It was more a of most-candidates meeting than an all-candidates meeting, but three would-be MPs from the Burnaby North-Seymour riding traded jabs and pushed policy at a debate held at Seymour United Church, Tuesday night.
People’s Party of Canada candidate Jesse Fulton, a former tow-truck operator who had never voted before, pitched himself as the kind of blue-collar Canadian that the next government needs to think about when targeting the cost of living.
“I’m just a regular person, not a seasoned politician. Do I even have a future in politics? I don’t know. I have a regular job where I care about people. I would like to make a change for Canada, because I see where it is right now.”
The audience broke into a murmur when organizers announced that Conservative candidate Mauro Francis could not attend because of a “previous commitment.”
Liberal incumbent Terry Beech, who has won all three elections since the riding was created in 2015, said it was the “most consequential” election yet, given the sudden trade war and threats to Canada’s sovereignty from the U.S. He also took the occasion for a dig at his no-show Conservative opponent.
“In this profession, decisions are made by the people that show up. And this is an election where we need people to show up,” he said. “The United States, if it’s going to step back from being that shining light on the hill, then Canada needs to step up.”
The NDP’s Michael Charrois, a constituency assistant for North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Susie Chant and an acting teacher, predicted another minority government incoming and stressed the need for an MP who could hold the Liberals to their promises.
“They talk a great talk. They use all of our talking points, because, of course, we have great ideas. But then when it comes time to actually govern, they govern like the Tories,” he said.
North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant
Asked if there’s anything their governments would do to shield North Shore taxpayers from the $3-billion cost overruns at the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, Fulton said he would not support any kind of a bailout without significant accountability measures, including an independent public inquiry.
Beech, however, warned that a bailout would set a terrible precedent for any future project that is mismanaged elsewhere in the country.
“Any candidate that would promise a federal bailout would be completely disingenuous,” he said. “It sounds good on the surface, but we would not want to be held accountable for cost overruns on a bridge in Ontario or an electric dam in Quebec.”
Charrois said the responsibility belongs with Metro Vancouver – and if the already in-process audit doesn’t yield satisfactory results, the province would step in and provide more oversight. He also said the cost to taxpayers may come down if the regional authority is successful in its lawsuit against the fired contractor.
Canada’s national debt
Looking at finances at the macro level, candidates were asked for their plans to bring down Canada’s deficit and debt, which have grown to record levels under the Liberals.
To cut costs, Fulton said his party favours pulling out of Canada’s international commitments.
“We would need to remove ourselves from foreign agendas such as the Paris Climate Accord … the money that’s going into other corporate entities that are not benefiting Canadians at all. We want to have policy made in Ottawa, not Davos,” he said. “We would also be no longer funding foreign war. Too many people have died.”
Beech said he stands by Canada’s support of Ukraine and the country’s finances through difficult times.
“Our focus has always been to lower the debt to GDP ratio, which is what we did every single year up until the pandemic. Now, obviously everybody knows what happened during the pandemic, but 18 months afterwards, we began again reducing the debt to GDP ratio,” he said.
Charrois warned that the Liberals and Conservatives would resort to austerity budgets and said if Canada wants to get its debt under control, it should look to the other side of the ledger.
“They’re going to make $42 billion worth of cuts. And we know the first thing that gets cut are the arts,” he said. “Our government does not have a spending problem. Our government has an income problem because they let corporations and then let billionaires get away with not paying their proper share.”
Trans health care
One of the few young people who attended the meeting asked the candidates how they’ll guarantee access to health care for trans people given the “extremely terrifying state” of things in the U.S.
Fulton said the PPC’s belief is that people’s value is not defined by their identity, but he also flagged the party’s platform, which would make providing gender transition therapy for youth a criminal offence. The party is also promising to repeal the ban on conversion therapy.
“We want to protect our children so personally, and this goes with our platform that someone should be an adult when making such informed decisions,” he said. “Our focus remains on demographics of what a boy and girl is.”
Beech said it is important to support trans community members and called on others to denounce their being used as a wedge.
“What I really hate is the fact that people are using this as a divisive issue. They’re using it politically. Healthcare is healthcare, and you deserve access to healthcare, whether you’re trans, whether you’re gay, whether it doesn’t matter who you are,” he said. “And we need to be an inclusive society, and we need to respect individuals.”
Charrois said he “100 per cent” agreed with Beech.
“We believe that people are people,” he said. “Transgender folks are not the boogeyman.”
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