Pubdate: Wed, 30 Sep 2015
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Barry Gerding
Page: A5

ALL-CANDIDATES FORUM HIT ON VARIETY OF ISSUES

There were no clear winners or losers. No verbal body blows or gotcha moments.

The three candidates seeking to win the Kelowna-Lake Country riding 
for their parties in the Oct. 19 federal election had a chance to 
talk about party platforms and interject some of their own personal 
views on a variety of issues at the all-candidates forum put on by 
the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce at the Manteo Resort on Friday morning.

Ron Cannan, the Conservative incumbent MP, wore a Kelowna Rockets 
jersey to signify tonight's home opener for the WHL team in its 25th 
anniversary year to bring a little levity to the occasion. He was 
joined on the stage by Liberal candidate Stephen Fuhr and the NDP's 
Norah Bowman, along with forum moderators 1150 morning show hosts 
Phil Johnston and Gord Vizzutti, as the forum was broadcast live from 
8 to 9:30 a.m.

Questions were asked of the candidates and each was given two minutes 
to respond. Below is a sampling of some of the questions and the 
candidates' responses:

How to help more Canadians afford to buy a home?

Cannan: Conservatives expanded RRSP withdrawal for first-time buyers 
from $25,000 to $35,000 and increased child tax credit to $5,000. 
Also cited analysis will be done to better understand the speculative 
impact of foreign buyers on local housing markets/

Fuhr: Liberals want to generally put more money into the pockets of 
the $44,000 to $89,000 income group and increase child tax credit to 
help towards buying a house.

Bowman: Related affordable housing shortfall to need to create 
skilled jobs in manufacturing sector while cutting business taxes. 
"Canadians should be able to buy and keep a house regardless of 
what's happening in the international economy," she said.

How to address shortage of doctors?

Bowman: Five million Canadians can't find a family doctor, which 
places burden on the economy as more people are left to go to a 
hospital emergency ward for care or treatment. She said NDP committed 
to spend $300 million to set up 200 community care clinics across 
Canada, which can also be staffed by nurse practitioners in more 
rural regions. "That is a cheaper way to offer health care than 
dealing with people in emergency wards," she said.

Cannan: Noted that his wife and daughter work in medical offices, so 
he has first-hand knowledge of concerns about access to doctors. Also 
cited that province is directly responsible for health care bolstered 
by federal revenue transfer payments. "Health care is not a single 
government issue," he said. Suggested looking to new immigrant 
doctors as potential source for help.

Fuhr: He said Liberal Party has not yet released official policy 
platform stance on this issue, but it will be forthcoming. Suggested 
government might want to refocus more attention to training doctors 
to work in Canada rather than to provide their services abroad.

How to reduce the cost of pharmaceutical prescriptions?

Cannan: Acknowledged that prescription prices are reaching historic 
highs-"We can spend our way to insanity" - but answer may be in using 
the combined purchasing power of the provinces to help lower drug buying costs.

Fuhr: Said Liberals had $42 billion Pharmacare policy on the table 
for adoption to address rise drug costs that was shot down by the 
Conservatives after Prime Minister Stephen Harper took office.

Bowman: Bulk drug buying option should be enacted immediately. "We 
had 10 years to do this and hasn't been done yet. We don't need to 
study it any further. We will do it and we will do it right away," she said.

Voter turnout discouraged by limitations placed on Elections Canada 
to get people out to vote?

Cannan: Elections Canada very aggressive on social media to put out 
information about voting to the public. "I support all ways to get 
people out and vote and be educated about who they vote for," he said.

Fuhr: Current policies of Elections Canada leave the poor, homeless, 
students and marginalized having a more difficult time voting. "Those 
voters are not part of the Conservative base, so not a concern to our 
government," he said.

Bowman: Cited no apparent need to impose limitations on what 
Elections Canada can do to promote people voting, saying there is 
little or no history of election fraud having occurred in Canada. 
"This is just a distraction technique as the real concern should be 
things like Robocall and fraudulent acts by political parties," she 
said. She said making the rules to vote more complicated to 
Conservatives is all about keeping people who likely won't vote for 
their party away from the polls.

What will you do specifically for Kelowna-Lake Country riding?

Bowman: NDP would reinstate $30 million in funding for Destination 
Canada, which had been canceled by Conservatives, as that 
organization's role is to promote U.S. tourists to come here. 
"Tourism represents long-term business growth for our region," she 
said. Also work to protect local agriculture interests in 
international free trade deals, impact of one million childcare 
spaces subsidized across Canada at monthly cost of $15/per child. 
"For every $1 invested in child care, we get $2 in economic growth," she said.

Cannan: Cited his government's long-term relationship with Kelowna 
airport as local economic driver, as are efforts to promote 
technology growth, environment preservation projects particularly 
regarding water quality, agriculture growth and the CN Rail Corridor 
project. "Some people have the vision to see that extended now all 
the way to Sicamous. What an iconic tourism legacy that would be," he said.

Fuhr: Liberal emphasis would be on water quality enhancement, 
providing low income housing and stimulating greater expansion of 
innovation and technology sectors to create more skilled jobs.

Support muzzling of scientists?

Cannan: Defended criticism of Harper government to muzzle scientists 
from speaking out, saying ministers should be official voice of their 
ministries, and that not all scientists agree on every issue. "For 
me, I have a good relationship with local research groups and work we 
have done in support of the water board initiatives," he said.

Fuhr: Scientific research community has been muzzled by 
Conservatives, which he says has extended to Statistics Canada 
research. "Ending the long form Census has also left future spending 
decisions being made without the appropriate data in place," he said.

Bowman: Any researchers with a Phd are hesitant now to take on 
federal government initiated research projects, for fear of political 
interference or how the results are handled. "With Liquified Natural 
Gas, for example, who would want to take on doing a research paper on 
that," she said. She said scientists need to be recognized for their 
knowledge, not have their findings muzzled, and those ideas need to 
be shared with others and debated. "Decisions are being made on false 
or questionable data," she said if scientific research is not freely 
released for public input.

Marijuana decriminalization

Fuhr: Decriminalizing marijuana will unplug the crowded court system, 
offer a potential tax benefit. Should be dealt with as a civil, not a 
criminal offence.

Bowman: Decriminalizing possession for small amount will allow people 
traveling internationally won't be stuck with a criminal record, 
limiting access to other countries. Legalization would be a more 
significant step that she feels requires in put from police, schools, 
social workers and health care workers. "I would like to see more 
consultation before adopting legalization," she said.

Cannan: Admits status quo for marijuana possession is not working, 
but personally conflicted by damage drug abuse has done to some of 
his own family members and the message it sends to youth. Cited study 
done in Amsterdam, Holland, where legalization has shown marijuana 
use 300 to 400 per cent higher among young people. "I think more 
sound research needs to be done before we can move forward on this," he said.

Use of omnibus legislative bills?

Fuhr: Budget only legislation that requires omnibus process. Each 
piece of legislation should be adopted or defeated on its own merits. 
"It's kind of the slide one past the goalie idea," he said of 
reliance on omnibus process.

Bowman: NDP against omnibus process, saying both Liberals and 
Conservatives have used that formula in the past. "We need to see 
legislative bills debated in Parliament, and (MPs) having to debate 
them and show up for votes," she said.

Cannan: Said idea of putting more than one piece of legislation under 
a single bill has been commonly done by governments in the past. In 
response to the idea Conservatives are trying to sneak unpopular 
bills under the umbrella of other legislation that is desired, he 
said: "I can assure you that nothing happens quickly in 
Ottawa...there is ample debate by all parties and at committee levels 
before any legislation is ever passed in Parliament."

Greenhouse gas emissions

Bowman: Conservatives have ignored this issue for the past decade, 
saying the NDP would look to implement a cap and trade system to meet 
government target of 30 per cent decrease in CO2 greenhouse emissions 
by 2030. (Cap and trade is regulatory system that is meant to reduce 
certain kinds of emissions and pollution and to provide companies 
with a profit incentive to reduce their pollution levels faster than 
their peers.)

Cannan: Conservatives committed to maintaining a balance between 
economic growth and greenhouse gas reduction. Finding a "clean and 
green" energy strategy will come from investment in technology 
sector. "This is a global problem. First, I think we need to have a 
continental approach to dealing with greenhouse gases and then take 
that abroad as a next step," he said. Not in favour of imposing a 
federal carbon tax upon the provincial carbon tax in B.C. already in place.

Fuhr: Under Conservatives, climate change has gone from top third to 
bottom third of government priorities, and that needs to change. He 
said Liberals would also invite premiers to attend upcoming climate 
change conference in Paris, because provinces and federal government 
will need to collaborate on this issue.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom