By Brett Bullen
WELLINGTON – Candidates in the provincial Bay of Quinte riding took to the stage Tuesday night at the Essroc Arena here, answering questions on education, health care, hydro, poverty and transit.
While all seven candidates had been invited, only Progressive Conservative Todd Smith, Liberal Robert Quaiff and New Democrat Joanne Belanger were there to speak to the dozens of community members who attended. Tracy Barker of the Green party, Libertarian Cindy Davidson, James Engelman of the Trillium party and Paul Bordonaro, who is running as an independent, were not at the debate.
The event began with four questions from the debate’s sponsors, which included educational groups and the Canadian Union of Public Employees. These questions largely focused on the education sector, such as school funding and school closures.
“When you close a school, you rip the heart out of the community,” Smith said on the recent issue of rural schools being closed and students being relocated.
Quaiff, who dealt with the issue of school closures as mayor of Prince Edward County, said: “The bottom line here was to have quality schools in the system,” adding: “I’m not quite sure any party could have done it any other way.”
The sponsors also brought up the subject of prescription-drug and dental care for Ontarians. Belanger called the Liberals’ current pharmacare plan, which serves those under age 25 and over 65, a “patchwork system.” The NDP would expand the plan to all Ontario residents, she said.
Smith called the Liberals’ pharmacare system a burden on the taxpayer.
“It’s actually helping the insurance companies the most, as they no longer have to pay for these medications – it’s all of Ontario that pays for them,” he said, adding that many people under 25 are already covered by their parents’ insurance plans.
When audience members were able to question the candidates, Smith quickly came under fire for his party’s choice of Doug Ford as leader.
“I have voted for you in the last two elections,” Scott Johnston told Smith. “But I’m having difficulty, this election, with the fact that the PCs have elected a leader that has been called a buffoon, and has been called Ontario’s Donald Trump.” The audience responded with applause.
Smith defended Ford briefly and said the leader has qualified people working around him, but added that he himself is running on his own merits and wants to be judged for his actions, and not those of Ford.
Like Smith, Quaiff rarely mentioned his party’s leader, Kathleen Wynne, unless asked directly by the crowd. In contrast, Belanger made a point of answering many questions using the words “Andrea’s plan,” referring to NDP leader Andrew Horwath.
Asked after the debate if this was a strategy of the NDP, Belanger said, “I guess in one sense it would be called a strategy. For me, having met Andrea, I think she’s just a rock-solid leader.”
Hydro costs and the Green Energy Act were the most heated topics of debate. Many who took to the microphone expressed unhappiness with the Liberals’ sale of Hydro One and the rising cost of hydro.
When the Green Energy Act was referenced, Smith – who has been serving as his party’s energy critic – was quick to charge that Quaiff’s views on the act are in opposition to his party’s. “People on the south shore of Prince Edward County feel betrayed by someone who was elected to fight for them (as mayor) and has now joined the evil empire,” he said.
But Quaiff said he wants to make sure voters both past and present know that his goals for the Green Energy Act have not changed: “I am a driven individual who tries to find solutions to problems. I will be lobbying my heart out to make changes to the Green Energy Act.”
He compared the Conservatives’ method of trying to create change to “yelling, kicking and screaming in the sandbox.”
Picton resident Robert Sweet had a question for all three candidates – “If you’re knocking on my door, what’s the one burning question that you would take to Queen’s Park?” – that brought out an interested buzz from the audience. In response, the candidates put down their pens and papers and started speaking about specific local issues rather than coming back with prepared responses about Ontario-wide issues.
Quaiff talked about the issue of food insecurity, saying he wants to make sure that no Bay of Quinte residents have to worry about having access to good, healthy meals. Smith expanded on that idea, but focused on what he called “heating and eating” – making changes so that that everyone can afford the essentials. Belanger addressed poverty and said there is a need to create good new jobs for young people to keep them in the Bay of Quinte area.
The second of four debates in the Bay of Quinte riding will take place Thursday in Trenton at Trenton High School, starting at 7 p.m.
The provincial election takes places Thursday, June 7.
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