Cambridge debate
Posted Apr 20, 2011 05:19:46 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Last night was the first of a series of all-candidates debates on 570 News and Rogers TV, and it began with the riding of Cambridge.
The Conservatives, Liberals, NDP and Green party were all represented in the debate. They were asked a variety of questions via e-mail, phone and from the media panel. Many of which ranged from national issues like fighter-jets and Afghanistan, to local issues like the LRT and regional spending.
Conservative candidate Gary Goodyear says voters are still dealing with a coalition. They’re pitching this election as a decision between a Conservative Majority or voting for a group of parties headed by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.
Bryan May, the Liberal Candidate said that both himself and Ignatieff have both said that they are not looking towards a coalition and that it was the Conservatives who planned to form one in 2004. NDP candidate Susan Galvao says if the mandate justifies it, they’re willing to work with other federalist parties. Green Candidate, Jacques Mallete says that no one deserves a majority and a minority government forces them to work harder.
One of the topics was gridlock and how much it is costing our economy. It came to a head yesterday morning when the East Bound 401 was shutdown for over half the day at Mavis.
Mallete said we need to look to the European’s and implement our National Transportation Strategy. Susan Galvao, said that they’re ready to enact a National Public Transit Strategy and tax exemption to businesses.
Goodyear said that they kept their promise of transferring gas tax funding; which was over 115 million dollars for our region. May said we don’t have a clear vision or clear goals and we need a national strategy, and that the Liberal party will start developing one.
With many experts believing that we’re heading straight for another Conservative minority government, the candidates were asked how they would work for other parties. All of the Candidates said that they would be willing to work with other party’s, they deem it necessary for success as a government. May though, says the Conservatives don’t want to co-operate. He reminded voters that’s why we’re approaching another election, because the Harper was found in contempt of Parliament twice.
Goodyear reminded voters that they have ran the longest reigning minority government in the history of Canada and that the only way to do that is to work with other parties. Susan Galvao said that they are committed to working with all the parties to make sure the government runs smoothly and represents all people.
Mallete said that a minority government is a good thing for our government, once one party has a majority they go wild.
