Oakville News asked the Oakville and Oakville North-Burlington (ONB) candidates a series of questions. Each candidate was asked to provide concise answers and was given several days to respond.
Should candidates provide answers at a later date, Oakville News will update this post.
Oakville News does not endorse any candidate.
Question 4: What would you and your party do to ensure a healthier environment in Oakville?
Oakville riding
Kerry Colborne, Conservative:
We recognize the most efficient way to reduce our emissions is to use pricing mechanisms – but not one where the government pockets your money.
Low Carbon Savings Accounts will help Canadians make greener lifestyle choices, while allowing them to decide what works best for them and their family.
LCSA’s will incentivize Canadians to make greener lifestyle choices that reduce their emissions. The LCSA program will be completely transparent and engage Canadians in the process of building a lower carbon future, with the ability to purchase items like locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy products, transit passes, bicycles, or home energy efficiency improvement projects.
Zero-Emission Vehicles program will make electric and hydrogen vehicles essential to meeting our climate goals. We will introduce a zero-emission vehicle mandate, based on British Columbia’s, requiring 30 percent of light-duty vehicles sold to be zero emissions by 2030.
Oriana Knox, Green Party:
Greens argue for elegant, often simple, solutions that can fix multiple problems. Here are some solutions that fix multiple problems.
Problem of climate change, energy waste. Solution: national green retrofit of all existing buildings; change national building code to require all new buildings are net-zero by 2030.
Problem of air pollution, climate change. Solution: buy-back programs for internal combustion engines; expand public transportation, particularly commuter rail.
Problem of food scarcity, climate change. Solution: a national food waste strategy (this addresses both food scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions from methane).
Problem of local governments not having the tools to deal with local problems; government waste; local problems such as flooding. Solution: Dedicate 1% of the GST to municipal infrastructure, giving dedicated and predictable funding to local leaders in Halton and Oakville who can deal with environmental problems. In the case of flooding in Oakville, the Town would have more money to deal with the issues; in the case of the Region, Conservation Halton would have more money to draw up better maps of flood plains, showing where not to build houses.
JD Meaney, People’s Party of Canada:
This is a very broad and open question. There are different elements to a healthy environment. Part of a healthy environment would be to include residents who have survived COVID-19. Based on a study from Israel, survivors of COVID have antibodies that are much stronger than those who have taken the vaccine. Another element is the mental health of our families in Oakville.
There are additional studies that show our teenagers are suffering from depression and attempted rates of suicide, which have never been seen before. It appears that school closures are a contributing factor to depression and suicide. Depression, overeating, inactivity and attempted suicide are at unprecedented rates. A final point is that I believe Oakville will continue to be a leader in Canada, for environmental consciousness, control pollution and climate change.
Anita Anand, Liberal:
Climate change is the greatest long-term threat that we face as a global community, but it is also a moment to seize the economic opportunity that it presents. That’s why the Liberal party has a plan to protect our environment, to create jobs and to strengthen communities. From investing in green jobs to working towards net-zero emissions by 2050, our Liberal team has been building a climate plan that is growing our economy and protecting our environment.
Our plan for a cleaner, greener future will:
- Create green jobs in communities across Canada and across sectors.
- Cut oil and gas emissions and make sure this sector meets our shared goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Continue to phase-out coal by ending thermal coal exports by 2030;
- Boost clean and renewable power from coast to coast to coast.
- End plastic waste by 2030.
- Protect more of our nature, including creating ten new National Parks.
- Put a rising price on pollution and more money in the pockets of hard-working Canadians.
Jerome Adamo, NDP:
My unwavering belief for opportunity depends if it's within reach but when it comes to the climate crisis, how can we have opportunity with a stacked deck of two traditional major players offering no solutions.
18 billion subsidy dollars a year to oil giants already making record profits? Conservatives vote down a motion to “declare climate crisis real” at their national convention?
COVID-19 teaches that emergencies can be tackled urgently with the political will to do what it takes. This crisis is no different.
Our plan fulfills G-20 commitments to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, net carbon-free electricity goals by 2030 and 100% non-emitting electricity by 2050. All measurable goals in line with scientifically evidenced-based targets limiting warming to 1.5 degrees.
Carbon pricing limits GHG emissions, makes the biggest polluters pay and funds retro fit programs, e vehicle manufacturing creating hundreds of thousands of new green-focused jobs.
ONB riding
Lenaee Dupuis, NDP:
I believe the key to ensuring a healthier environment is a combination of quick wins, like banning single-use plastics with long-term solutions; to ensure that as Oakville grows, it grows sustainably, and maximizes long-term solutions for the climate emergency we find ourselves in.
Public transit is key to ensuring a healthier environment. By investing massively in electrifying, expanding, and making it more affordable, along with promoting smart community planning and active transportation like walking or cycling, we will provide more options to get around, reducing emissions in the process.
The NDP will also enshrine the right to a healthy environment in a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights and strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Finally, we cannot have a healthy environment without healthy people. By guaranteeing access to healthcare and pharmacare, good jobs, fair wages, livable incomes, adequate long-term care, and more, we ensure a better life for all.
Pam Damoff, Liberal:
Climate change is the greatest long-term threat of our time, but it is also Canada’s greatest economic opportunity. With support from our government, two of Oakville’s largest employers have taken significant steps to protect the environment and our community. We invested $66 million in Oakville Transit to fund the introduction of electric busses and the replacement of 57 diesel busses over the next 5 years with zero-emission battery-electric buses and an additional 16 new electric busses to expand Oakville Transit’s fleet. It will also fund 32 new charging stations to support the electric buses.
Our government joined the province and Ford of Canada to jointly invest $1.8 billion to transition Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant to making five new zero-emission electric vehicle models, securing over 5,400 good, middle-class jobs in our community. We’re taking action to build a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 to meet our shared goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Bruno Sousa, Green Party:
If elected, my party and I would look to make nature universally more accessible to all by making it easier for people to enjoy natural areas by providing more well-maintained paths, parks and green spaces. Further we would continue the work of our Ontario Green party leader Mike Schreiner so that we can secure the safety of our water and ensure proper management and quality of local watersheds.
Additionally, we look to increase our climate change resilience by increasing overall green space, the connections between them and enhancing protection policies. Lastly, as part of our effort to increase protection of land and water measures we would like to increase natural habitats in the area for a greater biodiversity of natural wildlife and vegetation. In all these matters we would make Canadians aware of the problems and the solutions so there could be proper education regarding the climate and environment.