Oshawa candidates spar on numerous issues at first debate

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

With three weeks left before the provincial election, voters recently got one of their first chances to see the major party candidates in debate action.

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Durham Home Builders Association and Durham Region Association of Realtors hosted a candidates debate the Lviv Hall in Oshawa on Tuesday, May 15.

NDP candidate and riding incumbent Jennifer French was joined by PC candidate Bob Chapman and Liberal representative Makini Smith.

The trio voiced their views on a number of topics in what was, for the most part, a civil discourse.

Housing

With house prices increasing, the candidates were asked how their party would bring affordability to the market.

Smith said the Liberals’ Fair Housing Plan includes comprehensive measures to make housing affordable for both homebuyers and renters, including a tax refund for first-time buyers.

Noting that Durham’s population is set to continue to grow, Chapman believes affordability ties directly to supply and demand.

A PC government would prioritize land use planning and align it with supply and demand.

French said there are currently “not even options for people to get into the market.”

She claims the NDP will “not leave money on the table”, and join into the federal government’s National Housing Strategy, with plans to build 65,000 affordable units over the next 10 years.

French said there must be a wide variety of housing types to choose from.

“Whatever the vision is we need to have options,” she said.

Smith stated the housing industry has “done well” under the Liberal government, with more than $600 million in permits awarded in 2017 and “rows and rows of detached homes” being built.

However, she believes a large section of Oshawa’s population, renters, are being ignored in conversations on affordable housing.

“Paving over the Green Belt is not the right decision,” she added.

In response, Chapman, a former city and regional councillor, said the achievements Smith spoke of are despite the Liberal government instead of because of them.

“We [the city and region] reduced red tape in municipal regulations,” he said.

Furthermore, to spur development, Chapman said the Conservatives would free up surplus land owned by the province, such as parking lots and brownfields, stating that practice was successful for the federal government in Ottawa.

It was suggested that the province should offer some form of a tax credit or rebate to people looking to renovate their homes because many have fallen victim to scam artists.

Smith said her mother had to sell off the family home because it had become unaffordable for her.

To stop situations like this, the Liberals have pledged $1 billion over three years to help seniors 75 and over “maintain and renovate their homes.”

In addition, the Green Ontario Fund has been established to provide grants to promote energy efficient homes.

Chapman said such an idea merits “research and study” and would reduce “scams and frauds.”

However, he was frank in stating his party did not have such a plan at this point.

“We listen to the people, if it is affordable…we will definitely look at it,” he said.

French noted almost everyone knows of someone who has been “taken advantage of” by fraudulent renovators.

She said the NDP would dedicate $50 million in cap-and-trade revenues to create a no-interest retrofit program to encourage energy efficiency and save homeowners money.

Hydro

Hydro rates, a contentious issue so far in the provincial election, were also on the table for discussion.

French said the first step is to put Hydro One back in public hands.

“Privatization began with the Conservatives. If it was still under public hands there would not be the decisions that have been made. We’ve lost control of a public asset,” she said.

Smith noted that she has heard many concerns about hydro rates as well.

As a new candidate, she said she was not there to defend what the Liberals had done in the past but to bring those concerns to Queen’s Park.

Chapman agreed that Hydro One should have never been sold off, and criticized the Liberals for “flip-flopping” on the issue after the 2014 election.

However, he believes the “horse has left the barn” and making Hydro One public again wouldn’t solve the problem.

The Conservatives have promised to cut hydro rates by an additional 12 per cent, and Chapman said his party will also lower industrial rates.

Long-term care

With an aging population in Durham, the three candidates laid out their parties’ plans for long-term care.

The PCs plan to add 15,000 new long-term care beds over a five-year period, and will review current policies for PSW care, Chapman explained.

French said cuts to long-term care began in the 1990s and the service has been “frozen in time” since.

With a pledge of 15,000 new beds over the first five years in power and 40,000 by 2028, the NDP would also install a ‘minimum standard of care.’

Smith referred back to a previous Liberal vow to create 25,000 new long-term care beds.

With the vast majority of Durham’s homeless population living in Oshawa and many other residents living in poverty, Smith said this serves as a great concern for her.

Coupled with drug addiction issues, she said there are places in the city, namely South Oshawa, that “are not safe for seniors and children.”

Smith said she’s spoke with those dealing with poverty face-to-face, noting often politicians make policies that “don’t speak to those that are affected.”

Calling Oshawa ‘a caring community,’ Chapman said his party will invest $1.9 billion towards drug addiction and mental health services over the next decade.

“We need to treat mental health like physical health,” he said.

Poverty and homelessness can spin off into health issues, French said.

“Dental care is a huge issue, and should not be a bipartisan one,” she said.

With approximately 4.5 million Ontarians without dental coverage, French said they are flocking to emergency rooms and doctor offices to deal with dental issues, where they are usually only treated with painkillers.

“We need to keep them out of the hospital hallways.”

On education, Chapman stated math, reading and writing scores need to improve, noting that many students can’t “add without a calculator or computer.”

“We need to change that,” he said.

A former teacher, French said Ontario students are not “getting the funding they deserve and need.”

“Every child deserves to reach their full potential,” she said, noting that the NDP will end EQAO testing.

Smith stated students must receive the support they need in the classroom to succeed.

The next scheduled debate is set for today (May 23) at the Regent Theatre from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

It will be hosted by CUPE, Unifor Local 222 Retirees, Durham Region Labour Council, the UOIT Faculty Association and We Are Oshawa.