Three federal candidates met to share and expand upon their political platform at an election forum held in St. Paul on Oct. 17, just days ahead of the Oct. 21 federal election.
Each candidate touted their record of helping constituents and building rural Alberta. Before going into the written question period, candidates were given six minutes to make their opening statements at the forum held at the St. Paul Rec. Centre.
Conservative Party of Canada candidate Shannon Stubbs spoke about being proud to serve and represent the Lakeland as a member of parliament. And soon after, followed in Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s footsteps in calling out the Liberal government. She spoke of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s attempt to phase out the oil sands and killing Alberta’s oil and gas sector and her party’s rural crime and energy policies.
Representing the People’s Party of Canada, Alain Houle pushed his party’s policies on immigration, equalization, balanced budgets and pipelines, calling the party leader, Maxime Bernier “pro-Albertan.” The People’s Party is against the globalist agenda, he said. Houle stands for smaller government, free-market capitalism and Canada’s sovereignty.
While, Liberal Party of Canada candidate Mark Watson, drew a few snorts from the crowd for saying he “understands the word 'Liberal' can be a curse word in rural Alberta.” He said his party can be beneficial to the Lakeland riding and reflected on the murder of his daughter, 13 years ago, and spoke of his interest in crime. Adding, he believes Trudeau has the “stuff” to go forward on rural representation and will listen to rural Alberta. Watson defended the endless deficits made by other parties by referring to a CTV article that claims the Liberal government has a $3.1 billion surplus.
During the question period, candidates were given one to two minutes to answer a question. If the question was directed to a specific candidate, that person had two minutes to answer, while other candidates had one minute.
They touched on issues ranging from rural crime and development to housing, to indigenous child welfare and climate change.
Energy
The big question of the night was directed at Stubbs. How will she ensure that pipelines get built?
An excited Stubbs said, “It’s been my driving force for the last two years.” Her party’s top priority is to get pipelines built to increase export markets, she said.
In order to do that, the party must provide the conditions to streamline and get approval.
“We’ve got layers and layers of anti-energy policies, so we’ll kill the carbon tax, because we’re one of the top 10 oil producing countries in the world, kill C69, kill C48 and kill a variety of other national energy policies."
Siding with Stubbs, Houle also says the People’s Party will ensure that pipelines get built by killing existing energy policies.
“But, what’s different with us, is that we are going to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement,” Houle said. “We believe that we cannot meet these emission targets that they are setting and also develop Alberta’s oil sands.”
All candidates had one thing in common, implement section 92 (10) of the Constitution in the case of the Trans Mountain expansion. The clause in Section 92.10 of the Constitution Act of 1867 gives Ottawa jurisdiction over projects “declared by the Parliament to be for the general Advantage of Canada.” Thus, if approved federally, British Columbia, or any other province, does not have constitutional jurisdiction to block pipeline projects coming from any province.
Universal Pharmacare
Directed at all candidates, one member in the audience asked what the candidates will do to ensure a universal pharmacare program will be put into place.
Both conservative candidates say their respective parties will not be putting forth a national pharmacare program. Houle added that the People’s Party is about shrinking government, not expanding it. The party will leave pharmacare to the provinces and in the case of a struggling province, they could borrow money from Ottawa.
“What the party is proposing is to actually give back provinces their GST,” Houle said.
The Liberal candidate, proposes that pharmacare operate as wholesale, working out prices with insurance companies to ensure cheaper prices.
Rural development
Houle said his party has no policy on rural development but that the party also is not about centralizing everything to urban economies and centres, and that it still wants rural economies to grow.
Stubbs’ party plans to appoint a federal minister for rural affairs and she says, the conservative party has been the only voice for rural Canadians and communities over the last four years. The party’s plan to scrap the carbon tax “would make a big difference” in rural development, she said.
Watson added that he would like the provinces to locate new immigrants to rural areas in order to develop more business and employment opportunities, which ultimately could help the economy grow.
Seniors
Where seniors are concerned, Houle says the People’s Party of Canada does not have a specific policy for them.
However, the other conservative candidate, Stubbs, says expanding age credit would allow seniors to keep more money in their pockets. Also, scrapping the carbon tax, and GST on home heating.
Watson reminded the audience that the previous conservative government under Stephen Harper brought the age of retirement to 67 from 65, and that the Liberal government put it back down.
Indigenous child welfare
In a question directed to Stubbs, one member of the public asked whether the conservative government, if elected, will implement without reservation the rulings of the human rights commission on equality for child welfare services to indigenous nations.
To which, Stubbs referred to Scheer’s approach to ask for a judicial review following a landmark human rights tribunal decision to compensate First Nations children harmed by the on-reserve child welfare system.
She called Sheer’s move “wise” and “responsible.”
Houle says the party will explore options to replace the Indian act. Watson agreed with Houle.
Candidates
The Lakeland Riding has seven candidates running in the upcoming federal election.
Absent from the forum were Kira Brunner from the Green Party of Canada; Roberta Marie Graham of the Veterans Coalition Party of Canada; Jeffrey Swanson of the New Democratic Party; and Robert McFadzean from the Libertarian Party of Canada.
The federal election takes place on Monday, Oct. 21. If you are not yet registered to vote, "You can still register when you go to vote at your assigned polling station," according to the Elections Canada website.
