Oakville News asked the Oakville and Oakville North-Burlington candidates a series of questions. Each candidate was asked to provide concise answers and were given several days to respond. Oakville News does not endorse any candidate.
Should candidates provide answers at a later date, Oakville News will update this post.
Question 2: What do you see as the most important issues for Oakville voters and how will your party address them?
Oakville Riding
Kerry Colborne, Conservative:
Maintaining quality of life and ensuring the next generation and new Canadians have the access to the quality of life many in Oakville enjoy. The issues I am hearing at the doors are support for our health care system and seniors.
Additional issues include a healthy environment, return to stable fiscal management and a fair taxation system. There are also a number of people who identify public safety as an important issue. We need to ensure the struggles we see in larger centres involving guns and drugs are addressed now, so they do not become uncontrollable later.
Anita Anand, Liberal:
Continued support for the healthcare sector - From day one of the pandemic, our government made significant investments to ensure Canadians have the health care they need. Eight out of every 10 dollars spent in response to COVID-19 came from the federal government. From investing in pandemic surge capacity, public health care and the Safe Restart Agreement, to moving forward on pharmacare and procuring vaccines for every single Canadian, we will continue to support Canadians.
Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery – Small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy. Our government provided small businesses with the support they needed to keep their doors open including protecting over 5 million jobs with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and helping over 150,000 organizations with support for their rent, mortgage, and other expenses. I will continue to stand with Oakville’s businesses, many of which are family-run, and provide them with the support they need to return to ensuring a robust revenue stream.
Environment - Climate Change: The extreme heatwave and wildfires across Canada underscore the urgency of fighting and adapting to climate change. A Liberal government is committed to net-zero emissions and invested $1.8 billion in Oakville to establish the first large-scale battery electric vehicle production automaker in Canada at the Ford Oakville plant. In addition, we invested in $220,000 to add 44 new electric vehicle charging stations to Oakville roads and $26.5 million to modernize Oakville’s transit system.
Jerome Adamo, NDP:
The first is health care, and that includes a public pharmacare program, as well as dental, vision and mental care. It’s time we finally implement Tommy Douglas’ original vision of health care in
Oakville and throughout Canada and create a fully universal health care that everyone can depend on.
Second is the housing crisis. Everyone knows it’s a problem when many of the people who work in Oakville can’t even afford to LIVE in Oakville. I am proposing the creation of a half a million affordable housing units in Canada to address skyrocketing rent and mortgage costs. Housing should be a right for all Canadians. Let’s make Oakville an affordable place to live again.
The third is the environment. The federal Liberals love to talk about clean air, clean water, and greenspace while they continue to throw billions of taxpayer-funded dollars at the fossil fuel industry. It’s time to take oil and gas corporations off welfare and start investing in environmentally sustainable forms of technology instead – and create good-paying jobs in the process. Related are the problems of transportation and the infrastructure concerns that we have to tackle. The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change illustrates we can’t wait any longer. We have to act now.
JD Meaney, People's Party of Canada:
Based on conversations that I have with Oakville residents, they want to be reassured that we will not have a split society around medical segregation and that our individual rights will be protected. Oakville residents are very concerned to which the level of debt Trudeau has put this country into. The erosion of small businesses is very concerning to the greater good of the country.
What do you see as the most important issues for Oakville voters and how will your party address them?
Oakville North-Burlington Riding
Hanan Rizkalla, Conservative:
COVID 19 -- Who will deal with it? What are the benchmarks that will let us know when we can put masks aside and return to normal everyday life? Who can best ensure that Canada is never again left out of the availability of PPE and vaccines? How do we build a strong enough pharmaceutical and research infrastructure so that we never again have to rely upon other nations? As a medical physician in study and practice, I know and understand the science, the research, and I know our citizens need more facts, less rumour.
- The economy -- We want a prosperous Canada and Oakville for our children. We need a government that removes the obstacles to success -- and then gets out of the way.
- Environment -- We need a coherent and comprehensive policy that people can understand and doesn't cripple our economic growth. The roll out of the carbon tax was a disaster.
- Accountability -- We need a government that knows it reports to the people. We must banish any secrecy or withholding of information or entitlement. I want to bring back to government the belief that it serves the electorate first and foremost.
- Quality of Life -- I plan to defend our exceptional and enviable quality of life on many fronts.
Lenaee Dupuis, NDP:
I believe we are currently facing a time of growing insecurity. The NDP will continue to bridge the gap and advocate for the everyday people of Oakville – North Burlington while the wealthiest pay their fair share. We’ll make life more affordable through a universal pharmacare and childcare plan, tackle the housing crisis and guarantee a livable income. We’ll also end private, for-profit long-term care, support seniors and senior caregivers, strengthen public pensions and improve retirement security.
Furthermore, the NDP will increase support for small businesses and workers through paid sick leave and extended parental benefits. Our ambitious plans will boost our economy and create more good-paying jobs.
I also believe we are in a climate emergency. The NDP will retrofit all buildings in Canada, reduce our emissions, invest in green infrastructure, power our communities carbon-free and will guarantee corporate climate accountability and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.
Bruno Sousa, Green Party:
I believe the most important issues to Oakville North and Burlington residents are:
- The loss or deterioration of natural green spaces and preserving the greenbelt.
- Condo development, urban sprawl and wildlife habitat encroachment.
- Traffic planning and public transportation funding.
- Affordable housing and taxes.
- Affordable daycare and the impact of COVID on education.
- Soaring gas and energy costs.
Pam Damoff, Liberal:
I will continue the work I have done as the Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington since 2015, focusing on the things that matter most to our community – green infrastructure, improved biking and walking trails, stricter gun control, affordable child care, inclusive and accessible public transit, affordable housing, supporting seniors, families, youth and businesses and growing our local economy.
Key issues in our riding are environment, affordable child care, public health and affordable housing. Our party has introduced $10 a day child care. I will work with provincial representatives to bring this much-needed program to Ontario. We will move Canada forward to a green economy and we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of Canadians, ensuring vaccines and boosters are available for everyone. A re-elected Liberal government will move forward for everyone with a three-part housing plan to ensure all Canadians have a fair shot at owning their own home.