The Last of the Notes from the All-Candidates Meeting

And finally, the last of my notes from the January 11th all-candidates meeting for the Parkdale-High Park riding, complete with closing statements. If you’d like to see my other notes, follow the links below:

• All-Candidates Meeting: Opening Statements
• All-Candidates Meeting: First Two Questions
• More Questions from the All-Candidates Meeting
• Even More Questions from the All-Candidates Meeting

For all these notes, I’m wearing my “citizen journalist” hat. That means

that I have attempted, to the best of my ability, to provide an honest

account of what I saw and heard at the meeting. Any of my personal asides will appear in red italics.

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Question 10: What are Your Energy Policies?

Peggy Nash, New Democratic Party  

• Stop subsidizing oil and gas — more investing in solar and wind energy

  

• Currently, we’re making substantial investments in non-renewable resources

  

• Would advocate a slow phase-out from non-renewable energy — remember, many people make their livelihood off them

  

• Look at alternative energy sources: wind, sun, ethanol

  

• Alternative energy is a key part of the NDP plan

Rob Rischinsky, Green Party

• End subsidies to all wasteful industry

   

• Solving the energy problem also requires looking at the demand side of the equation

   

• We feel that nuclear energy is a bad option — that’s what differentiates us from the NDP

   

• Alternative energy sources can provide us with 10,000 Megawatts of power

Sam Bulte, Liberal Party   

• In our 2005 budget, we invested in co-generation, wind and biodiesel

   

• Our energy efficiency and retrofit programs

Lorne Gershuny, Marxist-Leninist Party

• Stop subsidizing oil

   

• Invest in wind power instead

Jurij Klufas, Conservative Party

• The Conservatives will establish a national standard where all fuel is at least 5% ethanol by 2010

   

• That would cut greenhouse emissions by 4 million tons [or is it tonnes?] per year

   

• Biodiesel is also another solution

Terry Parker, Marijuana Party   

• [incoherent mumbling]

Closing Statements

Terry Parker, Marijuana Party

• Prohibition kills

   

• We call for legalization

   

• Legal marijuana will generate lots of tax revenues

Rob Rischinsky, Green Party   

• We advocate a new style of thinking

   

• The “left/right” distinction in politics is from the past

   

• Our system was created in the 19th century, run by 20th century parties trying to solve 21st-century problems

   

• We run campaigns based on hope; we believe hope trumps fear

   

• We are diverse people, moving into a post-national era

   

• The Globe and Mail said that we were the party making positive statements

Lorne Gershuny, Marxist-Leninist Party

• In this meeting, there were no questions about the international situation

   

• We would form an anti-war government

   

• We are opposed to wars of aggression on sovereign states by the U.S.

   

• We condemn the complicity of the Canadian government

   

• Our reputation as peacekeepers is undeserved

   

• Wars fought for “humanitarian interests” are a fraud

   

• We are “junior partners” in the U.S. plan

   

• Wars are fought for business

   

• We would uphold the U.N. charter of non-interference

Peggy Nash, New Democratic Party   

• In the last election, I finished a close second

   

• This means that people want changes

   

• The NDP will invest in:
  • Seniors

             

  • Education

             

  • Public health care — and stop its privatization

             

  • Environment

         

• We will give you a clean government

   

• I’ll consult with the riding regularly — “You won’t only see me at election time”
• [Enthusiastic response from crowd]

Sam Bulte, Liberal Party

• On January 24th, either Paul Martin or Stephen Harper will be prime minister

   

• You can either have a fend-for-yourself system run by a man whom the lauded as “Pro-American”

   

• Or we can strive together for a common goal

   

• Canada is doing well: we don’t borrow, we are active in world social programs and we are a society where newcomers are welcome

   

• What change do you want — a backwards fight where we rehash old debates, or moving forward and building

   

• We are the party of “medicare to multiculturalism”

   

• We are the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Jurij Klufas   

• Do you want more of the same, or do you want real change?

   

• The Liberals brought you the sponsorship scandal

   

• They have an entitlement mentality

   

• We would bring in a Federal Accountability Act

   

• We would cut the GST from 7% to 6%, and then to 5%

   

• The Liberals believe that parents can’t be trusted on how best to spend money on their children — they say you’ll spend it on beer and popcorn

   

• We would make sure the immigration policy was fair

   

• The Liberals say they are the unity party but have no credibility in Quebec

   

• Mention of their man in Quebec, Jean Charest

   

• On guns:
  • We will crack down on illegal guns

         

  • We support mandatory sentences for serious gun crimes