Meet the candidates: Northumberland–Peterborough South

By Max Reid

BELLEVILLE – In Northumberland-Peterborough South riding, Liberal incumbent Lou Rinaldi is defending his seat against candidates from five other parties.

Voters will have their choice of candidates from the big three parties – Liberal, Conservative and New Democratic – as well as from the Green, Libertarian and Trillium parties. 

QNet News contacted the candidates to have them answer a few questions.

Liberal candidate:

Lou Rinaldi, 70, businessman, Brighton.

Describe your two highest priorities for change in this riding. “Job creation and senior issues. These are my two top priorities. Economic development is the key engine that drives our local economies. As our population continues to age we need to make sure that we have the programming in place. We need to support this growing segment of our communities.” 

How do you envision primarily communicating with constituents? “Through the various media outlets, both mainstream and social. Also we do direct mail pieces, etc.”

What do you cherish most about this community? “How close-knit we are as communities. I am also moved by how much support there is when an individual or a community are in any kinds of trouble how people will give so much of themselves to help each other even when they are strangers to each other.

And just for fun, what is your favourite pizza topping? “Italian sausage.”

Conservative candidate:

David Piccini, 29, advisor to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Port Hope.

Describe your two highest priorities for change for this riding. “My two top priorities are lowering hydro prices for families, seniors, businesses and our farmers and investing in health care. Our party will reduce hydro bills by 12 per cent, saving families $173 on average per year. We will do this by returning all Hydro One dividends to hydro customers; ending the practice of burying the cost of conservation programs on hydro bills; and immediately placing a moratorium on any new energy contracts while walking back and renegotiating existing contracts where possible. In addition, I look forward to making strategic investments in our health-care system that has suffered years of neglect. Our party has committed to put in 15,000 long-term care beds over the next five years, and 30,000 in the next decade. This will open up emergency room beds, lower costs, and shorten wait times.”

How do you envision primarily communicating with constituents? “I will be available to my constituents however they want to contact me. I make a point of sharing my personal cellphone with everyone I meet and on my literature. I have also been out at events in our communities door knocking for the past year and a half and actively engaging through all forms of social media.”

What do you cherish most about this community? “We live in one of the most generous communities in the province. I love how our community comes together to support each other, whether it’s our hospitals, charities or coming together to support those affected by the recent flooding.”

And just for fun, what is your favourite pizza topping? “Italian sausage, yes, go figure!”

NDP candidate:

Jana Papuckoski, 33, union advocate, Port Hope.

Describe your two highest priorities for change for this riding. “Reducing hydro rates and getting more jobs in our community would be the two highest priorities for me. Reducing hydro rates would help families, as many use electricity to heat their home, especially if they live in the rural areas with no access to natural gas, and do not use propane or oil. Small businesses are impacted by the increases to hydro and the unpredictability of rates as they have steadily increased in the last decade. The NDP will get rid of unfair rural hydro delivery rates that often are more expensive than the amount of electricity used. Getting jobs in our community means a few things need to happen: getting or improving public transit, with funding split 50/50 with the province; expanding broadband internet so areas presently not connected or (where internet is) extremely expensive can be addressed; and supporting small businesses by keeping the recent small-business tax rate cut, and health-tax exemptions for small business. Offering universal pharmacare and dental care will also make Ontario a more competitive place for businesses. Many workplaces do not offer these kinds of benefits, or do so to simply attract and retain workers. These programs will save some businesses money in the private coverage they were offering, while others will be able to utilize these programs to retain workers who otherwise leave for better opportunities.” 

How do you envision primarily communicating with constituents? “In a riding as large as ours here in Northumberland–Peterborough South, I believe communicating will have to be done by phone/email to make arrangements for face to face meetings. It wouldn’t be practical or a good use of my time to sit in an office. We would probably have a few constituency offices to meet the needs of this vast community, and I would be meeting with people and groups in our community in addition to attending to duties at Queen’s Park, such as debate, introducing bills, voting on legislation.”

What do you cherish most about this community? “I cherish the small business restaurants and cafés I frequent, and visiting unique landmarks like the Canadian Firefighters Museum (before it closed), the Hope Agricultural Heritage Club and our community’s many farmers’ markets and the Float Your Fanny (Down the Ganny river) race. We have a lot of creative people in our community that make this place so vibrant.”

And just for fun, what is your favourite pizza topping? “Sweet potato.”

Green candidate:

 Jeff Wheeldon, 33, real-estate agent, Brighton.

Describe your two highest priorities for change for this riding. “My highest priority for change in Northumberland–Peterborough South is to ensure that every single person who lives here has access to a primary-care physician, family health team, or nurse-practitioner. The fact that we have difficulty hiring doctors in this region, and that we have a months-long wait list to get a doctor, is a huge problem only compounded by the high average age in our region. Our seniors need more care, and have insufficient access to it, which leaves more people driving long distances to get the care they need or else visiting hospitals and clinics for care their family doctor could provide at lower cost. The social and economic costs of this broken system are too high. A more sustainable medical system starts with primary and preventative care, and includes mental-health care, pharmacare and denticare. My second priority for change in our riding is to improve access to rental housing, including both market-rate housing and affordable housing. Right now the housing market is steadily increasing due to rising home values in the (Greater Toronto Area) but the market is almost entirely focused on single-family homes, with very few rental units, much less affordable rental units. The Green party has a plan to stimulate growth in affordable units by mandating that 20 per cent of all new units built be designated as affordable units, and I would add that rental increases be capped at or slightly above inflation rates rather than the current rate below inflation in order to make building rental units a better investment. We would also streamline the ability of homeowners to create legal secondary suites, and open up zoning to allow for and incentivize middle-density and mixed-use models, co-operative housing and tiny houses. Community depends on being able to live, and a livable community is diverse, accessible and well-serviced – all benefits of increased density housing models.”

How do you envision primarily communicating with constituents? “Communicating with constituents is a top priority for me: I see it as fundamental to the role of MPP. While other parties use ‘party discipline’ to force MPPs to vote the way the party leader requires, the Green party encourages its candidates to sign the Green Party Candidates’/MPP’s Pledge to always put constituents first. I have begun by being personally accessible during the campaign by putting out my personal cell number (613-902-0680), email address (jeff.wheeldon@gpo.ca), and social media (find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), and I’ve been meeting with mayors and local service groups to get a greater sense of what issues are most pressing. If elected, I will ensure that I have constituency offices in several locations in the riding. including the northern part of the riding (which deserves just as much representation as the bigger towns in the south!), and will hold regular town-hall-style meetings to engage with constituents. I will write a regular blog to keep constituents informed of what’s happening at Queen’s Park, and will ensure that there are regular meetings between the different levels of government (municipal, county/regional, federal and First Nations) to co-ordinate on issues and services. I would also set up structures within government services for regular consultation to ensure that, for example, doctors have a voice in health-care decisions and teachers have a voice in education decisions. All of this will spread me pretty thin, but I see this as the fundamental part of the job, and these conversations will be the basis on which I cast informed votes in the legislature.”

What do you cherish most about this community? “My most cherished aspect of the communities of Northumberland–Peterborough South, and especially of Brighton, where I live, is the rich culture. Despite being more or less a string of small towns along (Lake Ontario), we have a powerful and engaging arts community, scores of agribusinesses that form our delicious local food culture, and community events that draw a mixture of the most interesting and friendly people! Every time I visit another town in the region I find a new favourite spot, or food or drink, or interesting business, that I have to tell others about. I feel incredibly blessed to live here and I’m so glad that culture and small businesses thrive together. Our riding is a model of sustainable development in so many ways.”

And just for fun, what is your favourite pizza topping? “My favourite pizza topping – oooh, this might be the toughest question yet! I think sun-dried tomatoes. They add a rich tang that always stands out and balances the creaminess of the cheese. (I like a lot of cheese on my pizza!)”

Libertarian candidate:

John O’Keefe, 32, chartered professional accountant, Port Hope,

Describe your two highest priorities for change for this riding. “The two highest-priority items in this riding for our party would be the following:

• Focus on reducing hydro rates for individuals and businesses – http://www.libertarian.on.ca/2018/hydro
• Fixing the healthcare system in an effort to end health-care rationing – http://www.libertarian.on.ca/2018/healthcare”

How do you envision primarily communicating with constituents? “I plan on talking to all people in any manner that I can. Given there is one of me and many other people, it is difficult to reach everyone. If repeated questions or concerns are asked then I would most likely have a website addressing the largest concerns. Aside from that I hold an office in Port Hope and would be happy to make an appointment.”

What do you cherish most about this community? “(What) I cherish most about this community is the small-town feel. I grew up in Port Hope, went to high school in Cobourg and used to live in the Grafton area. If you’re not from here it’s hard to explain, but if you move here you experience it and it is hard to give up. It’s always felt like an extended family.”

And just for fun, what is your favourite pizza topping? “Pineapple, of course.”

Trillium candidate:

Derek Sharp, 42, stay-at-home parent, Colborne.

Describe your two highest priorities for change for this riding. “I think the two biggest priorities for change are accountability and transparency through not holding whipped votes. As far as specific policy planks, I think my biggest (priorities) are our initiatives to protect small businesses and farmers, and create jobs through the elimination of carbon tax and reduction of hydro rates. Our sitting MPP, Jack MacLaren, was the first MPP since Mike Harris eliminated the at-cost public utility model for hydro to get a private member’s bill relating to hydro rate reduction (the Affordable Electricity Act) voted to a third reading, a bill which was killed when Premier (Kathleen) Wynne prorogued the legislature.”

How do you envision primarily communicating with constituents? “I have a very comprehensive plan outlining a commitment to the constituents that I will always represent them and never use their voice and their vote the way the party tells me. I will bring Northumberland–Peterborough South to Toronto, not Toronto to Northumberland-Peterborough South. The Constituent Engagement Plan is here.

What do you cherish most about this community? “What I love most about Northumberland–Peterborough South is the people. My wife, Cheri, and I lived in Ajax until 2015, and with so much of Toronto people with Toronto attitudes moving to Ajax in recent years, I was really starting to get discouraged about people in general. We moved to Colborne and have not looked back, and never will. We love Colborne, Northumberland, and the people that make it such a terrific place to live and raise our family.”

And just for fun, what is your favourite pizza topping? “I try to stay away from pizza as much as possible, since I’m trying to eat completely gluten- and dairy-free. However, when I stray from the diet, it’s meat lover’s for me!”