The Ingersoll Debate @ The Masonic Lodge Hosted by Ingersoll District Chamber of Commerce
We were grateful for the opportunity to attend the debate and hear the concerns of those in Ingersoll. One of the most tragic concerns they had seemed to echo those of people around the county and in fact nation wide. Namely, voter apathy, a trend that seems to picking up more and more speed as people become disillusioned by broken promises and a lack of accountability within our governing bodies. One person complained that many people of voting age could be found hanging out down at the local coffee shop instead of becoming informed about the important issues we all face as Canadians. Even more distressing is the idea that many people will vote without first becoming aware of the the issues at hand or who their candidates are.
Because the Sentinel Review falsely published, in it's Friday Jan 13th issue (see story), that the conservative member was in support of the farmer's Risk Management Program, we took the opportunity to challenge Mr. Mackenzie on the issue once again on video tape. Mr. Mackenzie, while trying to curtail his answer by saying, "In theory, yes...", was ultimately forced into a yes or no response to which he answered, "I don't know." The Newspaper has yet to respond to either our nor the NDP's request for a retraction.
We urge you all to research your choices and not to depend on the media pirates.
People are also very concerned with accountability within our parliament. We want everyone to know that there is a provision within the Elections Canada Act which allows for candidates to make promises and simple pledges in writing that they do not have to honor if elected. We want you to know that the answer to your question, "How can you guarantee that you will keep your promises?" is, we can't. This provision needs to be amended, and parliamentary voting should be done with private balloting, thereby affording the representative the opportunity to vote with his local constituents even when then is not representative of the party policy. The concerns of Ottawa are not necessarily the concerns of Oxford.
We need solutions for our farmers. We would take them to Ottawa, because we know that we won't be able to depend on large corporate greed to feed us once poverty kills our family farms. What will Dave Mackenzie do?
There was also lots of talk about legalizing Marijuana and the implications that farming hemp and marijuana could have to our farmers, some of whom called out in the audience that they already were. Much cheering could be heard at this point!
All in all it was allot of fun. Jim really knows how to fire up the crowd, and Kay Sargent is pretty hot cookie too!
Candidates lay out
platforms
The Ingersoll Times
JOHN TAPLEY - Staff writer
Wednesday January 18, 2006
From accountability and electoral reform to capital
punishment and the decriminalization of marijuana, Oxford’s federal
election candidates spoke to the issues in Ingersoll Monday night.
The seven people on the ballot tackled a wide range of questions posed by
the public during a meet the candidates session hosted by the Ingersoll
and District Chamber of Commerce at the Masonic Hall.
The Raging Grannies, an activist group, greeted those who packed the hall
for the two-and-a -half-hour session, singing songs encouraging eligible
voters to get out and cast their ballots.
Besides a question and answer period, each of the candidates was allowed
five minutes to outline the planks in their party’s election platform.
NDP candidate Zoe Kunschner kicked off the presentations saying that
poverty, bad policy and crumbling infrastructure are among the top issues
her party plans to address.
The other two mainstream parties - the Liberals and the Conservatives -
have neglected communities, Kunschner said.
"An NDP government will invest in small towns," she said.
Besides stating marijuana should be legalized, Jim Bender, Oxford’s
Marijuana Party candidate, said a vote for Oxford’s Conservative
candidate Dave MacKenzie is a vote for Stephen Harper.
Bender also said that if he is elected he will "take all the farmers
to Ottawa to pry open the treasury doors."
The Green Party is focused on the "necessities of life," said
candidate Ronnee Sykes, including clean air and water and safe food.
"Sooner or later, everyone becomes an environmentalist," she
said.
A Green Party government would be fiscally responsible and environmentally
progressive, supporting lower taxes and proportional representation in
politics, said Sykes.
Libertarian Kaye Sargent, who has run in numerous elections since 1981,
said the foundation of her party’s platform lies with the individual,
people taking responsibility for themselves and with less government.
"A government big enough to give you everything you ask for is big
enough to take it away," she said.
Conservative candidate and Oxford’s federal incumbent, Dave MacKenzie
said his party’s plans include tackling the accountability issue and
improving health care and agriculture policy. The Tories would also
provide child care assistance and tax relief and crack down on crime.
Greig Mordue, the Liberal Party candidate, focused on the Grits’
economic achievements in the 12 years they have been in power in Ottawa,
delivering eight balanced budgets in a row and paying off $60 billion in
deficit.
Mordue said the Conservatives’ funding plans are unsustainable.
The Liberals are also committed to banning handguns, creating 25,000 child
care spaces across the country and an independent foreign policy
"that wouldn’t have led us into Iraq."
Christian Heritage Party (CHP) candidate John Markus said his party
believes the Bible "is the foundational standard by which to govern
Canada."
The CHP would make the courts accountable to parliament and parliament
accountable to the public.
A CHP government would ban abortion, create a $1,000 a month family tax
credit to allow parents to stay home with their children and institute
small user fees for health care.
It would also repeal the same-sex marriage law, Markus said.
