Nothing gets the blood stirring like a good debate.
And if the tone of the provincial election campaign is any indication of how down and dirty a debate can get, district residents will be in for a treat here Friday evening.
The three main candidates for the Kenora-Rainy River riding are set to go head-to-head-to-head on their election platforms—and promises—as they will take part in a debate at the Civic Centre starting at 7 p.m.
The debate will be taped and televised by Shaw on Channel 10.
The trio—incumbent MPP and provincial NDP leader Howard Hampton, Progressive Conservative candidate Cathe Hoszowski, and Liberal candidate Geoff McClain—will have the opportunity to discuss key election issues leading up to the Oct. 2 vote.
Although each party has drastically different agendas, they do share some common platform commitments. These include keeping a balanced budget and closing coal-fired generating plants, though the Tories call for it by 2015 and the opposition parties believe it can be done by 2007.
With the massive power outage last month, the fate of Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation has become a hot election item.
“It’s the central part of my campaign, personally and provincially,” Hampton said of the fight against privatization of hydro, as well as other sectors like hospitals, health clinics, and water treatment plants.
“It’s costing us more and delivering less.
“It’s an essential service, we need it every day,” he added. “It should not be put into the hands of a profit driven corporation like Enron.”
The NDP are adamant about keeping the power grid and power generation in public hands, though so are the Liberals. The difference is the Liberals are interested in promoting competition in the power generation sector.
McClain points to the records of both the Tories and the NDP in the handling of hydro. He recalls how rates have increased under both parties while at the helm of the province.
“The situation we’re in now is due to the Tories and NDP not investing in the power transmission system,” he charged.
“I look at the NDP record on hydro and can’t believe Howard Hampton is hanging on to the hydro issue,” he added, citing the cancellation of the transmission tie with Manitoba while the NDP were in power, and the subsequent penalties, as an example.
“They stated at the time, ‘We don’t need the power.’”
McClain admitted the goal to close all coal-fired plants by 2007 could be lofty.
“The target is 2007,” he said, “but we would be foolish to take them off-line before other sources are ready.”
All three parties indicate the need to move toward cleaner, greener power solutions including wind and hydro projects, but the NDP want to go a step further.
The NDP platform includes a commitment to energy efficiency. Loans would be provided to people to replace things like older refrigerators (those built prior to 1994) which are much less energy efficient than newer models.
As Hampton explained, the loans would be paid back with the energy savings over the period of several years and then the savings would go into the family’s pocket.
“It was all thrown out the door in 1995,” said Hampton, referring to what happened when the Tories under former leader Mike Harris defeated the NDP government of Bob Rae.
“Now we see as a result of the blackout that’s what we have to do.”
A commitment to ban teachers’ strikes, lockouts, and work-to-rule job action during the school year also has set the PCs apart from the other parties.
“We’re not out to ban teachers’ strikes, which is something the Tories are,” said McClain. “It’s like it’s a back-to-school election.
“People should have the right to bargain for better wages and working conditions,” he argued, adding some restrictions on when and how this takes place might be appropriate.
“To me, the real question shouldn’t be about strike, don’t strike discussions,” said Hoszowski. “You’ve got two sides who say they want the best for the kids, which I believe.
“It’s a systemic problem that’s gone on for decades,” she remarked, adding that what really is needed is a commitment to a higher level of communication between the parties.
Hoszowski differs from the provincial Tory thinking on a couple of topics, including the idea of holding a referendum every time municipalities want to spend money or increase taxes.
“I’m not sure where that came from,” she said, noting that it’s only a platform issue and can be massaged once the Tories win the election, especially if she were the victor locally.
Taxes are another election issue getting a lot of attention in the early going, especially since the three parties differ so much in that regard.
The Tories are running on a commitment of continued tax cuts, including more tax cuts for corporations as well as income tax cuts and allowing home owners to deduct mortgage interest costs from their income.
The provincial portion of property taxes for seniors also will be cut as outlined in the last provincial budget.
“I think that basically their policies around a strong economy are sound,” Hoszowski said of her party’s plan to bolster the economy with tax cuts.
The Liberal stance on taxes is that they are competitive enough and should remain unchanged; no tax cuts but no new taxes, sort of.
Both the Liberals and the NDP are calling for the cancellation of further corporate tax cuts, with the NDP vowing to reverse previously implemented corporate tax cuts.
“We’ll restore corporate tax cuts to the level they were at in 1998-1999,” said Hampton. “Corporations would have to pay their fair share. At least $1.2 billion.”
Both opposition parties also are refusing to follow through with the property tax credit for seniors and will scrap the private school tax credit, adding an additional $500 million to the provincial coffers.
One step further, the NDP also will implement a new tax for all Ontarians who make more than $100,000.
“Individuals with incomes over $100,000 would pay an additional three percent on anything over [that amount],” Hampton explained, adding he fits into that category and would pay three percent—$210—on the $7,000 he earns over the $100,000 cap.
“We’ll be able to raise $1.5 billion [that way].”
Hampton said in the NDP platform, the $2 billion saved/raised by eliminating the private school tax credit and implementing the new tax on higher income earners would go directly into and Education Excellence Fund to bolster an under-funded education system, falling in line with recommendations made last year by the province’s own appointee, Dr. Rozanski.
“We’ll follow [the Rozanski Report] to the letter,” Hampton pledged. “With that funding restored, you’ll see a lot less school closures.”
The NDP and Liberals plan on putting a commitment on post-secondary education by freezing, or in the case of the NDP decreasing by 10 percent, tuition fees.
The Liberals plan on bolstering education by $1.6 billion with some of that funding coming from the private school tax credit savings and the rest coming from savings made through government streamlining and collecting $400 million in uncollected corporate taxes.
McClain explained they should be able to come up with $6 billion so with a $5.8-billion platform, there will be a $150-200 million surplus, which they will put towards the debt.
“It’s actually been signed off on by a forensic accountant and a senior economist with the Scotia bank,” he said of his party’s financial plan. “It’s a workable plan for the province.”
Another source of cash for the Liberals will be an increase in the tobacco tax, bringing it closer to the national average and generating an additional $700 million.
“We will pass legislation that will ban smoking in public work places in three years,” McClain vowed. “It’s very strong. We’ll take the onus off the municipalities.”
Auto insurance is another area in which all the parties have a different strategy. The Tories already have set into motion a plan to legislate a 15-20 percent reduction program to adjust deductibles.
“It’s obviously a huge issue,” said Hoszowski. “The Tories have committed they will legislate the insurance companies to pass that on.”
The Liberals are calling for a freeze in rates upon winning the election and a reduction—within 90 days of taking office—of an average 10 percent. The Liberal plan calls for addition reductions through an increased choice in kinds of coverage.
“We’ll establish an auto insurance watchdog,” McClain said.
The NDP, meanwhile, have resurrected their publicly-funded plan for auto insurance. They would call for the immediate implement a public system that is expected to drop rates 30-40 percent.
Hampton said a report on auto insurance by the Consumer Association of Canada set to be released this week compared Ontario rates with those of the western provinces, and will show that provinces with public auto insurance pay the least in the country.
“The comparison indicated once again that Ontario drivers are paying far too much,” he said.
“The start-up costs to make it [a public system] happen will outweigh the benefits,” countered McClain, who added the public system eliminates choice.
“I certainly don’t think that public everything is necessarily a good thing,” added Hoszowski.
An unknown fourth candidate also is running locally for the Green Party. Dan King, a Green Party staffer and fundraiser as well as candidate, said their plan here can be summed up in one word.
“We’re into sustainability,” he said adding that by focusing on that, many problems in the north can be rectified, such as out-migration.
“I’m part of the out-migration problem,” admitted King, who originally is from Timmins but now lives and works in Toronto. “Commodity-based industries should not have priority over the tourism industry.
“Be cautious about the sustainability. Always favour the sustainable industry.”
It is doubtful King will be part of Friday’s debate here.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
