In just over two weeks voters in Ontario will go to the polls to elect a government to govern Ontario for the next four years. We often look at what the current government has accomplished in their mandate and make a decision to either reward them with a second mandate or removed them from office replacing them with one or the other opposition parties.
It may be hard to clearly make such a decision in this election. The Covid pandemic changed all the rules of governing forcing the government to make policies on the fly to protect Ontarians. Some decisions worked while others failed. Some created anger while others created fear. Research presented to cabinet often was updated within 24 hours and guidelines changed within those one-day period.
Debate will carry on for decades on whether the government was too slow to react to the crisis or too fast to reduce restrictions. We may be through the worst of the pandemic that is now considered an endemic because vaccines and new treatments have reduced the severity of the virus and fewer people now die.
In this election there are eight candidates running in our riding. Incumbent Greg Rickford; Conservative is being challenged by Anthony Leek; Liberal, JoAnne Formanek Gustafson; NDP, Catherine Kiewning; Green Party, Kelvin Boucher-Chicago; New Blue Party, Larry Breiland; Ontario Party, Richard Jonasson; Consensus, and Mi’azhikwan; Independent. The Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, Ontario Party, New Blue Party, and Green Party have all published their platforms.
Healthcare, the economy, the environment, education and housing form the basic platforms of all the main parties. Creating more mental health places, adding thousands of doctors, nurses, personal support workers and other health professionals is a goal that all are trying to meet in the next ten years. Hospitals will be built or renovated, long term care facilities will grow and dentalcare and pharmacare will be offered. It is an ambitious undertaking.
When it comes to the environment, the PC’s talk of their investment in electrical vehicle and battery manufacturing and their plan to expand recharging stations across the province to reduce green house gases. The NDP promises to reduce greenhouse gases by 50 per cent and bring the emissions below the 2005 levels. The Liberal party too wished to cut green house gases by the same amount as the NDP but by 2050 reduce the green house gases to net zero. Part of both parties plans include planting between 800,000 and 1 million trees in the next 7.5 years. All parties look to creating more park space and green space across the province with the Green Party looking to add eight new provincial parks in Ontario.
One of the biggest concerns across Ontario is affordable housing. The PC’s are looking to eliminate the red tape faced by developers in building new subdivisions. A provincial study indicated that Ontario needed 1.5 million new homes in the next 10 years. The NDP are advancing the province building 250,000 rental and non-marketable units in the next ten years in addition to renovating 260,000 units and creating another 100,000 social housing units. The liberals support the housing task force target of building 1.5 million homes in the province.
All of the parties have proposed ambitious programs. The PC’s laid out many of their plans in the budget that was delivered prior to the writ being dropped. All the parties have slightly different roadmaps, but all promise more and better opportunities for Ontarians. Take the time to read every party’s platform. Take the time to examine every candidate and their abilities and determine who would best represent the district and bring the most benefits to the people of the Kenora-Rainy River provincial riding.
Former Publisher
Fort Frances Times
