Ottawa Centre Conservative candidate Robert Dekker was a no-show at last night’s Ottawa Centre all-candidates debate, hosted by the Racially Visible Action Committee at 670 Albert St.
According to organizers, all candidates were invited, but Dekker, or his representation, ever responded.
NDP candidate Anil Naidoo, Green Party candidate Kevin O’Donnell, Communist party candidate Stuart Ryan. and Liberal Yasir Naqvi all attended.
Naqvi said his party wants to work with the federal government to prevent cutbacks and continue to invest in the public service and education.
The Green party plans to have the Ontario budget balanced by 2015 if elected and is not planning to cut any public service jobs. O’Donnell said a Green Party government would invest in education and healthcare, but not increase spending in other area until the Ontario deficit is addressed.
“We believe our hard earned money should go to services and not interest payments,” said O’Donnell.
The McGuinty Liberals, said Naidoo, have already cut water quality scientists, payday loan monitors and those who monitor social services, An additional 1,900 jobs are planned to be cut, he claimed.
“We can do better than this,” said Naidoo. “We need a shift back to spending on things that matter to people and not corporate tax cuts.”
Ryan said his party wants to make stronger efforts to enforce the Canada Health Act by banning private clinics to make healthcare more accessible.
The other three candidates agreed in their opposition to privatized healthcare and public-private partnerships, but also mentioned the desire to improve the homecare system.
Ottawa wait times for healthcare are “the longest in the province,” said Naidoo.
O’Donnell said he wants a focus on building more community health clinics.
The issue of foreign-trained workers was subject of a spirited exchange.
“People come here to with great skills and want to contribute to Canada,” said Naildoo. “It’s a lose-lose-lose situation. The family loses, our country loses from not having the benefit of their work and the home country loses from losing wonderful people who are doctors and engineers.”
Naidoo attacked the Liberal government’s proposed tax credit, which provides incentives for employers to hire foreign trained workers. He called the move “politicized” due to the fact that it was announced during the election.
Naqvi said his party made a very tangible proposal that will provide foreign-trained workers on-the-job training and the “Canadian experience” they require for getting professional jobs.
O’Donnell said he supported the tax credit proposal.
As far as education is concerned, Naqvi said a re-elected Liberal government plans 30- per- cent tuition grant for college and university students. For university students, that would mean a tuition discount of $1600, for college students about $730.
The NDP has yet to formalize a stance that he can speak about, said Naidoo, but he criticized the Liberal government’s plan.
“$1,600 is not 30 per cent,” said Naidoo. He said because the Liberals would not be freezing tuition, student fees would continue to rise.”
With a plan to balance the Ontario budget by 2015, O’Donnell said his party will freeze tuition for one year and the hold tuition increases to inflation until the budget is balanced.
The Communist party would eliminate tuition fees altogether.
Naidoo said by emphasizing First Nations history in the Ontario education system, Canadians can learn about the things Canadians should not be proud of and learn from them. He said the victor often tells history and that “we have our blemishes.”
Naqvi and O’Donnell said First Nations history is already included in the Ontario cirrculum, but that greater emphasis needs to be made.
“Growing up in Ontario I see (First Nations history) as Canadian history,” said O’Donnell. “It’s cherishable.”
Naqvi said the Liberal government has already put in funding specifically to provide culturally sensitive education to First Nations students.
Communist candidate Ryan said members of the aboriginal community should be a part of curriculum development.
The election is Oct. 6.