RIPLEY – Eight candidates running in the 2022 Ontario provincial election participated in the first Huron-Bruce riding all candidates meeting, hosted by the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture on May 16 at the Ripley-Huron Community Centre.
The participating candidates included Laurie Hazzard (NDP), Ron Stephens (independent), Lisa Thompson (PC Party), Shelley Blackmore (Liberal), Matt Kennedy (New Blue Ontario Party), Bruce Eisen (Ontario Alliance), Gerrie Huenemoerder (Ontario Party) and Matthew Van Ankum (Green Party).
Candidates were allotted two minutes to introduce themselves and their party’s platform, answer four previously provided questions selected by the Federation of Agriculture, answer three written questions from those in attendance, and closing statements.
The order in which candidates got to answer the questions was selected randomly before taking to the stage in front of the roughly 100 people in attendance.
One of the previously provided questions asked candidates to share their party’s commitments to long-term rural infrastructure investment, roads, bridges, widespread broadband, affordable access to natural gas, and social infrastructure to attract new business and new residents in rural communities
Hazzard quickly commented on how the provincial conservative government will fail to own up to the promise to have broadband by 2025.
“During the pandemic, parents had to pull up to the Tim Hortons so their kids could download their lessons,” she quipped.
Hazzard added that the NDP plans to build over a half a million affordable homes, help 311,000 people in Ontario pay rent, help first-time homebuyers with a down payment, regulate the price of gas, and work with universities and high schools to increase the co-op opportunities for kids to learn about opportunities to work in rural Ontario, all of which will attract new business in rural communities.
“Our major infrastructure projects will include community input,” she said. “So, if we’re going to do something in Bruce, we will include Bruce County.”
Independent candidate Stephens chose to talk about privatization in India, and attempted to warn the audience that he believes that there is a plan to privatize everything in Canada, including farms. He was asked to stay on topic several times by the moderator, however, his microphone was turned off when he did not comply.
During Thompson’s two minutes to respond, she said previous Liberal governments, backed by the NDP, ignored rural and northern Ontario unlike the PC Party of Ontario.
“Once we had the opportunity to serve in government, we jumped at tasks,” she explained. “We met with people, we listened, we worked with municipalities, and we identify priorities. For instance, we met with the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture and talked about the need for a natural gas expansion. And guess what? We got it done. We got it done in Brockton also… And we’re continuing to look at the viable projects to continue bringing natural gas to all of rural Ontario.”
Blackmore responded next that the Liberal Party has a focus on ensuring that rural Ontario has access to the same quality of health care, education, and other opportunities that the rest of the province has.
“We will guarantee access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner for everyone in rural Ontario by paying tuition for those who are studying to be family doctors or nurses and willing to stay in the rural community,” she said. “These measures will attract new businesses and residents to our communities.”
She added that the Liberals are committed to establishing a $50 million per year fund that rural communities can apply to rebuild community hubs, ensure high-speed internet does get to everyone by 2025, and continue to improve transportation to build strong communities.
Kennedy of the New Blue Ontario Party questioned how the PC Party of Ontario plans to fund infrastructure after they scrapped the annual license plate sticker fees, representing $1 billion in lost revenue.
“To believe that the government is going to give me a cheque for nothing in return is a bit naïve,” he said. “I think that billion dollars needs to be recouped somewhere. And it’s more likely than not going to be hidden, or in some new fee or tax that will be created to replace it. I don’t like to make promises to hand out money in order to garner votes, but I will tell you that there are a lot of things that the New Blue Party would endeavour to do, and a lot of goals that we would like to work towards.”
He said those goals include a new perspective on infrastructure solutions from outside of the previous successive governments, promote apprenticeship grants and training for trades workers, and focus on access to new internet technology such as Starlink satellite internet.
Eisen (Ontario Alliance) said his party is a proponent of rural and northern Ontario and is committed to building long-term and rural infrastructure, such as fixing and repairing existing bridges, improving rural high-speed broadband, and access to natural gas.
“In order to attract new business, we must create vibrant communities through free enterprise and marketing, and opening our small businesses,” he said. “In order to attract new residences, we must create spirited lifestyles and new opportunities for prosperity, including opening up close down areas for brand new jobs, creating new housing that involves building up, not out.”
Huenemoerder (Ontario Party)recognized that her party believes farms and farming families are an integral part of Ontario.
“We believe in the rights of property owners,” she said. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen many of those rights of property owners being taken away. There are new policies coming in where farmers won’t be able to build a new barn unless they jump through many, many hoops… Or homeowners can’t build a garage. They’re paying for their property and they own their property. Why must the municipalities and countless bureaucrats step in to make it a hardship?”
She added that the Ontario Party believes in lowering taxes especially the gas tax, drilling for new oil in southwestern Ontario, and would like to promote pipelines from Alberta and Saskatchewan to Thunder Bay to bring oil to Ontario and create jobs in that sector.
Van Ankum said the Green Party of Ontario “will undertake a review of regulations in order to weed out red tape and costs that disproportionately affect small business.”
“We need roads, harbours, and bridges to maintain access to markets,” he said. “These need to be well maintained and available all year round. We don’t need the Highway 14 expansion, we do need Ontario carrots and lettuce.”
He added that their solution to widespread broadband internet is to use regulations to level the playing field for small local internet providers by providing provincial funding.
“In my opinion, the economy is recovering at a quicker pace than expected,” he said. “Small and midsize business owners involved in agriculture, construction, and energy are doing well. However, the Green Party will develop a COVID effective plan for small businesses to file for bankruptcy in a fair and non-punitive way.”
The above were only some of the topics discussed at the May 16 all candidates meeting. Others included climate change, employment shortages, business insurance, and nursing shortages in hospitals.
A second all candidates meeting will be held at the Lakeshore United Church in Goderich on May 25 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., hosted by the Huron Chamber of Commerce. The meeting will be live-streamed on the Chamber’s Facebook page and recorded by FauxPop Media for Hay and HuronTel Channel One.
