Canadain homes.
Christian Heritage Party: Alderking spoke on capturing carbon dioxide and using those gases for activities such as improving agriculture. She also planned to look into emissions caused by geoengineering, giving the example of metal sprayed into the air as a potential cause of global warming. The party will go after high polluters, such as businesses, to encourage them to capture emissions. They plan to reduce carbon taxes, which Alderking said are taking money out of “ordinary” Canadians’ pockets, and instead invest in technology that will improve the country.
Green Party: Kidder said Canada needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada by 60 per cent by 2030 in order to keep global warming below 1.5 C. The Green party’s plan on achieving this goal is to shut down the tar sands and stop the fracking of natural gas, and invest in renewable energy that would create enough jobs in the renewable energy sector to replace jobs lost in the oil sector. Kidder urged that green energy must be embraced, not feared, and it is the future of Canada.
Liberal Party: Sidhu talked about the Liberal party’s $1.5 billion Ocean Protection Plan, as well as banning single-use plastic by 2021. The Liberal party would also invest in public transit projects in Canadian communities, giving examples of the recent investment in 10 natural gas buses in Abbotsford, and in energy-efficient buildings. Their goal was to have net-zero emissions by 2050.
New Democratic Party: Nenn said NDP’s strategy would be to to take action “not with words or cuts to services” but by investing in Canadians. Their plan was to continue with Jagmeet Singh’s plan to invest $15 billion to create an east-west corridor for clean energy, to “invest in 300,000 new jobs to transition Canada from a fossil fuel economy to a clean economy,” to cancel subsidies to fossil fuel companies, to invest in transportation and in retrofitting houses, and by banning single-use plastics.
People’s Party: Cszar talked on the party’s platform of a free-market-based approach. Cszar said that renewables can only supply 15 per cent of Canada’s energy needs. The party plans on encouraging free-market-based solutions that will transition into green energy, such as a carbon capture technology, and to give that power to private investors who Cszar said would be better than the government at choosing where investments should go.
“Try as we might through regulation and government incentives, the government cannot conjure up the technology we need to transition ourselves to solely renewable energy,“ Cszar said.
Question 2: (Addressing Poverty and Homelessness) Do you support a basic income program? Why or why not?
Christian Heritage Party: Alderking said that she does not support a basic income program due to it being costly to Canadians, and that the current safety net should be looked at to adjust the numbers to match with inflation. Alderking said many people in low-income housing spend money on non-necessities, like technology. Alderking said she raised two children as a single parent for 25 years and her children benefited from poverty, by developing critical thinking and using their imaginations, adding that poverty is not a problem.
Conservative Party: Fast said that the Conservative party does not support a basic income program as it is “prohibitively expensive” for Canada, although issues of poverty need to be addressed. Fast said that the fiscal sustainability of proposed social programs need to be considered and that local, provincial, and federal supports already exist. The party plans to get rid of the carbon tax which “affects the poorest in Canada the most” and to support businesses and investments that create jobs.
Green Party: The Green party supported universal basic income through the party’s universal Guaranteed Livable Income. This income would replace the current income supports such as disability payments, social assistance, and supplements for seniors. The party would also strive for guaranteed secure housing, which they claimed was a fundamental human right at the core of defeating poverty.
“To defeat poverty, we have to undertake structural change to tackle the root causes of poverty. Those are low wages, insufficient income assistance, a precarious job market, a shortage of affordable housing, quality child care, and cuts in social programs,” Fowler said.
Liberal Party: The Liberal party currently does not support a basic income program. Heffernan said the Liberal party planned to reduce poverty by strengthening the middle class through increasing taxes on the wealthiest and giving a tax cut to the middle class, increasing child care benefits, and reducing cell phone bills. Canada’s unemployment rate is at a 40-year low, and Heffernan said that the Liberal party’s current economic plan is working.
New Democratic Party: The NDP plans on reestablishing the universal basic income (UBI) program removed in Ontario. The party calls this plan the “citizen’s dividend,” “that allows Canadians to be equal and start from a place of security and stability.”
“The NDP would also support the UBI to end the stigma of being poor. People should have basic dignities covered in order to prosper and participate in society,” Sauve said.
People’s Party: Cszar said that the People’s Party does not support a basic income program and that a free market with minimal government regulation was a solution.
“Poverty is more than a lack of money: poverty is a lack of access, a lack of political and community involvement and engagement on many levels. A lack of money is a symptom of poverty,” Cszar said.
Question 3: (Addressing International Students) How are you and your party going to support those who cannot vote but are impacted by your leadership?
Christian Heritage Party: Alderking said international education is generally a provincial issue, but that there are a number of Canadian students who are unable to get paid internships or jobs in their area of study. The party would like families coming to Canada to have “the best opportunities possible” but needs to look after Canadian citizens and students first.
Conservative Party: Vis said that the federal government has a role in ensuring a pathway to citizenship for international students, and in approving visa applications. The Conservate party would make sure that Canadian students would have access to the educational requirements they need, along with co-op placements and new jobs, and would provide a pathway to citizenship for international students.
Green Party: Fowler said that the greatest job of leadership was to “convince the international students that the place they’re going to school would be the place they want to call home.” The Green party would try to help international students gain employment in Canada, possible through their “Mission: Possible — The Green Climate Action Plan” that would create student jobs.
Liberal Party: Heffernan said that a “commitment to absolute public service and empathy” would be the priority. For international students seeking federal assistance, “every opportunity would be given to them,” including seeking translators to overcome language barriers. If elected, Heffernan said that a full-time, Punjabi-speaking staff member would be hired for the Liberal office.
New Democratic Party: Sauve said the growth of post-secondary schools has relied on international students’ income recently due to “rampant” cuts to education. It should be a collaborative effort between the government, faculty, and the student body to create a positive and successful experience at university.
People’s Party: Duncan said that the party “advocates for fairness, freedom, personal responsibility, and respect,” and civil and labour laws that support all students, domestic and international. The party recognizes post-secondary students struggle from lack of housing and infrastructure and urged post-secondary institutes to think on solutions for some of these issues.
Question 4: How is your party prepared to support provincial initiatives for universal childcare, and what kind of timeline do you envision for provincial support?
Christian Heritage Party: The Christian Heritage party supports lowering taxes and creating a “fair tax” for purchases so one parent can go to work, allowing the other to stay home and raise their children. They would also encourage employers to give some flexibility to parents to be able to do job-sharing or to work from home. Alderking said parents can save money by staying home and not working.
Conservative Party: The party supports the Universal Child Care Benefit, which could potentially cover families’ daycare costs, and the continuation of tax benefits already in place.
Liberal Party: Sidhu highlighted the Liberal party’s Canada Child Benefit, a tax-free payment introduced in 2016 that helps low- and middle-income families and helps pay for food, school supplies, and activities such as music lessons or sports. The program benefits six million children in Canada.
New Democratic Party: The NDP is committed to providing childcare for working or studying parents, Sauve said. The party has taken on a role in making childcare spaces and giving women and families access to safe childcare.
“We should provide people [with] childcare so that they could choose the work that is meaningful and that is their choice in their community to contribute to a productive society,” Sauve said.
People’s Party: The People’s Party would redo the equalization system in Canada that distributes wealth among the provinces to allow provinces to keep more of their revenue. The party would also deregulate the childcare industry and allow the free market into this sector.
Green Party: The Green party supports universal child care, as well as free early childhood education and free university and trade school tuition. The party vows to pull their investment from areas such as tar sands and put it into education.
Question 5: What will your party do to address the current piecemeal approach to ending boil-water advisories on First Nations reserves and what would your timeline be?
Christian Heritage Party: Alderking said the CHP has had a platform for 30 years to end the Indian Act, which would enable Indigenous communities to partner with businesses and the government.
“We need to free these people, we need to look after them, and we need to come into partnership with them,” Alderking said.
Conservative Party: The Conservative party will maintain the commitment of the Liberal government to end the boil-water advisories by March 2021, calling the lack of access to clean, safe water on reserves “shameful.”
“We need to stop measuring success on First Nations by the dollars leaving Ottawa, but by the outcomes and the objectives set by the projects originally,” Vis said.
Green Party: The Green party has committed to dissolving the Indian Act and to consulting with First Nations across Canada about what system of government they will replace it with. Kidder said the water crisis is rooted in the Indian Act, and removing it would enable First Nation groups to make their own decisions on resources and business.
“It’s not the settlers’ jobs to tell people who govern themselves for tens of thousands of years how to do the work they did before. It’s up to them to tell us how they want to do it,” Kidder said.
Liberal Party: The Liberal party is still on track to get rid of all boil-water advisories by March 2021 and has committed $739 billion over the next five years to eliminate and prevent long-term drinking water advisories. The party is also “providing sustainable investments to prevent short-term advisories, expand the existing delivery systems, build capacity, retain local water operators, and put in place systems for regular monitoring and testing.”
New Democratic Party: The NDP is committed to ending all boil-water advisories by 2021 by investing in infrastructure and in the First Nations-led water management programs and water system operations. The party will also implement Jordan’s Principle by working in provinces and territories to ensure access to healthcare services and educational supports for Indigenous children.
“It’s not about just building quality systems, but about providing the education and investing in the community to operate and maintain the infrastructure,” Nenn said.
People’s Party: The PPC claimed that the issue was not the lack of budget or technology, but of the “racist” and “ridiculous” Indian Act that the party has committed to rewrite in consultation with First Nations.
“The short-term solution is easy; we’ve got the technology — anybody with half a brain knows how we can get in there and solve these problems very quickly — the question is how do we make it sustainable,” Cszar said.
Question 6: How are you and your party going to support youth, post-secondary institutions, and governments when tackling the sexualized violence problem in today’s society?
Christian Heritage Party: The CHP plans to catch sexual offenders before they commit this type of crime, and would do so by looking at “red flags” and taking smaller offences more seriously, such as bullying in the classroom, torturing animals, and mental health issues.
“What we have to do is avoid having victims,” Alderking said.
Conservative Party: The Conservative party is advocating for tougher sentences for violent and dangerous offenders, including sexual offenders, and creating a more welcoming and supportive court system for victims of sexual assault to come forward to with their complaints. Fast said that protocols for universities to implement in the fight against sexual violence should be estabilished; however, universities are under primarily provincial jurisdiction.
Green Party: The Green party has allocated $25 million in their budget to sit down with LGBTQ people, women, and student organizations to research how to best address the “root causes” of sexual assault. Kidder said the party will look at this from the perspective of building a society where these actions “are less prevalent” instead of giving perpetrators greater sentences.
Liberal Party: Heffernan highlighted the achievements of the Liberal party in this area. The party has passed pay equity legislation; created the first-ever federal strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence; created 7,000 shelter spaces for survivors of domestic violence; launched Canada’s first feminist international assitance policy; invested in access to family planning, contraception, comprehensive sexual education, and access to safe and legal abortions; and added gender identity and expression as a protected ground in the Canadian Human Rights Act.
The government’s upcoming strategy is to create hundreds of thousands more before and after care spaces, doubling federal spending on child care, and moving forward to deliver guaranteed paid family leave.
New Democratic Party: Suave highlighted Melanie Mark’s — minister of advanced education, skills, and training, and B.C. NDP MLA — $760,000 sexual assault prevention program that will help create plain-language sexual violence and misconduct policies at every instiutuion in B.C. The Liberal government has also partnered with the B.C. NDP to provide $1.5 million to address sexual health equality and human rights on university campuses across the countries. The party is committed to building stronger policies and processes for vulnerable people.
“We must work together to dispel fear and to honour one another, working together to prevent harm,” Suave said.
People’s Party: The PPC would support the victims of sexual assault through strengthening laws, having tougher sentencing on crimes, and reaccessing the current legal and judicial system, specifically around lenient sentencing. The current system does not sufficiently support victims, according to Duncan.
A previous edition of this article incorrectly attributed a quote by Seamus Heffernan to Michael Nenn.
Image: Andrea Sadowski/The Cascade
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
