The six people running to become the next Member of Provincial Parliament for the Bay of Quinte faced off for the second time in three days on Thursday night.
The Belleville Chamber of Commerce held their all candidates night at the Empire Theatre in Belleville to hear from Erica Charlton representing the Green Party of Ontario, Rob Collins of the New Blue Party, Alison Kelly for the NDP, Emilie Leneveu representing the Liberal Party, incumbent Todd Smith of the PC Party and Noah Wales representing the Ontario Party.
Chamber President Anthony Callahan kept the evening moving along, asking candidates questions preselected by the Chamber, as well as questions submitted by the audience.
Candidates were asked what they would do to address food insecurity and the rising cost of living.
Smith said his government has invested $3 billion in the social services relief fund which has introduced a social safety net. He said the Ontario PC Party will also temporarily reduce gas prices on July 1 by 5.7 cents. Smith also referred to new rental housing being built for the first time since 1993 in the province.
Charlton said people are unable to afford homes and the Green Party will double the ODSP and Ontario Works because everyone deserves a fighting chance.
Collins said his party would reduce the HST by three per cent, work to reduce electricity rates and promote local businesses.
Leneveu answered by saying the Liberals would slash the cost of transit and offer $1 fares. They would also reduce the provincial portion of the HST, making life eight per cent cheaper, as well as reduce gas prices by 5.7 cents per litre. Her party would also commit to building 1.5 million homes over ten years, with many of those homes being classified as deeply affordable or 40% below market value.
Kelly said food banks were brought in decades ago as a temporary measure but here we still are. The NDP she says will raise ODSP, include mental and dental health and drugs under OHIP. Kelly said it shouldn’t be this hard and her party and platform is about making it easier.
Wales said the Ontario Party would reduce gas by 20 cents and eliminate foreign buyers from buying up the housing market.
Healthcare was another hot button topic for candidates.
Collins said our healthcare system ranks near the bottom when it comes to developed countries and the entire system needs to be revamped, which includes the reducing of all the bureaucracy. He would introduce the opportunity for for-profit healthcare across the board.
Leneveu stated the Liberals would repeal Bill 124, while also making mental healthcare available for all healthcare workers. She said they would also pay for the tuition for healthcare workers who want to come work in rural areas.
Kelly said she would also see Bill 124 repealed, hire 10,000 personal support workers and 30,000 nurses. Her party would make sure there are ten sick days and would offer a mentoring program for new nurses by those who worked in the field.
Wales said his party would increase healthcare funding and hire back those doctors who lost their jobs during the pandemic because of mandates.
Smith noted his government has made historic investments in healthcare such as stabilizing the funding for Quinte Health Care, seeing the construction of a new hospital in Prince Edward County come to fruition and with four new long-term care facilities to be constructed. He said there is now also a stand-alone nursing program at Loyalist College.
Charlton said the healthcare system is currently designed to make profit the priority over care and people are meant to be in and out as soon possible. She said they would repeal Bill 124, a bill which primarily affects women.
The hardest question of the night for the candidates was the one submitted by a Grade 4/5/6 class in Cherry Valley that asked the candidates, if they could vote for anyone in this election that is not themselves, who would it be.
Wales said he would vote for the New Blue Party candidate Rob Collins.
Kelly said she would see electoral reform come forward so people could vote with their hearts and feel good about voting.
Leneveu agreed electoral reform is something that is needed and she would see a ranked ballot come forward. She then said she would vote for the person who most closely aligns with the Liberal platform and that was candidate Erica Charlton.
Collins said he would submit a write-in ballot and vote for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Charlton said she would have to vote for the person who works three jobs because she has a better understanding of what life is like for people in the region, and would vote for Alison Kelly.
Smith said he would vote for the person who has the best slogan and who is a breath of fresh air; Erica Charlton.
Candidates were also asked about the environment, job creation, skilled trades, the housing shortage, immigration, education, homelessness and the reemployment after COVID.
The provincial election is less than two weeks away and candidates are seeking to gain enough votes to represent the region at Queen’s Park following the June 2 election.
To read more about the Green Party of Ontario, click here.
To read more about the Liberal Party, click here.
To read more about the NDP, click here.
To read more about the New Blue Party, click here.
To read more about the Ontario Party, click here.
To read more about the PC Party, click here.
