It seemed to be a four-horse race with a couple of one-trick ponies at the federal election all candidates meeting in Sechelt on Monday (April 18).
The two-hour meeting at the Raven's Cry Theatre saw eight candidates vying to represent the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country in the House of Commons answer 11 questions previously submitted to the Sechelt Chamber of Commerce.
Conservative John Weston, Liberal Dan Veniez, New Democrat Terry Platt and Green Party candidate Brennan Wauters seemed to be on equal footing with broad, far-reaching platforms while Roger Lagassé of the Progressive Canadians and Doug Hartt of the Canadian Action Party pushed their one-issue platforms. Lagassé's answer to almost every problem posed was to "bring our troops home," while Hartt wanted to reinstitute the Bank of Canada to fix our country's problems. He also stressed the need to stop the sailing of "supertankers leaving twice a week out of the Port of Vancouver," promising if he were elected the sailings would stop.
Tunya Audain of the Libertarian Party wanted to see a greatly scaled-back government that "quits the bribes and bailouts," and Allan Holt of the Western Block Party wanted to see local control, saying, "government has to start and end in our riding."
Questions touched on taxes, First Nations, transportation, parental leave, health care, arts and culture, jobs, affordable housing and how to make a minority government work.
On the issue of local governments using property taxes to fund infrastructure needs, Weston said his government will legislate the pay out of gasoline taxes to local governments to help ease the burden on local taxpayers.
Wauters said his party wants to see a different kind of tax instituted.
"The Conservatives have the gas tax and the Green Party has the grass tax. We are legislating the legalization of marijuana to be taxed and it is a revenue stream," Wauters said.
Veniez said there is a need for a national infrastructure strategy to deal with local infrastructure problems.
Platt said the projects must be ongoing and she chastised the current government for its use of "splashy signs" to say "look at what we're doing, isn't this wonderful?"
"The federal government must assist the municipalities on an ongoing basis, not waiting until everything falls apart," she said.
Holt agreed legalizing marijuana would be a good form of tax revenue, as did Audain, who also wanted to see a user-pay system for services.
Lagassé noted there would be more than $100 million available for local infrastructure if it wasn't being spent on the war in Afghanistan and Hartt said reinstating the Bank of Canada would free up 95 per cent of money available to spend. He said that money now "goes to compound interest to those banksters. A small group. That only leaves us with five per cent to talk about taxes and budgets. What we need to do is we need to identify that because there's lots of money for us."
On the issue of tax cuts to drive the private sector, Wauters said it's unlikely tax cuts will provide economic recovery, while Veniez said low and competitive tax rates are "absolutely critical to a vibrant private sector economy."
Platt said her party is committed to tax cuts for the average Canadian, "not to billion-dollar tax cuts for major corporations."
Weston defended his government's drive to cut corporate taxes, "this question leads us to the biggest contrast point possible between the Conservative Party and the other major parties in the House of Commons."
Weston pointed to evidence - six quarters of economic growth and less unemployment due to "120 tax cuts in the last five years." He also criticized Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff as a "tax and spend Liberal."
On the issue of First Nations, Veniez called for a resolution to treaty negotiations, Weston wanted to see the abolishment of the Indian Act, Platt wanted better access to health, education and appropriate housing, respect toward treaties and working with First Nations to protect the environment, while Wauters noted the crucial need for clean, fresh water and called for access to legal aid for First Nations people.
On the transportation question, Lagassé moved from his one-issue platform to note a need for clean, fast, effective transit service. He also wants to see all Grade 12 students given a one-year transit pass to tour Canada after graduation.
Platt saw the need for better transit service on the Sunshine Coast and said that her party's platform calls for reliable transit for all communities.
Weston noted his government's Economic Action Plan calls for transit infrastructure upgrades and Veniez said his party wants to develop more rapid transit options for Canadians.
Wauters referred people to the Green handbook for the full answer, but said his party wants to "re-establish the national dream and that is rail and interconnectedness."
