Approximately 200 residents turned out in Saugeen Shores for the recent all-candidates meeting held at the Plex in Port Elgin on Thursday, April 10th. It was the third all-candidates meeting following two others, in Goderich and Kincardine.
While for the most part, the public meeting was civil, there were times when audience members passionately raised their views from the floor and moderator, John Divinski (Councilor) repeatedly told them that, if they had a question to “come up to the mic”.
The meeting began with each of the six candidates having two minutes for opening statements before the question and answer period began.
According to Melanie Burrett of the NDP, the meeting was the best attended to date. A 20-year school librarian and first-time candidate, she said that she was in the race to let people know that they are more than a statistic.
Incumbent PC Ben Lobb said that it is a time of inflection where seniors, families and new Canadians are at a point where everyone is struggling to make ends meet. “Canada’s economy is grappling with rising consumer prices and over the last 10 years the debt has doubled to where servicing has become the highest government expense. It’s time for change and to make life more affordable.”
Gregory McLean of the Green Party lives in Walkerton (Municipality of Brockton) and is a Councilor of Brockton in addition to a school administrator with the Grey-Bruce Catholic School Board and is an active community volunteer including wth Special Olympics. “I am all about my community and motivated toward the common good and believe that all Canadians should have a place to call home.”
Independent candidate Caesar S. Pella, a former political journalist, said that this election is “… putting our democracy on the ropes.”
James Rice of the Liberal Party said that Canada is under attack. “Donald Trump threatens everything that we have built as communities, from health care to child benefits to our very border that he says is just an imaginary line. Canada needs a vision to take us through these tough times and, make no mistake, we are in for a storm ahead and need a captain at the helm.” Rice, who was a Crown Ward as a child, is today a lawyer and Crown Attorney in Grey-Bruce.
Independent Justin Smith, running for the second time and living in Goderich, said that as an independent, he did not have to “… tow the party line but only had constituents to answer to. I can give my opinion without having to worry. An Independent has the flexibility to fight for the people while everyone else has to stick to party ideals. ”
Although not well-publicized, residents were asked to submit questions prior to the meeting and which moderator Divinski could then ask of each candidate. Among the questions were ‘what is the biggest challenge Huron-Bruce residents are facing’. Most candidates agreed that affordable housing, cost of living, immediate danger of tariffs and sovereignty and health care were among the challenges.
One of the challenges to be met was raised by Independent Caesar Pella and immediately got a round of resounding applause. “We have to get rid of this ‘first past the post’ that is emptying out our soul of democracy … and 68% of our population want proportional representation.”
While the elephant in the room was definitely Trump and his affect on the election and the economy, most candidates also brought local concerns to the table of how the south-of-the-border government has impacted local businesses.
“We cannot depend on the United States any longer,” said Green Party McLean. “We have to break down inter-provincial barriers and reduce small business tax and do more with our natural resources.”
Pella said that Canada has been living in a medieval age of fiefdom. “It’s taken a demented buffoon south of the border to give us a kick in the pants and make us realize we are all Canadians. Also, we are in a time of adversarial politics.”
Liberal, Rice, added that Trump did not realize the resolve of Canadians. “We are going to support agriculture and most industries, such as our greatest source of clean energy here in Bruce County (nuclear). We also have to reduce our reliance on the United States.”
Independent Smith disagreed with everyone saying that instead of fighting the tariffs Canada should be negotiating with the U.S. “We need them and we need to repair our relationship with the Trump administration.”
Smith’s comments brought boos from the audience.
It was obvious from the questions that the number of challenges facing government and the candidates are broad. From defunding the CBC to emergency room closures, a perceived WOKE environment in the military, treatment of senior and veterans, cost of living, homelessness, redistribution of wealth, food bank usage increase, affordable housing, government spending and many others.
Lobb said that the government has to get its own financial house in order. “We hear everyday the choices that seniors and single parent families have to make when it comes to housing and it’s almost impossible. It’s unaffordable. Stable funding for affordable housing is almost impossible to get. We cannot continue with a $50billion service on $1.2trillion debt as it puts every government program at risk.”
McLean also pointed out that, as a volunteer at his local food bank, there is an increase in usage by the ‘working poor’, who are working but still can’t afford food. “In a country that prides itself on being equitable, there are 70 billionaires and the concentration of wealth is increasing along with the shrinking of the middle class. Twenty per cent (20%) of Canadians hold at least 60 per cent (60%) of the wealth and that mirrors our neighbours to the south, and that’s not good. The limit of taxable income should be raised to $40,000 annually and … the rich need to pay their fair share.”
One of the most volatile audience reactions was around the question of the CBC. The PCs have made it loud and clear through Poilievre that they would like to de-fund the CBC.
Incumbent Lobb said that the party would keep English and Quebec radio to maintain news in rural areas. “People my age and younger do not get their news from the CBC. The way we consume news has evolved. People get their news from other sources and in a different way. It’s over one billion dollars of tax dollars every year that go to the CBC.”
The Green Party, McLean, said that funding the CBC is supporting a neutral news source that can be depended on. “We love the CBC and it will evolve as it needs to.”
Rice added that the “… CBC will continue to announce major events and the Liberal party would, in fact, increase funding.”
Smith pointed out that the CBC executives get millions of dollars in bonuses. “I suggest we in fact privatize the CBC.”
Again, Smith was answered with boos from the audience.
Independent Pella said that “There is a reason we have a national anthem and a national broadcaster. There is a balance between a private and a public broadcaster. Both have to be diligent and fact-checking.”
It was a two-hour meeting that gave Huron-Bruce candidates the opportunity to lay out their party platforms at a local level while also giving audience members a chance to ask questions and candidates to respond with a focus on local impacts.
