Election Day in Ontario is fast approaching, and if you're unsure who to cast your ballot for, here is the list of candidates running in the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
CKNewsToday.ca and SarniaNewsToday.ca reached out to all five candidates running for the Member of Provincial Parliament seat in the Riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. Some candidates were reached directly. Communication was also attempted by sending the questionnaire to the political parties or the candidate's campaign manager.
Candidates were asked five questions. Each response is edited for clarity and brevity.
Kathryn Shailer, Ontario NDP
1. Aging infrastructure continues to be a costly problem in Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton—especially with a push to build more homes and expand the local greenhouse industry. How would your party help to address the problem of skyrocketing development fees to pay for water and wastewater expansion?
Communities throughout our region struggle with the cost of repairing and maintaining aging infrastructure. Transfers from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund have been slashed over the past twenty years, at the same time that Tories and Liberals downloaded provincial responsibilities onto municipalities. Now with the push to build more homes and expand the greenhouse industry, municipalities are at a breaking point. An ONDP government will take back financial responsibility for affordable housing, shelters, and homelessness prevention programs, while maintaining locally focused delivery in partnership with municipal service managers.
2. Growers in Southwestern Ontario send a lot of their agricultural produce to the United States for processing. With tariff threats looming, what would your party do to open up new economic opportunities for fruit and vegetable growers in the region?
An ONDP government would procure locally grown produce for all provincially supported programs: the proposed Universal School Food Program, fresh food supplements for growing local food banks, growing the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (a federal/provincial program supporting fruit and vegetable farmers), ensuring that Ontario grocery stores buy Ontario-grown produce, collaborate with other provinces to ensure the free interprovincial flow of produce within Canada.
We also need to investigate developing food processing right here in Ontario, including new uses of plant-based material (for example packaging and biofuels). This current tariff crisis is a great wake-up call to research and invest in new, sustainable made-in-Ontario products.
3. What are some specific steps your party would take to address the ongoing housing shortage and encampments in the region?
An ONDP government will first and foremost address the cost-of-living crisis by doubling the supply of affordable homes, protecting renters with real rent controls, doubling social assistance rates so people can better keep up with the cost of housing, creating a monthly grocery rebate and stopping price gouging by establishing a new watchdog to enforce competition laws and keep food prices fair.
We will also create 60,000 new supportive housing units province-wide, allowing people living in encampments and shelters to move into a safe permanent home while connecting them to mental health care, addiction treatment, and other ongoing supports.
4. There is still a significant family doctor shortage in the region, what is your party’s plan to address that?
Our public healthcare system has been eroded by years of Liberal and Tory cuts and the funneling of taxpayer dollars into private clinics and nursing agencies. Marit Stiles and the ONDP will connect every Ontarian to an integrated primary care team, starting with the 2.5 million who do not currently have a family doctor:
- Building on the government’s pledge of $1.8 billion over four years, a further $2.25 billion would need to be invested to make good on the promise to add 380 new primary care teams and serve all Ontarians;
- This means recruiting 3,500 new doctors, by increasing residency spots in medical schools and clearing barriers for the 13,000 internationally trained and ready-to-practice doctors in Ontario now;
- It means freeing up doctors’ time from onerous paperwork through administrative help.
- We will make sure workers in the community health sector are fairly paid. Ontario needs to invest in a base budget increase of 5% annually for community-governed comprehensive primary health care organizations.
5. The Canadian Union of Public Employees says Ontario schools are underfunded and that has led to staffing shortages and increased violence at the local school boards. How does your party plan to address those concerns?
The Ontario NDP will reverse Ford’s education cuts and invest in a new, needs-based funding formula. The Ford government has cut education funding by $1,500 per student since 2018, leaving schools with fewer teachers and larger classes. The COVID years and inadequately addressed anxiety and mental health issues have led to growing violence in the classroom, which affects students, teachers, and staff. We will hire more staff: dedicated teachers, educational assistants, child and youth workers, ECEs, custodial and trade workers to build a supportive environment for students and staff.
Our children deserve safe, well-maintained schools where they can learn and grow without disruption. The ONDP will address our crumbling schools by investing $830 million a year to clear the repair backlog within 10 years.
For more details, visit Kathryn Shailer's Lambton-Kent-Middlesex campaign website at kathrynshailer.ontariondp.ca or ontariondp.ca.
Cathy Burghardt-Jesson - Ontario Liberal Party
1. Aging infrastructure continues to be a costly problem in Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton, -- especially with a push to build more homes and expand the local greenhouse industry. How would your party help to address the problem of skyrocketing development fees to pay for water and wastewater expansion?
Being an elected municipal official, I am all too familiar with demands on municipalities when it comes to infrastructure--whether it is aging infrastructure or the need to expand infrastructure because of the demands of growth. The Liberals will eliminate Development Charges (DC) on new middle-class housing. Municipalities will remain whole with the development of the Better Communities Fund, as it will replace DC's.
2. Growers in Southwestern Ontario send a lot of their agricultural produce to the United States for processing. With tariff threats looming, what would your party do to open up new economic opportunities for fruit and vegetable growers in the region?
Ontario Liberals recognize that our food and farm sector is an economic powerhouse and that Lambton-Kent-Middlesex is an agriculture leader. We are committed to growing and supporting our agriculture industry. We will support innovative local agricultural and food processing projects. A Liberal government will enhance value-added food processing capacity and support modernization with agri-food partners. We know that there is demand for food grown in our communities and we will support expanding markets, including within our own country.
3. What are some specific steps your party would take to address the ongoing housing shortage and encampments in the region?
First of all, the solution to homelessness is to build more homes, not to make poverty a crime. The Ontario Liberals have a plan to build all levels of housing. There are many steps to housing and we have to make sure all the steps are there. We will begin by doubling the current stock of supportive housing units. These units will include wraparound services (much like the successful housing program we have in Middlesex County, for those experiencing homelessness. This program was initiated while I was Warden in late 2020, and it is the program that I am most proud of), to ensure that success in housing can be achieved. We will re-introduce a phased-in rent control program. We will incentivize the development of Co-op housing. It's not enough to build affordable homes, we have to ensure people have the means to afford these homes. We will double payments to those receiving ODSP.
4. There is still a significant family doctor shortage in the region, what is your party's plan to address that?
First and foremost, we will incentivize doctors to practise in rural communities. What I am also excited about is the plan to accelerate the process to integrate the qualified and experienced internationally trained doctors already living here in Ontario, who find themselves burdened for many reasons to become qualified to practice in Ontario. We will model the successful programs already being administered in Alberta and British Columbia. We will call this program Practice Ready Ontario. Long-term planning for doctors in Ontario will mean the creation of two (2) new medical schools in the province. We will work with existing medical schools to expand capacities. All this leads to increasing medical school spots and residency positions.
5. The Canadian Union of Public Employees says Ontario schools are underfunded and that has led to staffing shortages and increased violence at the local school boards. How does your party plan to address those concerns?
Our party knows it is not enough to build new schools. We have to make investments in classrooms. That means committing to smaller class sizes. It means ensuring teachers have the supports they need for the safety and well-being of everyone in the classroom. Re-investing in autism supports, ensuring teaching assistants are available to support our students and teachers.
For more details, visit Cathy Burghart-Jesson's Lambton-Kent-Middlesex campaign website at votecathy.ca or ontarioliberal.ca.
Andraena Tilgner - Green Party of Ontario
1. Aging infrastructure continues to be a costly problem in Chatham-Kent -- especially with a push to build more homes and expand the local greenhouse industry. How would your party help to address the problem of skyrocketing development fees to pay for water and wastewater expansion?
The green platform proposes a new deal for municipalities whereby we’ll support and strengthen municipal governments. We will upload costs to the province that have previously been downloaded to municipalities. We also plan to grant municipalities autonomy to implement revenue tools to fund critical infrastructure needs and services.
2. Growers in Southwestern Ontario send a lot of their agricultural produce to the United States for processing. With tariff threats looming, what would your party do to open up new economic opportunities for fruit and vegetable growers in the region?
Local food and farming are a $50 billion engine for the Ontario economy. The Green platform includes investments in local food hubs to support local farmers, tax incentives for local food and beverage manufacturers who purchase inputs grown by Ontario farmers, and a food processing infrastructure fund to support investments by Ontario-based companies in food processing facilities. The Green Party also supports supply management and will defend farmers in trade negotiations.
The Green Party will also develop a “Buy Ontario” strategy and implement public procurement rules that support Ontario businesses and farmers.
3. What are some specific steps your party would take to address the ongoing housing shortage and encampments in the region?
The Green Party will freeze urban boundaries and prioritize housing where roads and sewers already exist. We’ll require minimum housing densities at transit stations and along transit corridors as a requirement for transit funding agreements between the province and municipalities. We’ll update the Planning Act and other applicable laws and regulations to expand zoning permissions to allow for four-plexes and four storeys as-of-right within existing urban boundaries and six plexes in cities with populations over 500,000. For urban centres with populations over 100,000 we’ll update provincial planning laws to pre-zone for missing middle and mid-rise housing ranging from 6-11 storeys on transit corridors and major streets. The Green Party has a housing-first approach for homelessness and will immediately reinstate the homelessness census cancelled by the Ford government. We will work with non-profit agencies to build 259,000 new affordable non-profit and co-op homes and 60,000 permanent supportive homes with guaranteed funding for mental health, addictions, and other supports.
4. There is still a significant family doctor shortage in the region, what is your party's plan to address that?
The Greens will recruit 3,500 more doctors in Ontario by increasing medical school positions and residency opportunities and fast tracking credential approvals for international healthcare workers including nurses and doctors. Greens will pay healthcare workers fairly, harmonizing wages across the healthcare system to ensure retention of experienced staff and good community health supports. We will also make sure wages are internationally competitive for doctors and nurses across all healthcare settings. We will also expand and provide funding for family health teams across the province with a wider variety of care available.
5. The Canadian Union of Public Employees says Ontario schools are underfunded and that has led to staffing shortages and increased violence at the local school boards. How does your party plan to address those concerns?
The Greens will immediately increase per-student funding by $ 1,500 to make up for the $ 3.1 billion in cuts by the Ford government since 2018. We’ll also review Ontario’s education funding formula so it adequately reflects student needs. We’ll ensure the funding formula includes adequate funding for special education assistants, counsellors, social workers ESL teachers, and other supports to provide equitable access to learning and school activities for all students.
For more details, visit Andraena Tilgner’s Lambton-Kent-Middlesex campaign website at andytforgreen.ca or gpo.ca.
Steve Pinsonneault - Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (incumbent)
Steve Pinsonneault's campaign did not directly address the questions that were asked of all candidates in the Lambton-Kent-Middlesex riding before the deadline for publication.
For more details, visit Steve Pinsonneault's Lambton-Kent-Middlesex campaign website at lkmpc.ontariopc.ca or ontariopc.ca.
Andy Fisher - New Blue Party of Ontario
CK News Today and Sarnia News Today did not hear back from Andy Fisher before the deadline for publication.
For more details, you can find the New Blue Party of Ontario's website by clicking here.
You can also find more information about Andy Fisher by clicking here.