Federal candidates square off during Wallaceburg debate

The Wallaceburg and District Chamber of Commerce welcomed the candidates in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex for the upcoming Federal election for an all-candidates debate Tuesday evening at the Sydenham Curling Club in Wallaceburg.

Bev Shipley, the incumbent MP and the Conservative Party candidate; Rex Isaac, the NDP candidate; Jim Johnston, the Green Party candidate; and Ken Filson, the Liberal candidate all had the opportunity for a five minute opening speech, before fielding five questions gathered by the Chamber and closing remarks.

Shipley discussed the economy and the security of the country during his opening remarks.

“When we got elected in 2006 the country was doing well,” he said. “In terms of its active economy. So with that for two years we had a surplus. We paid down $40 billion of the debt and then the headlines were coming, about the worst local recession since the Great Depression of the 30’s. So we had a plan.

Shipley added: “We worked with other parties and we wanted to make sure that we had money available to stimulate the economy and what would that be. We wanted that to be temporary. That was the big difference between the opposition parties and ours. That was a substantial amount of debt. Over $60 billion to spend over a short period of time and we wanted to make sure we have a two-year window to evaluate and allow the economy to come back as the stimulus started to work.”

Shipley said the recent signing of the TPP – and the 39 other free trade agreements signed over the years – gives opportunities to businesses small, medium and large.

Isaac said he brings his experience to the table during this election, having served on Walpole Island council since 2008.

“I’m in this election because I care about this community deeply and this country,” he said. “I have the experience working with bureaucrats. I have the experience working with legislators on a Federal and Provincial level and I maintain a balance between social and economic needs.”

Isaac added: “I know the importance of family. I have seen the struggles and I have not been born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I have worked hard all of my life for everything that I have, much like all of you. As an educator I have seen young men and women overcome the obstacles in life that often times they build themselves but even those born with special needs. It is a gift like no other to see a young person succeed and it is even a greater gift to know you may have played a role their path of achieving their goals which leads to career, future, family and happiness.

Isaac said Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has failed and he hears about people’s and families struggles while on the campaign trail.

Johnston said the Green Party believes in working together to solves problems.

“We believe in, for example, tax shifting which means that instead of taxing people, we should be taxing the things which are bad for us in this society,” he said. “We would lower taxes significantly on income because we want people to work.”

Johnston added: “We move towards a sustainable social growth because we believe that true strength in a country comes from having strong communities. Communities that can have industries that will allow local people to have local jobs and don’t have to move away to find work. We believe that we need to balance our investments. In this election we have some important issues to face and I think the most important issue that we have to look at is it appears to me that democracy is broken here. Many people don’t vote anymore. They don’t vote because they feel their vote doesn’t count.”

Johnston said Green Party MPs are required to stand up for constituents, and vote according to what they want and believe in, even if it goes against the party.

Filson said he understands the times and the challenges of living and working in urban and rural southwestern Ontario.

“You know times have gotten tougher in southwestern Ontario and Middlesex,” he said. “Canada is in its worst economic growth since the Great Depression. We are going through a second recession. Job growth is poor, unemployment is going up, the rich are getting richer and the middle class is simply getting ignored. The Conservatives want to talk about leadership. Well these conditions are the result of failed leadership and the Conservative plan is more of the same. I believe Canada can and must do better than that. The Liberal Party has a plan to create jobs, grow the economy and strengthen the middle class.

Filson added: “We will cut taxes for the middle class and ask that 1% of us that have done the most and make the most to pay a little bit more. We will stop sending cheques to millionaires just because they have children. We are creating a Canada child benefit. We will roll three programs into one. Provide nine of 10 families with more money, tax free and ensure that those funds go to those families that need it the most. That will lift 315,000 children out of poverty.”

Filson said the Liberals are planning to make a historic investment in infrastructure, including public transit, roads, bridges and social infrastructure.

The candidates field questions during the debate about proportional representation, jobs and the economy, the current refugee situation, homelessness and pension reform. They also had the opportunity to mingle with the 60 (approximate) people in attendance during an intermission.

During his closing statements Johnston provided his own summary of Shipley’s answers throughout the evening.

“Bev’s my neighbour and I would consider him my friend, but I don’t think you should vote for him,” Johnston said. “Does your party favour proportional representation, no they prefer disproportionate representation. That’s how it works for them. What are you going to do about Canadian’s job prospects… nothing. What about refugees, security, the boogeyman comes out. If I was a terrorist in Syria, you know how I would get into Canada? I would buy a plane ticket, those people have lots of money they don’t want to be on a boat and risk drowning and sit in a refugee camp to two million other people… it’s ridiculous.”

Johnston said this is his fourth election, “but I’m not giving up, because this needs to be done.

“We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to put up with it anymore,” he said. “Things have to change. Why not vote Conservative? It is time to out this party in the penalty box,” he said.

Filson said him and the Liberal Party are the only one’s offering “real change.”

“Real change that is workable, is affordable, it’s fair, it’s honest and yes, it’s ambitious,” he said. “Justin Trudeau has built a strong team to support him and help him obtain the fulfillment of our plan. I can tell you, he’s a confident, collaborative, consensus builder and entirely genuine. After two years of negative personal attack ads from the Conservative Party and now a round of similar attacks from the NDP, Justin Trudeau refuses to respond in a similar manner. When you hear those ads in the next two weeks, I want you to remember that Justin Trudeau would not ever approve a similar attack against Mr. Harper or Mr. Mulcair. That is real change.

Filson added: “I believe in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. I believe in the people that live here. I believe in you. I believe together, we can do better.”

Shipley said he believes we live in the greatest country in the world.

“I don’t understand why any of the other candidates can’t talk about how great a country we’ve got, they only talk about all they want to improve or to say that this is not the greatest country,” he said. “When we got elected in 2006, we came to the position of taking over and paying down debt. We lowered our taxes down to where we are now, a low of 50 years for every person in Canada, for every business in Canada. Why… because we want to leave the money in your pocket.

Shipley added: “There is a difference in philosophy folks, we’ve now got a surplus, not a very big one they say… we’ve got two parties here that want to dig us into a deficit. I can’t figure that out. If you are looking for responsible government in terms of how you look after the economy and Canadians, the difference in ideology is we believe the tax dollars are your money, they believe the tax dollars is their money and that they have better use of it then you do, we disagree.”

Isaac said the NDP focus on hope and optimism.

“We keep hearing this mention of security, the NDP is all about the politics of hope and optimism, not the politics of fear and division,” he said. “When you talk about security, does that include the two recessions the recent Prime Minister has put us through and the economy. Bev is also on record as saying that these tax breaks he is talking about. He stated that they took the tax breaks of the highest corporations to 22 and a half per cent down to 15. I don’t know if any of you received a seven and half per cent tax break, but I know I didn’t.

Isaac added: “When Tom Mulcair and the NDP talk about raising the tax rate for those large corporations from 15 back up to 17, that is a realistic thing and part of the way we’ll move forward. Our health care is in jeopardy, if we don’t vote for a government other than the Conservative government this time then it is going to be privatized, even the Liberals are talking about privatization with Hydro One and other things. The NDP doesn’t have private ventures and interests supporting our platform, supporting our party. We have your support.”

Concerning the TPP signing, Isaac said Tom Mulcair and the NDP are the only party willing to stand up and and oppose the signing.

The candidates will be participating in a number of other upcoming debates as well:

– Oct. 7: All candidates night, Council Chambers, Chatham-Kent Civic Centre, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

– Oct. 8: All candidates debate LIVE on Blackburn News (CFCO), 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

– Oct. 9: All candidates debate, Forest High School, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

– Oct. 15: All candidates debate, 99.1

Election day is Oct. 19.

Here are some photos from the Wallaceburg debate on Tuesday:

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