Kitchener-Waterloo All-candidates Meeting for the 2008 Federal Election

• 2008-10-02 12:00-14:00
• SLC Great Hall, University of Waterloo
• notes recorded by Denver Gingerich

People

• Candidates present (in order of seating position, left to right):
  • Andrew Telegdi (Liberal)
  • Peter Braid (Conservative)
  • Cathy MacLellan (Green)
  • Cindy Jacobsen (NDP)
  • Kyle Huntingdon (Canadian Action Party)
• Moderator: Dr. Ken Coates

These notes may contain errors or summarize the candidates' statements in ways that miss the point of what they were trying to say. If there are any obvious errors here, please correct them.

Opening statements

Telegdi (Liberal)

• talked about his past involvement:
  • Federation of Students president at UW, helped start WPIRG
  • safe housing conditions

Braid (Conservative)

• graduated in International Relations from U of T
• worked for government (immigration) and Sun Life Financial
• discussed Harper's results: lower taxes, etc.
• took a jab at Liberal's Green Plan, it will be bad for economy

MacLellan (Green)

• graduated from UW in coop Health Studies 1985
• discussed how we will consume more resources in the next 30 years than we have in all of past history
• discussed climate crisis and how we need to act
• described renewal resource research

Jacobsen (NDP)

• important to have community and government willing to support education so everyone can go to university
• NDP cares about making education affordable (especially university)

Huntingdon (Action Party)

• 2 main issues being ignored:
  • increasing loss of sovereignty to the US; integrating borders
    • FBI, CIA able to enter 50 km into Canada without getting Canadian authorization
  • fraudulent banking system
    • need tighter restrictions on money creation

Questions from student associations, Imprint (student newspaper), etc.

More and more students are needing loans and accumulating large debts. What will you do to help that?

Braid

• government lifted maximum on RESPs
• party platform not yet released; will be released soon

MacLellan

• relied on government grants/loans to get degree
• Green Party will forgive 50% of debt upon completing post sec

Jacobsen

• NDP proposed post sec education act
• would table act right away
• cap put on interest on loans

Huntingdon

• students should not have to pay for post sec like France

Telegdi

• restore summer jobs fund that Conservatives cut
• lower loan rates to prime + .5%
• create 200,000 needs-based bursaries
• increase funding for university research

Braid (reply)

• need to make sure that commitments can be funded
• would be interested to know the price tag on the Green loan forgiveness plan

How much would you invest in university research? What are the strings attached?

MacLellan

• discussed solar research
• need to discuss in government where research money should go, especially renewable energy research
• government dismissed science advisor; not a good idea

Jacobsen

• should take $52 billion tax breaks to oil companies and use instead for research

Huntingdon

• if we were using Bank of Canada properly, we could do more

Telegdi

• $500m/yr increase in funding for indirect cost of research
• only strings attached are that research is peer-approved

Braid

• will have platform ready soon
• $52m provided to Perimeter in budget 2007
  • that sort of support will continue

MacLellan (reply)

• pursue public/private cooperation

C-61 invoked a great deal of concern. Where would you stand on the issue of copyright reform? What steps would you take if a bill were tabled?

Jacobsen

• very important bill
• need to be collaborative with creation of bill
  • artists need to be in on it; it's their creation
  • concern: big business is using artists to make money for itself
• need to be encouragin innovation and allow artists to do their work

Huntingdon

• most offensive bill ever seen
• claims to be made in Canada, but isn't
• bill can force Internet provider to rat on your activity
• C-61 is very dangerous

Telegdi

• one of the problems: stakeholders, general public wasn't heard
• critical that we get the balance right
• need to have a climate where people can be heard
• need to keep in mind Conservative's cut to the arts; hurts artists

Braid

• strong believer and supporter of the arts
• Prentice oversaw it; very capable
• not concerned about amount of consultation that was had
• felt we needed to update and modernize copyright
• that said, bill is not carved in stone; I'd be interested in suggestions for change

MacLellan

• was at McOrmond's 2-hour copyright talk last night; learned a lot
• Green Party very interested in what's going on in copyright
• bill is very complex; even PhD encryption students don't know if they'd be breaking the law
• C-61 is built for another time, like the tax system that subsidizes polluters
• need to completely re-create copyright law

Jacobsen (reply)

• Conservatives say it's about owners vs consumers
• need to get creators into the debate
• we're forgetting the soul of Canadians

What would you do to financially help international students?

Huntingdon

• we need to do whatever we can
• we don't have specific policy
• we need to help those that don't have their degrees recognized here
  • easy system for recognizing degrees

Telegdi

• work on these issues every day
• under Conservatives, it is in a mess
• affects professors on sabbatical; can't bring their families to Canada
• need to open up the system so more people can come
• immigration itself needs a great deal of reform

Braid

• agree that immigration needs modernization
• want the best and brightest to stay and study here
• will streamline application process; include family reunification

MacLellan

• spent a year in India, Birkina Faso, Rwanda; have seen from their point of view
• we play a tremendous role in offering places for international students
• we enrich our country and the students' country of origin

Jacobsen

• governments have been saying plan will be streamlined for many years
• Layton won't put up with lack of action
• committed to actually doing it (streamlining entry process)
• committed to implementing immediately

Huntingdon

• will look into this issue; don't have exact platform

Only 25% of aboriginal population has post sec education. What would you do to ensure aboriginal population has resources to attend post sec?

Telegdi

• Harper destroyed the aboriginal agreement we had
• we will fund 100,000 students through access to education fund
• the Kelowna Accord is very important
• we need it across the country

Braid

• very proud of the record of our government: ie. historic apology on aboriginal schools
• setup special claims tribunal to fast-track land claim issues
  • resolved a record number of land claim issues
• our educational plan specifically addresses low-income and aboriginal people

MacLellan

• want to see Kelowna Accord ratified
• we need good primary and secondary schools so more aboriginal people can get to post secondary

Jacobsen

• NDP would immediately ratify UN declaration of rights of indigenous peoples
• needs to be a change in our attitudes toward First Nations people
• need to walk the talk

Huntingdon

• support the Kelowna Accord
• need to get at the social roots by working with the people

Telegdi (reply)

• one can make an apology, but a Conservative insulted aboriginals the next day
• need Kelowna Accord back; Conservatives destroyed it

Questions from the floor

25 and 5 year plan: What is your plan for reducing poverty? Across Canada and in KW?

Braid

• reducing poverty is a very important issue
• we've taken measures to do this through income tax cuts, GST cuts
• in our own community, need collaboration with community groups

MacLellan

• people aren't poor if they have quality jobs
• government subsidizes green house gas emissions
• lowering taxes does not help the poor; have less money to fund organizations that help
• the rich are the people that benefit from GST cuts

Jacobsen

• #1 thing is to stop $52 billion give away to companies
• need to establish $10 minimum wage, increasing with inflation
• set goal to reduce poverty rate by 50%
• make gov't accountable for reducing poverty

Huntingdon

• Canada failed to meet child poverty goal
• need funding at a community level
• need to use the Bank of Canada effectively

Telegdi

• Liberals have 30,50 plan
• housing program would be put in place
• current gov't is letting in many underskilled workers who can't bring their families and can only stay for 2 years
• we should not have this "guest country" program

Braid (reply)

• Liberals took no action on Kyoto and Kelowna
• Conservatives will take action and have results

If Canada was home, what would you hang on the door?

MacLellan

• "welcome", "wait": we seem to take forever to do things

Jacobsen

• a dream catcher; keep what is good

Huntingdon

• welcome mat; we're a very welcoming country

Telegdi

• came here as a refugee in 1957
• welcoming has been important
• we must embrace the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Braid

• window with mosaic of opportunity, home

MacLellan (reply)

• why I jumped into politics: worried about Canada, nowhere to put my vote
• worried that we're losing our sovereignty and becoming the 51st state
• propelled me to look to the Green Party, which lines up with my values
  • ie. participatory democracy

"Better Aid Bill" C-293 will let you ask CIDA about progress. How will you use that to ensure better aid and development?

Jacobsen

• need to work quickly and efficiently to ensure help is protected from corruption and that people are benefiting from the aid
• we need to act, not just speak

Huntingdon

• 1.7% promise on international aid should be kept

Telegdi

• need to have enough money in CIDA
• 0.34% aid has gone to 0.28% under Conservatives
• need to get rid of tied aid; need to take local concerns into account

Braid

• int'l development very important
• we need to balance issues of all parties
• need to increase aid when we can do that
• need more CIDA employees working overseas; 85% of CIDA is in Gatineau

MacLellan

• Canada must forgive countries that are in great debt
• CIDA used to have a long-term outlook
• we don't hear from government about CIDA
• we need to know more about CIDA
• need to review trade practices with developing countries
• price of sugar tripled in Rwanda while I was there

Jacobsen (reply)

• world looks to Canada on int'l development issues
• we need to follow through on our promises

Conditions for Afghanistan people have become much better. Why haven't we heard about this? Do you think removing troops will help?

Huntingdon

• should be taking different role: toward development and aid and away from combat
• terrorist organizations are fixed by integrating them in a helpful way to society

Telegdi

• if all NATO troops were withdrawn, Afghanistan would go back to chaos
• under UN, Canada got engaged
• Liberals pushed for exit date to 2011; others in NATO should be doing the heavy lifting
• need to secure the area before starting development

Braid

• we are making a difference in Afghanistan
• many people are in school that weren't there before
• instilling freedom, democracy, and human rights in Afghanistan

MacLellan

• have to be careful with numbers; who's collecting the numbers, et.
• I've written extensively about this issue extensively at votecathy.ca
• the Green Party would like to see us re-balance the mission in Afghanistan
• 90% of our money is going to the military; we need to fix that

Jacobsen

• Layton said we have to be out there as soldiers, but stay as humanitarians
• been there way too long; no right to remain as soldiers

Huntingdon (reply)

• we need to be aware of and doing something about the torture going on in Afghanistan, allowed by Canadian government

There's been discussion about North American Union, including integrating the currencies. Is this a possibility? Will you embrace it?

Telegdi

• just have to look south
• US is bailing out Wall Street, not helping Main Street
• what happens in the US will affect us
• absolutely no way we should be getting into it

Braid

• US is our closest friend and trading partner
• the relationship will remain that way
• the government will always stand up for the sovereignty of Canada

MacLellan

• "security and prosperity partnership" crushes Canada
• we don't get to know about this partnership and the dealings going on
• we need to manage our relationship very carefully
• can mediate desires of the US with the rest of the world

Jacobsen

• NDP would say "no"
• would open up to re-negotiate NAFTA

Huntingdon

• fight against SPP is a central part of the Action Party
• "prince of pot" arrested by the DEA in Canada; can't let things like this happen

Telegdi (reply)

• Harper suggests we should join the war in Iraq
• this is not standing up for sovereignty

One of the biggest problem is alienation felt by young people in the political process. Is this a concern? What do you and your party propose to re-engage this generation in the voting process and reduce voter apathy?

Braid

• my campaign includes many students helping out
• that itself provides an opportunity to engage
• I'd like to see more engagement with youth and a higher voter turnout

MacLellan

• I want you to vote because we know that young people vote for the Greens :)
• doing my best to be straight-forward and authentic, not a policy wonk

Jacobsen

• this is the best question of the debate
• there is apathy among everyone; people don't think a vote makes a difference
• we're not sure that anything real is going on
• the only way we can change is to exercise our right to vote

Huntingdon

• I understand this very well, being 22
• the problem seems to be the "Jon Stewart factor": people understand the process but they're cynical about the process and how it works
• candidates should not need $1000 to run

Telegdi

• about 25% of eligible students vote
• the Green Shift, other parts of the platform are about future generations
• if you don't get engaged, we will have more neo-conservative governments

Braid (reply)

• the Liberals are desperate
• we will focus on the issues that matter to you: focus on the economy, tackle the environment, deal with the issues that are important to you

Closing remarks

MacLellan

• governments work for you
• need to begin now for a low-carbon economy; this will not destroy our economy
• make history for our country: for the first time, elect Green MPs to parliament
• we need proportional representation
• voices of ordinary Canadians got Elizabeth May into debates
• you can make a difference this time around

Jacobsen

• there are so many people being left behind
• people are here because they believe in making a difference
• philosophy of NDP is that we're in this together; we have to share the pie

Huntingdon

• average age in Parliament is 54
• there are no young voices in Parliament
• we can change that by voting
• I will fight Canadian sovereignty and personal liberties

Telegdi

• I have been an agent of change since Feds involvement
• Conservatives could get a majority with 35% of the vote
• we don't have a Progressive Conservative party anymore
• there is no tolerance within the Conservative party; people who vote against the party are ejected

Braid

• we need a stronger voice in Canada
• we need the voice of Harper's government