We have compiled a list of 16 questions for our 2018 Provincial candidates from our editorial staff as well as you, our readers. Here’s how they responded.
Links to the other candidates’ responses can be found at the bottom.
Lisa Thompson, PC candidate, Huron-Bruce
Question: What do you think is the most important issue facing Huron-Bruce residents today and how will it be addressed?
Answer: The current Liberal government has left small town and rural Ontario to fend for themselves via downloading and the erosion of funding to support priorities such infrastructure. Policies are being developed in Toronto, with next to zero consultation or thought to the impacts on rural Ontario.
Q: How will you protect the interest of the Huron-Bruce constituents and rural Ontarians?
A: First of all I promise to ensure that a rural/small town lens is applied to every policy to ensure ramifications are identified and based on those results are discussed with the proper stakeholders. The era of the Liberal Government knowing what is best for all must come to an end.
Small town and Rural municipalities must be at the table for proper dialogue and identification of priorities and policies. Currently, that is not the case.
Q: What is your role in ensuring your party will deliver on its promises to Ontarians.
A: My role is to ensure that I maintain a respected and credible voice at the table. I have worked very hard to achieve this and as a result, rural perspectives are never overlooked, nor ignored by the Ontario PC Party.
Q: How will you invest in public health care to ensure that Ontarians receive a high quality of service now and into the future?
A: The Ontario PCs will end hallway health care by investing in 15,000 new long-term care beds in five years, and 30,000 new beds over the next 10 years. We are going to listen to health care professionals, including the nurses and doctors who are on the frontlines. - Invest $3.8Billion in mental health, including matching federal funds which will be geared to improving frontline access and services, close to home.
Q: How will you invest in education to ensure that Ontarians receive quality education now and into the future?
A: We must restore and invest proper consultation with communities and parents once again.
The Liberal government passed legislation removing community engagement and impact from the accommodation review process. This is wrong and needs to be corrected.
Educating our children is the most important job in the world. We need to ensure our schools are safe, inviting, and inspiring facilities in which our children can excel.
We acknowledge the EQAO, standardized testing has gone of the rails and together with teachers and administration, we will fix the manner in which we apply metrics to ensure our students are succeeding.
We will ensure we get back to basics in terms of foundational studies, for example mathematics.
The PC party recognizes that schools are a foundation block for our communities and as such we will place a moratorium on school closures.
Q: How will you protect the interest of farmers and agriculture in Huron-Bruce?
A: The Ontario PC Party has listened to our primary producers and we will increase support for the Business Risk Management Program to $150 million. Our party recognizes the integral role the agri-food industry plays in the provinces GDP but unfortunately the current government has put zero effort into addressing the growing gap where increasing basis there are more jobs that people. I have been working on this issue for years and will not stop until young people have the proper supports in place so they are aware of the amazing careers in the Agri-food sector.
Q: What can be done to help families with special needs children?
A: Again, the best step forward is to ensure a good working relationship is maintained with the key organizations, such as Community Living. Sadly relationships and proper funding has eroded over the last 15 years and we need to do better.
The first step would be to work with the experts and determine an equitable, responsible path forward.
Q: Are there plans to increase the availability of skill labourers in Huron-Bruce, eg: bringing in post-secondary education?
A: I have always said the demise of high school 'shop classes' will be regretted. And we need to properly embrace skill trades for the amazing careers they are. We need to ensure that students are aware of and prepared for the jobs of today.
I look forward to the development of the Centre of Excellence associated with the nuclear industry in Southampton, as an example of an initiative that will do that exact thing.
Q: What will be done to address the family doctor shortage in Huron-Bruce?
A: The cutting of 50 residency spots by the Liberal government was wrong. We need to address and fix that mistake.
We also need to ensure medical students are being trained and prepared for the medical positions needed, in an equitable manner.
We will work with the community players involved in recruiting doctors to assess what is working and what is not. I would suggest that the funding formula needs to be revisited as well.
Q: How will you address climate change and ensure that the water and environment will be protected for future generations?
A: Ontario' total contribution to global emissions is less than 1/2 a percentage point. First we need to celebrate what we are doing well and share the innovations and stewardship practices at a global level.
Regarding water, we have some of the best stewardship programs in the world when it comes to nutrient management and environmental plans. We need to be always be ever vigilant in ensuring best practices are employed and evolve based on new technologies.
We must always continue to lead by example and support and encourage continual innovations geared to protecting our climate and waters. The Ontario PC Party is committed to an adaption fund to inspire and realize continual best practices and innovations.
But I must be very clear - I will never support initiatives that use the environment as a tax grab for cash strapped governments. The Liberal cap and trade scheme must be dismantled.
Q: What is your stand on nuclear energy and nuclear waste management?
A: I support nuclear energy 100%. It is a clean, reliable, low-cost source of base load energy our province can not do without.
That said, we must be responsible for the waste generated through the production of nuclear energy. Nuclear generators already contribute on an annual basis contributions to invest in the proper storage of nuclear waste.
In storing waste, we must recognize the significant investment and look around the world for best practices and review what other countries are doing, given the storage of nuclear waste is a federal responsibility.
We must take sure steps and take the time to employ fact-based, scientific evidence when deciding on the best method of storing nuclear waste.
Q: What is your stand on carbon tax?
A: It is nothing more than a tax grab for a cash strapped Government.
Q: What are the plans to address hydro rates for Ontarians?
A: The Ontario PC Party will further reduce Hydro bills by 12% through the following steps:
- return the dividends generated by the shares still owned by the Ontario government back to the ratepayers
- take cost of conservation programs currently buried on the Hydro bills off of the shoulders of the ratepayers and put it where it belongs, on the tax base
- we will stop signing energy contracts we don't need, we will revisit all other contracts to identify off ramps and ways to walk back the expensive contacts the Liberals committed to.
Q: Are there plans to increase old age security for seniors?
A: No - but we will leave more money in their pockets by lowering their Hydro bills, reducing the cost of gasoline by 10 cents a litre, and lowering income tax.
Q: Are there plans to address mental health and drug issues in Huron-Bruce?
A: Absolutely - this is an area that the Liberal government has absolutely failed in. I must note as well that during the Bob Rae days, psychiatric care was cut by 53%.
We know much needs to be done to support more access and services, close to home. The Ontario PC Party is committed to seeing $1.9 billion invested in mental health which will be matched by the federal government for a total of $3.8 billion.
We will work closely with our local, frontline agencies and organizations to address what is working and where improvements must be realized in a timely fashion.
Q: Is there anything else you wish to share with our readers about yours or your party’s platform?
A: The Ontario PC Party is focused on being a government that works for the people, not party insiders or friends. It is only by refocusing on the deficit and paying down the debt can we begin to ensure we create a Better Ontario for our children and grandchildren.
See Saugeen Shores Hub for other Huron-Bruce candidates (in alphabetical order):
Jan Johnstone - NDP
Don Matheson - Liberal
Nicholas Wendler - Green
At the time of publishing, we hadn’t received a response from Alliance Ontario’s Gerry Huenemoerder and Libertarian Ron Stephens. If we get a response from either of these candidates, we will publish and update accordingly.