Budget efficiencies, supervised consumption sites, and health care were some of the big topics during 980 CFPL’s first all-candidates debate between the four vying to represent London North Centre at Queen’s Park.
980 CFPL’s Craig Needles moderated the debate, which brought together Liberal Kate Graham, Progressive Conservative Susan Truppe, New Democrat Terence Kernaghan, and the Green Party’s Carol Dyck.
When asked whether there were any savings to be found in the Ontario government’s budget, Kernaghan took aim at Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford.
“Ford has made a lot of talk, and a lot of talk is using the word ‘efficiencies,'” he explained.
“That’s just simply a word change from what we know is going to be cuts and creeping privatization,” said Kernaghan, criticizing Ford’s promise to find $6 billion in the budget and how the PC leader “won’t say what,” and “won’t say where” the money will come from.
Truppe defended her party’s promise to find budget efficiencies however, saying it wouldn’t entail cuts at all.
“Terence keeps saying, everytime we have a debate, that we are the ones that are going to cut jobs or cut services. We have never said we’re going to cut anything. Mike Moffat, the liberal economist, has said we would have to cut jobs. We never said that.”
Truppe went on to say her party was the only party that was looking to create jobs, drawing a quick response from Dyck.
“I don’t think any of the parties up here are thinking they are not going to create jobs, I think all are hoping to create jobs,” said the Green Party candidate, emphasizing a movement towards the clean energy technology sector.
“Those jobs employ hundreds of thousands of people at an average salary of $92,000.”
Kate Graham also sounded off on Ford’s promise to find efficiencies, noting there are already a lot of efforts underway “to make sure work is done efficiently,” and the $6-billion figure is so high it “should literally be labelled in the budget as, ‘We’ll figure it out later.'”
When asked about supervised consumption sites, Dyck, Kernaghan, and Graham were all quick to offer support.
Truppe, meanwhile, called the facilities a “Band-Aid” solution.
“We need to tackle the problem head-on, and focus on mental health and addictions that are going on. I think the science is clear. Standalone supervised consumption sites do reduce harm, but they don’t assist in rehabilitation,” she said, reiterating her party’s commitment to “talking to the experts,” and drawing fire from Graham.
“Spending a bunch of time talking to experts, that’s already happened. That will result in lives lost in this community,” the Liberal candidate fought back.
“Anything other than full support going forward is unacceptable to me, and should be unacceptable to any Londoner who cares about our neighbours struggling with addictions.
The candidates also fielded questions about bus rapid transit, the manufacturing sector, and the cost of living in Ontario. You can listen to the full debate here, or you can watch it here.
The next debate will be between London-Fanshawe provincial candidates on Friday on 980 CFPL’s the Craig Needles Show.
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