The POST did not receive a response from Tim Moen by the agreed-upon deadline.
The Questions
Click on a party link to see that party's response to the question.
What does Lac La Biche need from its federal MP?
Conservative Green Liberal NDP
How are you prepared to represent the area differently than the previous MP?
Conservative Green Liberal NDP
What can an MP do to better the area’ s infrastructure?
Conservative Green Liberal NDP
How would you improve growth in Lac La Biche?
Conservative Green Liberal NDP
What is your stance on the Temporary Foreign Workers program?
Conservative Green Liberal NDP
What role does the federal government have in encouraging affordable housing?
Conservative Green Liberal NDP
What role does the federal government have in health care?
Conservative Green Liberal NDP
What does Lac La Biche need from its federal representative?
Lac La Biche needs someone with a Sustainable vision for the region, and someone who will advocate strongly in the House of Commons to achieve that vision: to find ways to set Fort McMurray-Athabasca on a better path, a smarter regional economic strategy, a cleaner, greener future. We are on a non-sustainable path, highly focussed on a non-renewable resource. We need to begin the shift to other industries, to economic diversification, and particularly to alternate, cleaner sources of energy such as solar, wind and geothermal.
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How will you represent the area differently than the previous MP?
As a Green MP, I would be free to speak; in fact, I would be encouraged to speak on behalf of my constituency, to achieve a sustainable future for this region. I would not be tightly controlled by my Party’ s Leader to say only what is prepared for me by the Leader or the Party. And most importantly, the Green Party would whole-heartedly support a more sustainable vision for this region.
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What can an MP do to improve the area’ s infrastructure?
An MP can advocate on behalf of the region to all levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. Funding to municipalities for infrastructure needs comes from both the federal and provincial levels: I would advocate at both levels to find ways of providing municipalities with the resources they need. Instead of struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of growth, municipalities should be able to plan for a more steady growth, a more diversified economy, a smarter, cleaner, greener future.
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How would you improve growth in Lac La Biche?
I would work for a smarter, cleaner, greener economic approach to growth. A booming economy provides some short-term benefits such as jobs (many of which go to residents from outside the region), but also brings social and environmental costs such as high cost of living, punishing accommodation prices, and a tremendous strain on municipal services and resources. These costs are paid by all of us, as residents of Fort McMurray-Athabasca. Just because this is Alberta, it doesn’ t mean we have to accept the stresses of a boom-and-bust cycle.
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What is your stance on the Temporary Foreign Workers program?
The TFWP has a role to play in helping to address the need for workers in our communities, and as such it serves a purpose. Where it is being abused, however, it should be corrected. Workers, both Canadian and foreign, have the right to be treated fairly and not be exploited or taken advantage of.
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What role does the federal government have in encouraging affordable housing?
The federal government should help communities find the resources they need so that all types of housing, for a full range of incomes, is adequately provided. Our communities should be supported in determining their own needs and meeting those needs.
A rapidly expanding economy may help many from outside our region, but it places a huge strain on our communities. A smarter, more sustainable economic strategy would allow communities to provide a range of housing types, and ensure a better quality of life for everyone in the region.
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What role does the federal government have in health care?
The federal government should be the defender of our health care system, not a threat to it.
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What does Lac La Biche need from its federal representative?
Lac La Biche needs a Member of Parliament who will be present and work with residents, local council, aboriginal leaders, small business, and industry to chart a meaningful path forward to ensure the growth and prosperity of Lac La Biche.
It require a Member of Parliament who will be present in the community and who is aware of the challenges Lac La Biche faces and the opportunities it can pursue through solid planning and action and the support and cooperation of the Government of Canada.
Lac La Biche has been ignored by the Conservative Government and that has to change.
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How will you represent the area differently than the previous MP?
I have committed to ensuring a Constituency Office is located in Lac La Biche. Lac La Biche has long been overlooked by the Conservative Government has evidenced by the paltry $77 per person it receives per year on average from the Federal Government. That’ s less than the cost of a pair of shoes. It`s obvious why Lac La Biche`s population has declined despite the growth of the rest of the region.
I am committed to being a squeaky wheel for the region and ensuring the Lac La Biche`s needs are brought forward day in and day out until they`re finally addressed.
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What can an MP do to improve the area’ s infrastructure?
It starts by identifying the specific infrastructure needs that must be addressed which requires consultation with residents, Council, business, and industry. Then looking to what Government can do to support addressing those needs. We know that the level rail crossing needs to be addressed as rail traffic will only increase. We know Lac La Biche needs capital investments to support the social services sector. And we know the Municipality needs support for basic infrastructure improvements. These are the types of things we need to work together on to ensure the support of the Government of Canada.
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How would you improve growth in Lac La Biche?
I have committed to working with Council and local business to support a growth agenda for Lac La Biche County. Lac La Biche has long been the Gatheway to the North going back to the time of the Voyageurs, to the building of the Railway, to the more recent development of Highway 881.
Ensuring Lac La Biche`s continued prosperity means using its geographic location between the Cold Lake and Athabasca Oil Sands to its advantage. There are enormous business opportunities with the development of SAGD operations along the 881 corridor and we mustn`t forget the natural beauty of Lac La Biche and the potential growth of the tourism industry.
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What is your stance on the Temporary Foreign Workers program?
There’ s a special need for the Temporary Foreign Workers in Northeastern Alberta. It is necessary to fill positions when there are skilled trades shortages and in the hospitality industry. Scrapping the program all together would be irresponsible.
It is clear that the current moratorium on Temporary Foreign Workers in the hospitality industry and the uncertainty Conservative mismanagement of the overall program has created will badly hurt our regional economy.
We need to fix this problem as soon as possible so we can address the pressing infrastructure deficit afflicting our region.
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What role does the federal government have in encouraging affordable housing?
Every Canadian has the right to safe, affordable housing. Reducing housing needs requires collaborative planning and sustained funding. That is why the Liberal Party promised a highly flexible, long-term Affordable Housing strategy in the last election, with real money behind it.
The government must continue to use the money it is saving by ending rent-geared-to income subsidies for the development and maintenance of affordable housing. We are always open to innovative new approaches including areas such as tax incentives and loan guarantees.
But the only way it will success if is there is a high level of cooperation between all levels of government with the private, non-profit, and cooperative sectors.
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What role does the federal government have in health care?
It was the Liberal Party that implemented Universal Health Care across Canada in 1966 and further enhanced it with the Canada Health Act in 1984.
We believe every Canadian must have access to timely, publically funded, quality health care, regardless of their social background, their physical needs, their geographical location, or the amount of money in their pocket.
The Conservative Government have done nothing to defend public health care or guarantee its future. Since they came to office health care has been cut from the federal agenda. We have seen the results of this with severe shortages of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists across our region.
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What does Lac La Biche need from its federal representative?
The first thing that Lac La Biche needs from it’ s Federal representative is a person who is going to listen to the issues facing the community. There are universal issues that affect all areas of this riding. However, every area has it’ s own unique needs. I believe I am the best person for that job. The first time I was elected into any position was in 2010. My co-workers put their faith in me and elected me as their Health and Safety representative. Every two years this position comes back up for re-election and in 2012, no one ran against me and I retained the position. In the Fall of 2013 I was nominated by Suncor for a Presidential Operational Excellence Award in the category of ‘individual efforts for safety’ . There were hundreds of nominees from across the company, and a lengthy process to determine the top 3 finalists. I was in that top three. Earlier this year, I ran and was elected in the Vice-safety chairperson of over 3500 workers. I have a proven record as an effective democratically elected representative. I am the representative that Lac La Biche needs and deserves, and I will prove that!
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How will you represent the area differently than the previous MP?
I will not be in the backbenches of government as your elected representative. I feel that the previous MP brought Ottawa’ s voice to the people instead of the voice of the people to Ottawa. Especially with this being a by-election, I will be a loud voice in the official opposition, across the aisle from the Governing Conservatives. I will bring your voice to the House of Commons for the next year or so, until the General election in 2015. The Conservative Government is not going anywhere before that, so we have a chance to hold them to account and answer to our concerns.
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What can an MP do to improve the area’ s infrastructure?
We need to invest more in infrastructure through things like the Building Canada Fund, which unfortunately the CPC has cut by 90% when so many areas are in desperate need of investment in their infrastructure.
The NDP believes in tackling the infrastructure deficit through Canada-wide funding program that includes the enhancement of the Gas Tax Fund transfers to municipalities. The NDP also believes we need more Investment in public infrastructure to expand and improve our water and waste water systems. We also believe in directing infrastructure stimulus spending in a strategic way to focus on public transit, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient and following urban design to make our communities more energy efficient.
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How would you improve growth in Lac La Biche?
Unlike the CPC & LPC, the NDP believes in responsible growth. New Democrats believe that economic prosperity for all citizens can be achieved through proper regulation, strategic investments in both physical and social infrastructure, and a long-term sustainable economic growth strategy. We all want to grow & prosper, but we can’ t let the idea of continuous growth at any cost be the way our government functions as it has, & will have eventually have the opposite effect on our lives & economy.
New Democrats reject the claim of a fundamental contradiction between environmental health and economic growth. Developing green energy industries is an opportunity for a dynamic new era of job creation, building a competitive advantage for Canada in environmental technologies and practices, which in turn help foster innovations in manufacturing.
In order to have growth, we need to focus on ways to diversify our economy, & not be dependent on 1 or 2 areas to keep us competitive.
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What is your stance on the Temporary Foreign Workers program?
This Government has made a mess of the temporary foreign worker program. For months they stood in the House of Commons insisting there were no problems or abuses of this program. Now, when the NDP has held their feet to the fire, and proved without a shadow of a doubt, that there indeed many abuses of this program, the Conservatives announce measures just as the house rises for the summer? Most businesses use the program as intended and follow the criteria set forth. Because the Conservatives have been so loose with the program, they have to suffer the consequences with knee-jerk fixes. We think the program needs an independent review. It is obvious that they are reactive and not proactive, and that is not what we expect out of our elected officials.
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What role does the federal government have in encouraging affordable housing?
New Democrats strongly believe we need more of a focus on housing for the most vulnerable in our society. We believe in implementing a national strategy to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians in partnership with provinces, municipalities, Aboriginal communities, non-profit and private sector housing providers and civil society organizations, including those that represent groups in need of adequate housing. Unfortunately, the CPC has cancelled subsidies and abandoned the federal financial commitment to social housing, which has prompted New Democrats to launch a campaign and table a motion in Parliament aimed at ensuring adequate funding. We need the resources to support social housing development, so we should be growing federal investment in this area, not cutting programs.
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What role does the federal government have in health care?
The federal governments role in health care is critical and should be a paramount concern to everyone. It was the NDP, under Tommy Douglas, that brought universal health care to this country and we have been the envy of the world for it. This Government has been systematically striping us of this invaluable system. Every man, woman and child in our country, should have the right to medical care without having to take their wallet out first! We need to make sure that our health care is protected and when I am in Parliament, I will be loud and clear about that!
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What does Lac La Biche need from its federal representative?
Lac La Biche needs a representative that understands the broad needs and challenges in our community. Keeping a strong economy with low taxes is important for farmers, oilsands workers, business owners and families. I am a farmer and a business owner and I represent a party that understands the importance of our oil sands. Justin Trudeau doesn’ t offer any solutions on how we can get our oil transported to markets, and Thomas Mulcair seems to be against all forms of development. At a time when the global oil supply is unreliable and uncertain, we need someone who is going to be a champion of our oil sands and take the opportunity to market it to the world. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has done just that through varying international trade deals, and through our continued support of projects like Keystone XL.
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How will you represent the area differently than the previous MP?
I’ m proud to be running in a riding that’ s truly the economic engine of the country. I make no apologies for supporting our oil sands and their responsible development, and if elected, I will take that support to the national level to ensure our voices are heard around the table of government, and to work closely with our Conservative government on further development opportunities. As an elected representative with Athabasca County, I learned that it is important to spend time with the people you represent and listen to them. I know this riding is big and it will be a challenge to spend the time with you that you deserve.
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What can an MP do to improve the area’ s infrastructure?
Our Conservative government introduced the New Building Canada Fund, which set aside $53 billion for infrastructure projects across Canada. If elected, as a government MP I would work with our local governments to ensure we take part in this longest and largest infrastructure plan in Canadian history. It’ s important to note that while there’ s work to be done, we’ ve also come a long way since the previous Liberal government - Conservatives have tripled the average annual federal funding for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure.
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How would you improve growth in Lac La Biche?
The best way to improve growth in Lac La Biche is through lower taxes. Giving back more of what you earn allows greater investment into our local economy both by individual and by business. Since 2006, our government has lowered taxes over 150 times, saving the average family nearly $3,400 per year in taxes. That’ s money that can be reinvested into our community to foster growth and secure prosperity. I’ m proud to be part of a Conservative team that has put nearly $30 billion in tax relief back into Canadian pockets.
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What is your stance on the Temporary Foreign Workers program?
The Temporary Foreign Worker program exists for a reason. There are genuine times when the local labour supply cannot always meet the needs of a local business. Our Conservative government has been concerned that Canadians are not being given first chance at available jobs, particularly in the food services sector. We announced a moratorium on the food services sector until we could bring forward changes. If elected, I’ d work with our government to ensure Canadians come first through tougher penalties for misuse of the program, better labour market information for better assessments and restricted access where Canadians are ready and able to work. I will make sure we balance this with the needs of our fast-growing communities.
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What role does the federal government have in encouraging affordable housing?
Our Conservative government understands that having a safe and affordable place to call home is important to Canadian families and their communities. Together with our partners, we have provided support to close to 880,000 families with access to affordable housing. Not only that, but we also committed a further $1.25 billion towards the renewal of the Investment in Affordable Housing. That’ s strong action, unlike the Liberals and NDP who would prefer to sit around and talk strategy.
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What role does the federal government have in health care?
Our Conservative Government is committed to ensuring that Canada has a healthy, strong and sustainable health care system. Since forming Government, we have increased funding for health care to record levels and it will reach $40 bilion by the end of the decade. This investment means that federal support for health care will continue to increase in a way that is balanced and sustainable.
While the Liberals and NDP sit back and offer no real benefits to Canadians, we are taking concrete action to improve the health of Canadians.
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