The Progressive Conservative candidate in Elgin-Middlesex-London took some heat for his party’s lack of platform during Global News Radio 980 CFPL’s fourth and final provincial election debate.
Jeff Yurek said his party would release its platform “in due time,” after drawing criticism Wednesday from New Democrat candidate Amanda Stratton for his position on high-speed rail.
“The candidate for Elgin-Middlesex says that the PC party is committed to expanding that environmental assessment. Doug Ford’s candidates in other areas aren’t saying that. They’re saying something quite different, and we don’t have platform to look at,” Stratton said.
“I’m not sure who we should trust, in terms of what the PC party is committed to,” Stratton said.
Liberal candidate Carlie Forsythe and Green Party candidate Bronagh Morgan also attended the debate, hosted by 980 CFPL’s Craig Needles.
“I’d love to see the NDP come out with a costing for its hydro plan,” Yurek fought back against Stratton, pointing to the $7-billion dollar gap in the NDP‘s budget.
“There’s not a $7-billion dollar hole in our platform,” said Stratton, drawing the conversation back to when the PC’s would release a platform.
“The election is in eight days, people are already voting. I know I’m new to this, but you’ve been here longer. Have you ever seen a major party not have a platform eight days before an election?”
“There have been parties out there that have done that, Stephen Harper did that in 2006,” Yurek responded. “People I’m talking to are happy with the announcements we’re making. There’s a cost associated with them, and the full platform — when we’re done doing our announcements — will be out in due time before the vote on June 7.”
Yurek commented on the impact high speed rail would have on Elgin-Middlesex-London, saying it would “destroy farmland” and “split communities.”
Morgan, of the Green Party, emphasized support for Yurek’s approach to high-speed rail, and said she’d like to build on existing transit infrastructure instead, like VIA rail, to mitigate environmental impact.
Forsythe said the Liberal party was the only party with a commitment to high-speed rail, and that she’d “love to advocate” for more public consultation at Queen’s Park.
Given the opportunity to defend her party’s approach to health care, Forsythe said the Liberals would invest in hospitals, home care, long-term care homes, mental health care and addiction support services, and expanding OHIP plus to seniors.
Stratton, meanwhile, touted New Democrats “holistic and comprehensive” approach to health care that isn’t just about adding health care beds.
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“It’s about starting at the beginning,” Stratton said. “It’s about making sure people can get the drugs that they need so that they’re staying healthy, that they can get the health care they need, by including oral health as part of our health care system.”
Yurek said the PCs would emphasize youth mental health support services, noting that resources in Elgin-Middlesex are verging on bankruptcy, while Morgan spoke of a need to “radically shift” the focus towards preventative health care.
You can watch the full debate here, or you can listen to the full debate here.
Voters will head to the polls on June 7.
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