Absent Jenkins a target at seniors’ debate

WELLINGTON – NDP candidate Terry Cassidy (left), Liberal Neil Ellis (centre) and independent Trueman Tuck at the debate table. Mary Robertson (at the podium) moderated the discussion. Seats were left for the absent Conservative Jodie Jenkins and Green candidate Rachel Nelems. Photo by Joseph Quigley

By Joseph Quigley

WELLINGTON – Despite his absence at the Bay of Quinte candidates debate in Wellington on Thursday, Conservative Jodie Jenkins left a sharp impression on the people there.

Jenkins was frequently a target for criticism at the debate organized by the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, a non-partisan group that advocates for seniors. It is the third debate organized by CARP in the region, with previous debates held in the Hastings-Lennox and Addington and Northumberland-Peterborough South ridings.

Mary Robertson, chair of the Greater Bay of Quinte Area chapter of the association, told the audience that not one Conservative candidate in the three ridings has attended these debates.

Three Bay of Quinte candidates attended the discussion on Thursday: Liberal Neil Ellis, New Democrat Terry Cassidy and independent Trueman Tuck. The Green party candidate for the riding, Rachel Nelems, was also absent.

Cassidy criticized the absent candidates in his opening remarks.

“It is all about showing up, and you (the audience) have shown up. It’s unfortunate that not everybody believes that that’s part of the process of getting elected,” said Cassidy.

Later in the debate, after several audience members said they were unhappy about Jenkins being absent, Ellis made a plea to them:

“What I ask you to do – you’re on Facebook; you’re on social media. You need to take a picture of this table and you need to send it to your families and your friends. You need to tell them that Mr. Jenkins did not have the courtesy to come and speak to this. Last night (when another debate was held in the riding), do you know where he was? He was knocking on doors in Quinte West, and that’s a fact. He decided to go knocking on doors because he wouldn’t face you and he wouldn’t face the issues.”

Immediately after the debate, Jenkins’s official Twitter account said that he was visiting houses in Quinte West on Thursday afternoon:

More doors = more signs! Beauty day discussing issues with residents of @quintewest on their doorsteps! #cpc pic.twitter.com/cDQ0DXp2fm

— Jodie Jenkins (@jodie_a_jenkins) October 1, 2015

Other topics in the debate included health care, the right to die, the reduction of the minimum age to receive Old Age Security payments, missing and murdered aboriginal women, and low-income housing.

Tuck consistently said that the federal government is broken and holds too much power.

“You have to decide in a government, who runs the government. There’s only two models. Either the government owns all of us, owns all of our resources and does what it wants, or you have a carefully structured society where we the citizens run the government. Ask people whether they’re afraid of the government. Any population that’s afraid of the government has tyranny by definition. Go and ask the government if they’re afraid of the people. If they are afraid of the people, we have a citizen-ruled country,” said Tuck.

One question from the audience that garnered much applause was whether people should vote Liberal or NDP if they want to defeat the Conservatives.

Cassidy said it’s a question he gets a lot, but it’s important to distinguish between the two parties.

“As much as Neil (Ellis) and I get along, we’re not the same. Our parties are not the same. It’s going to get better than the blue Conservative government you have today – in either case it’s going to be better. But you have to make that hard judgment. There’s no such thing as ‘anything but the Conservatives as a good choice,’ because that demeans both Mr. Ellis and myself – because (that means) it doesn’t matter who we are; it doesn’t matter what parties we represent. It’s a tough decision, but you’re going to have to cope with that. It’s about deciding what is the best chance of real change happening.”

Ellis agreed that defeating the Conservatives is important, but said that the Liberals have the best platform for progress.

“Terry (Cassidy) and I had a talk the other night that as long as Jodie (Jenkins) finished third, we’ll both be happy. (But) when  you look at our party platform, we are providing a lot of front-end-loaded funding to get the economy going. Who’s the most progressive party? Read the news. Our platform is what you ask for,” he said.

Each candidate also answered a question on what would make him and his party best represent the riding.

“As an elected member, I’m going to do things a little differently,” said Cassidy. “I’m going to see that there (are) offices in every centre of the riding. I’m going to make sure it’s not just a building there but there’s actually going to be real people working for your concerns, and I’m going to be there as often as I can be. I want to create what I call a community development approach to how you operate a riding. That means that I want to have groups, such as your group, be around at a round table to give input. I want to be there to hear you and many other people’s comments.”

Ellis again stressed the strength of the Liberal platform in his response to the question.

“It’s about policy,” he said. “When you look at the No. 1 issue in this area, it’s infrastructure. It’s a billion dollars worth of repairs that this riding needs to be fixed. And we’ve announced the biggest infrastructure plan in Canada’s history. That’s going to almost double the amount of infrastructure that’s being given out. Municipalities would be able to plan.”

Tuck said he does not think federal candidates who belong to large parties can represent communities well, because they are forced to vote within party lines.

“The No. 1 issue I see in this riding is that no level of government at the provincial or federal (level) is listening to the community majority wishes,” he said. “I’m going to be answerable to you. I believe that is the only way this riding will get its No. 1 issue championed with creative solutions.”

After the debate, Robertson, of the host organization, said she thought all the candidates answered well. She was disappointed, however, that not all the parties were represented, she said.

“It’s important for people to come out to these debates. And it’s not only important for members (of the seniors’ organization) to come out; it’s important for politicians to come out. Because the more information you can gather, the more informed a voter you can be,” she said.

Conservative candidates are hurting their chances in the election by missing these debates, Robertson said.

“I’m actually shocked (that they have missed the CARP debates), because seniors vote. This area has a high proportion of senior residents. I think they’re doing harm to themselves by not being open to their constituents and coming out and answering their questions.”