Since most federal elections are decided before polls in Western Canada close, should the current first-past-the-post system be replaced with something fairer, or is it even an issue?
That was one topic political candidates discussed on Sept. 14 during the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce’s all-candidates forum at Grant Hall. Five of six candidates discussed nine topics during the two-hour event, from the economy to the pandemic to issues affecting the region.
Electoral reform
Many electoral systems are used worldwide, but People’s Party of Canada candidate Chey Craik was unsure how to reform Canada’s first-past-the-post (FPTP) system. However, adds that there is no issue with “vote-splitting” on the right since he says the Conservative Party only developed that idea to scare voters.
Liberal Party candidate Katelyn Zimmer understood the frustration western voters had with being forgotten. She also knew that overhauling an electoral system took time, money, and energy.
“I think in this election, it is more important than ever to vote for the representative that you want for you in Ottawa,” she added, “and not worry about voting for strategic reasons.”
The FPTP system is “wrong and needs to be overhauled,” or even eliminated, said NDP candidate Talon Regent. He pointed out that Liberal leader Justin Trudeau campaigned in 2015 to eliminate this system, but it’s still being used six years later.
“He decided that the Liberals and Conservatives benefit the most from that system. They like their majority governments and they will never change it,” he continued, noting the NDP will replace this system with a mixed-member proportional representation system where “every vote will count,” and people won’t have to vote strategically.
Conservative candidate Fraser Tolmie agreed that Trudeau campaigned in 2015 for electoral reform and did not deliver. He pointed out that former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer won the popular vote in 2019 with this system.
The Maverick Party believes in a democratic, constitutional reform that is balanced, while the federal civil service needs to be decentralized, so these workers live in Western Canada and serve this region’s interests, said candidate D. Craig Townsend.
Pandemic debt
A question submitted online asked candidates how they would help small businesses recover economically, especially those that took on debt during the pandemic.
The federal government needs to develop a plan for the economy and ensure that small and large business owners are supported, including encouraging Canadians to get off the emergency wage benefit, said Craik.
“The biggest part of this is we’ve crushed our economy in our response to the pandemic. Yes, this is a virus, but we need to learn to deal with it and get Canadians working again,” he added.
It will take vaccinations — the best tool to fight the virus — to ensure employees work and businesses stay open, said Zimmer. Everyone should have access to vaccines, which protect immunocompromised people and children and the economy.
The Liberals will introduce a $10 per day child-care package to help women return to work should they choose, which will stimulate the economy, she continued. The federal government also needs to be innovative and focus on long-term green jobs.
The NDP has a fully costed plan that many economists have deemed better at eliminating the deficit than any other party, said Regent. Meanwhile, it’s important to invest in education since every dollar invested nets $7 in return.
“The NDP plan … includes creating one million jobs. It includes growing our (renewable) energy economy. It includes getting everybody back to work (and) having affordable child care so women and parents can get back to work,” he added.
The Conservatives pulled Canada out of the 2008-09 recession and can do the same thing again now, said Tolmie. The party will provide a tax credit of 25 per cent for small businesses that invest over $100,000 during the next two years to encourage entrepreneurs to help rebuild the economy.
Western Canadians are intelligent, industrious people who thrive despite Ottawa’s interference, said Townsend. The Maverick Party will scrap the carbon tax and equalization and remove the federal government from industry so small businesses can produce.
Censorship, discrimination, overreach
A question from online asked candidates whether more transparency could occur between government and citizens and how citizens can be protected from censorship, overreach and discrimination.
The size of government needs to be reduced since many public sector jobs the Liberals have created were in civil service, said Craik. This could help address censorship and overreach. Furthermore, to create private-sector jobs, the PPCs would push pipelines through Canada, eliminate the carbon tax, stop foreign spending and remove Canada from globalist organizations.
“The Liberal party platform is an example of transparency,” said Zimmer, since it is a “very comprehensive and ambitious” plan that is fully costed. There is also a buffer built in since the next few years are economically uncertain.
“The platform is very inclusive. It has something for everybody,” she added.
Hate speech needs to be treated as a crime and stamped out to prevent discrimination, which means not worrying about government overreach, said Regent. This will send the message of hope and love instead of hate and fear.
The NDP would also protect Canada’s arts and culture scene from businesses such as Netflix and do more to promote home-grown talent, he added.
The Liberals don’t believe accountability applies to them since the party gave billions of dollars to Trudeau’s family members and favourable charities, said Tolmie. Instead, the Conservatives would pass an anti-corruption act to increase fines for ethical violations to $50,000.
The Maverick Party would eliminate all funding to media organizations and support additional rules that expel politicians from the House of Commons and Senate for ethics violations, said Townsend.
The federal election is Monday, Sept. 20.
