Building affordable housing, assisting local industry, stimulating the economy and supporting women in politics were just some of the issues addressed at a provincial all candidates forum Tuesday.
The discussion, organized by the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Sarnia-Lambton, was held over the noon hour at the Dante Club.
Six of the nine Ontario candidates in the Sarnia-Lambton riding were on hand to answer questions from the local business community and public ahead of the February 27 vote.
They were asked what they would recommend to finally get supportive housing for the most vulnerable members of our community.
Liberal Candidate Rachel Willsie said it's about looking at the purpose and objective of the programming that's already in place.
"We do have some municipal housing, but is it being used for what it should be used for?," she asked. "Making that determination then helps us understand what our needs are. Do we have the right population living in the current housing services that we have now? We have an extensive waitlist but why do we have it? We understand there's a housing shortage but we need a second step. You can't just have individuals register and put their name on a waitlist for housing and then turn around and have them left in housing. The next step they need might be a job or access to education or there might be limitations on access to childcare. What is limiting these individuals from moving on in their lives? I don't believe there's one person in this room who would be satisfied with the status quo."
Libertarian Jacques Boudreau said the current rules and regulations surrounding home building are holding Ontario back.
"It's somewhere between $75,000 and $100,000, think about that for a minute," said Boudreau. "Once again, the government has crippled the developers with all of these added fees, which of course then get passed on. The government then has to come to the rescue and try and solve the problem they caused in the first place. Once again, eliminating all of this excess regulation and red tape will lower the prices. We also have to recognize the question of the jurisdiction. A lot of this stuff is municipal. I do recognize the provincial government has certain favours to lean on the municipalities. In many ways, to go after the wrong government to solve the problem is counter-productive. You need to go to your municipal office and remind them that taking forever to grant licences and permits is a problem."
The crowd wanted to know how candidates would get industrial partners to expand and promote emissions reduction projects to ensure their continued viability.
Tom Stoukas of the Populist Party said Ontario's economy has been strangled over the past ten years with emission requirements and carbon taxes.
"There are also some regulations that other, bigger economies aren't doing," said Stoukas. "We're at a disadvantage. I would work with industry to keep up with the latest technology and be as efficient as possible. We can't undermine our economy for some climate change guess work on some things. We can't ruin our economy for some people who think we should do something no one else is doing."
NDP representative Candace Young said local industries are fundamental to our economy. "It touches everyone here, we're all directly or indirectly affected," said Young. "I remember growing up, having friends that would suddenly leave because a plant was shut down and moved to Red Deer or Texas and the family had to relocate because of that. These days, I'm teaching Lambton College students who are going into these places. I'm training them to work in our industry. I'll protect these jobs. That's what I'm doing now. I'm going to be advocating for workers and the safety of those workers."
The Jean Collective Founder Helen Cole noted there's a growing movement in the U.S. to disenfranchise women.
She asked what the party's plans were to support and encourage women as they seek leadership roles.
Keith Benn of the New Blue Party termed the issue as a "fake problem."
"I don't see women being discouraged from doing any of those things," said Benn. "Here in Canada, I don't see any women being discouraged from participating in politics. I see some of them here this evening. This room has lots and lots of women in it. I meet women professionals all the time in the mining and sciences industry and in the academic world where I used to work. I don't see this as a major issue, honestly I don't. The New Blue Party welcomes women to participate in the political world and in any aspect of our economy. One of the founders of the New Blue Party is Belinda Karahalios, a woman. She was a former PC MPP who got turfed out by Doug Ford because she spoke her mind instead of sitting like Bob Bailey keeping a seat warm and never voicing an opinion."
Independent Nathan Colquhoun disagreed.
"It's embarrassing being a man sometimes," quipped Colquhoun. "First, I want to be clear, Ontario is not immune to what is happening in the U.S. We've already seen attacks on reproductive rights, gender-affirming care and public healthcare. These are the kinds of things that disproportionately impact women. The reason women are underrepresented in leadership isn't because they aren't capable, it's because the system was not built for them. That's why we need to remove the real barriers that keep women from running for office and stepping into leadership roles. That means publicly-funded childcare options so leadership isn't only accessible to those who can afford support. It also means ending workplace harassment protections that don't work and ensuring women in politics, business and public service are actually safe. As an independent MPP, I won't just talk about gender equality in politics, I'll actively push for the policies that make leadership accessible to everyone."
In 2022, Progressive Conservative Bob Bailey was elected to a fourth term as Sarnia-Lambton's MPP, winning the election with 21,184 votes.
The turnout was less than optimal, with just 40,181 of 86,320 eligible voters casting a ballot.
Bailey, the Ontario Party's Mark Lamore, and Pamela Reid of the Green Party did not attend Tuesday's debate.