All-candidates’ debate

Four major candidates speak about their vision for Canada

The Regent Theatre hosted an allcandidates’ debate on Monday evening, courtesy of the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce and the Prince Edward Federation of Agriculture. The four major candidates for Member of Parliament in Bay of Quinte discussed their vision for the County as well as their priorities and their approach to policies. The debate was moderated by Jason Sharpe and was broadcast live on County FM. PE Chamber of Commerce CEO Duarte Da Silva welcomed an almost full house at the Regent, saying this was a unique opportunity to hear the candidates and make an informed decision when voting in the imminent federal election. “In a healthy democracy, the act of voting is more than a right: it is a responsibility. It is the cornerstone of our representative government and the means by which we shape our future and the County’s future. Your vote is your voice, and when we participate collectively we amplify that voice to guide the direction of our community and our country,” he said. He then introduced the four candidates, Erica Charlton, representing the Green Party; Chris Malette of the Liberals; incumbent MP Ryan Williams, Conservative, and NDP candidate Kate Crothers. He then turned the floor over the moderator Jason Sharpe, who outlined the format of the debate. Each candidate was given three minutes for an opening statement, after which there were 10 pre-selected questions for which the assigned candidate was given two minutes to answer, with a one-minute follow-up from each of the other candidates, and then a one-minute summary or rebuttal. This was followed by each candidate giving their closing remarks. Mr. Sharpe noted that the interest and engagement in this election was extremely high, with over two million Canadians using the advanced polls, and he asked the audience to treat the candidates with dignity and respect.

Ms. Crothers opened by saying that Picton was her home and she decided to run in this election because she cares about her neighbours and her community and she wants to see a safer, equitable and more just future. She said that one of the highlights of her campaign was meeting people who, like her, deeply care about their community. “It’s the care for everyday people, the people who live here, people who have children in public school, or own small businesses that are directly affected by tariffs, and it’s people who have always looked out for one another,” she said. She noted that NDP policies on health care, dental care and care for young people have now been adopted by other parties. Ms. Charlton spoke next about why she was a candidate for the Green Party. She said that Canadians want to move away from divisionary politics. “We need leadership and unity. We need to stand together to get the job done. We need to cross party lines and have conversations. Canada is built on small, rural communities that have to work through differences just to survive, and we need to survive right now. Beyond that, we need to thrive. We don’t care about who enacts great legislation, we just need it done, and something that the Greens do best is work across party lines,” she said.

MP Williams gave his opening remarks next. He noted that young people find it difficult to stay in the County, given the high cost of housing. He said that just 14 per cent of the County’s population is under age 19. “We have to work together to fix affordability. We have to make sure we put more money into people’s pockets, and stop inflationary spending,” he said.

He added that it was crucial to get County Road 49 fixed, and that he would work to advance the Pinecrest seniors’ housing development in Bloomfield. He said he would work to alleviate the shortage of medical professionals by streamlining the process to get foreign-trained doctors and nurses licensed in Canada. He said that a Conservative government would keep dental care, pharmacare and childcare, but would repeal Bill C-18 and eliminate the electric vehicle mandate. Liberal Candidate Chris Malette said that his 36-year career in local journalism and his six years as a municipal councillor has given him a deep understanding of the challenges this community is facing. He said that he would focus on health care improvements, tariff and infrastructure related job creation, tax relief, and the protection of supply management in the agri-food sector. “This election is the most important one in our lifetime. Mark Carney is the best and most qualified and trustworthy person to lead Canada during these turbulent and dangerous times” he said.

After the opening remarks, the candidates were asked to respond to 10 pre-selected questions. The first question was, “Do you believe the Canada-US relationship is worth salvaging?” Ms. Charlton was chosen to give the response. She said there was a possibility that it could be salvaged, and noted that Canada is very dependent on the US for many products and services, on top of which many Canadians have personal or family connections with the States. In his response MP Williams said that the relationship would have to be renegotiated, and accused the prime minister of not standing up to the US. This comment received a raucous response from the audience, prompting a reminder from the moderator to maintain civility. Ms. Crothers said that Canada can no longer rely on the US and that alternative trade partners would be needed. Mr. Malette said that Canada has inextricable ties to the US, and that there needs to be safeguards to the economy and the country’s sovereignty, while at the same time exploring new markets around the world. Other questions for the candidates included ones on how to reduce interprovincial trade barriers, support for the proposed grain terminal in Picton, federal funding for the arts, how small communities can survive, how to change the tax regime to give Canadian manufacturers an advantage, and how to assist small and medium businesses to access capital.

The tone of the debate was cordial and respectful, despite the policy differences. Each of the candidates acknowledged the others had stepped up out of a desire to serve the community. The evening ended with closing remarks from each candidate. Ms. Charlton said that Canada has a large middle class who are willing to make the sacrifices to ensure that everybody has a seat at the table and everyone is taken care of. “We are going to get everybody a home, we are going to get everybody a doctor, we are going to get everybody mental health access, because we know that you need to invest in your people. We need to make sure our politicians work for us and make sure they get the job done,” she said. Ms. Crothers noted that the debate had made clear just how different the party stances were on issues that matter to the community. She cautioned against strategic voting. “This is a dangerous precedent to set. The vital programs that take care of you like dental care and pharmacare are only in place because the NDP made it happen,” she said. Incumbent MP Williams gave his closing remarks next. “This is such an important election, and the ballot question has come to this: Is it time for change? This is the choice in the election, to go out and pick a government that’s going to put you back in charge of your life to make sure that we change the way we do things, with new ideas, great ideas,” he said. Mr. Malette concluded the evening with his closing remarks, cautioning against a Poilievre government. “This is one of the most, if not the most, important elections in our lifetime. Mark Carney’s platform is about housing, infrastructure, military funding, farm support and the environment amongst many. Mark Carney’s policies will guide Canada through these turbulent times,” he said. Canadians go to the polls on April 28 to choose a new federal government.