Election Day on September 20, 2021 is quickly approaching. Each candidate and party has different ideas about what is important, how to spend tax money, and how to solve problems. You need to decide what is important to you, and what you think is best for Canada and our riding. Then you need to find out which candidate and which political party you align with most. With the Stittsville debate behind us, Stittsville Central reached out last week to each federal Carleton Riding candidate asking for their responses to the same three questions.
1. Canadian politics is increasingly divided along Rural/Urban lines as is the case here in our riding of Carleton. How would you bridge the gap between the two?
2. Residents are curious to know what each candidate believes are the priorities to improve the riding of Carleton?
3. To lighten things up – What 3 songs would you put on your deserted island playlist?
The following responses are from the candidates in the federal riding of Carleton.
Nira Dookeran – Green Party of Canada – Nira Dookeran was born in Winnipeg and moved to Ottawa 29 years ago after studying in Toronto. Nira is an English Second Language Teacher with a demonstrated history of excellence, leadership, perseverance, and innovation in English as a Second Language.
Nira Dookeran did not respond to our questions.
Gustave Roy – Liberal Party of Canada – Gustave Roy is a dedicated community leader with deep roots in our community. Gustave has called Ottawa home for 25 years. He’s been married since 2003 to Valerie and have a son, Thomas. Gustave is recognized as an authentic and articulate team player who naturally connects with stakeholders on a human level and achieves results through thoughtful planning, collaborations and partnerships.
- Canadian politics is increasingly divided along Rural/Urban lines as is the case here in our riding of Carleton. How would you bridge the gap between the two?
RESPONSE: I want to bridge the gap by being a collaborative and positive voice for the residents of Carleton. We need to work with all partners, including provincial and municipal governments to make sure that no one is left behind- no matter where you leave. Another way to bridge this gap is to improve public transit and infrastructure. This will help residents connect better between surrounding communities and it will help create a greener and more sustainable community. We also need to provide reliable broadband access to drive more opportunities for economic development. - Residents are curious to know what each candidate believes are the priorities to improve the riding of Carleton?
RESPONSE: When talking to residents in Carleton, the top three priorities that have been raised are affordable child care, infrastructure, and tackling climate change. These are priorities that I have a plan for. Affordable child care helps us parents look after who we cherish the most, our children and Canada’s future generations. The Liberal plan is the only one that can achieve that. I want to ensure that young parents in Carleton can provide for their growing families. That’s why I will fight to make sure that Ontario signs on to the 10 dollars a day child care agreement with the Government of Canada.Carleton is a growing community that needs improved infrastructure. For example, Riverside South- badly needs a community centre. I will work with the province and municipality on a smart project proposal that focuses on renewable energy under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Many rural communities in Carleton also need reliable high- speed internet and through the Universal Broadband Fund, Carleton residents will soon be able to connect reliably to the many services offered throughout the digital world.Tackling climate change requires improving public transit and active transportation systems. Carleton residents will not be left behind in the implementation of stage three of the LRT. I will also collaborate with all levels of government on building new and expanded networks of pathways, bike lanes, trails and pedestrian bridges to create economic, environmental, and social benefits for Carleton’s communities. Additionally, we must start developing a net-zero electricity grid to power our communities by 2035, contributing towards meeting our national carbon-neutral ambitions. - To lighten things up – What 3 songs would you put on your deserted island playlist?
RESPONSE: Life is Life by Opus; I Try by Macy Gray; and, Time by Sons of Anarchy
Kevin Hua – New Democratic Party of Canada – Kevin Hua was raised in Stittsville, and is a second-generation Chinese Canadian immigrant. Kevin is committed to standing up to help make Carleton a more inclusive and equitable place for everyone. Kevin believes passionately that people from all walks of life should have a voice in parliament.
- Canadian politics is increasingly divided along Rural/Urban lines as is the case here in our riding of Carleton. How would you bridge the gap between the two?
RESPONSE: We must realize that some of the challenges that lay ahead of us affect us all without prejudice or distinction like the climate crisis which will lay out its severe consequences without care for urban or rural if we do not take genuine action. At the same time, we must also recognize that despite our differences, our rural and urban communities form the whole that is Canada and Carleton, that we must support and uplift each other in the face of our unique challenges like how our urban communities need affordable childcare and housing while our rural communities need reliable telecommunication and transportation. A politics guided by compassion supports the mutual interest of urban and rural cooperation and coordination to build a better society for both together. - Residents are curious to know what each candidate believes are the priorities to improve the riding of Carleton?
RESPONSE: My priorities to improve Carleton include supporting the fight against climate change with public investments of retrofitting all buildings and electrifying public transit, reducing the cost of living with programs like affordable $10/day childcare and eliminating interest on student debt, investing in infrastructure projects like high-speed reliable internet access and expanding public transit, bringing in tax fairness by reinforcing the CRA in its fight against tax dodging by the wealthy and corporations and implementing a 1% wealth tax on wealth above $10 million, and address the problems in long-term care by ending private for-profit long-term care and adopting a national standard for long-term care. - To lighten things up – What 3 songs would you put on your deserted island playlist?
RESPONSE: Three songs are definitely not enough for me but if I had to choose three, I would choose Je Veux by Zaz, We Could Be The Same by maNga, and Like Flames by MindaRyn.
Peter Crawley – People’s Party of Canada – Having lived his whole life in the Ottawa area, Peter Crawley is very excited to be running for MP in the Carleton riding. Peter is a 34 year old small business owner/operator of a successful heating and cooling company and he feels a moral obligation to enter the world of politics to fight for his country. The people that know Peter best describe him as genuine, dedicated, and patriotic.
- Canadian politics is increasingly divided along Rural/Urban lines as is the case here in our riding of Carleton. How would you bridge the gap between the two?
RESPONSE: I don’t believe the government should play any role in trying to alter or influence the beliefs or opinions of its citizens. - Residents are curious to know what each candidate believes are the priorities to improve the riding of Carleton?
RESPONSE: Since this is a federal election, I believe that issues under federal jurisdiction that are most important to Carleton are the same as what is most important to the rest of the country; respecting the constitutional rights and freedoms of Canadians by not imposing authoritarian Covid measures that prevent people from being able to go to work and to enjoy life. - To lighten things up – What 3 songs would you put on your deserted island playlist?
RESPONSE: I would bring a guitar so that I can write my own music and always have something new to listen to.
Pierre Poilievre – Conservative Party of Canada – Pierre Poilievre lives in the Eastern Ontario village of Greely with his wife Anaida and their daughter Valentina. He grew up in Calgary and graduated from the University of Calgary with a degree in International Relations. Pierre champions the free market in which everyone gets ahead on merit, not government handouts, and people take ownership of and responsibility for their own destinies.
- Canadian politics is increasingly divided along Rural/Urban lines as is the case here in our riding of Carleton. How would you bridge the gap between the two?
RESPONSE: Over the past six years, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have ignored the needs of rural Canadians. The Liberals have failed to bring reliable, broadband internet to Canada’s rural communities, and I hear this right here in Carleton, in places like Metcalfe, Munster and Ashton. The pandemic has highlighted that reliable high-speed internet is an essential service, and rural Canadians deserve the same access and economic opportunities it brings as people living in the ByWard Market. A Conservative government will get rural broadband built over the next four years and build digital infrastructure to connect all of Canada to high-speed internet by 2025. To ensure this happens, Conservatives will appoint a Minister of Rural Affairs to have a rural representative at the Cabinet table. - Residents are curious to know what each candidate believes are the priorities to improve the riding of Carleton?
RESPONSE: Carleton needs a recovery plan to secure the future for families in Stittsville, Riverside South, Findlay Creek, and every village across the community. Conservatives are proposing a Made-in-Canada plan that will replace government cheques with paychecks, by creating one million new jobs, aided by our jobs surge plan that will pay 50% of salary for new small business hires over the next six months. This will help get Canadians back to work, our economy back on track and the help wanted signs in store fronts down.
Conservatives will get public spending back under control, to pre-pandemic levels. This will stop the trajectory of a debt crisis that Justin Trudeau has set us on, as the government is currently borrowing over $400 million per day. Securing our public finances will ensure that our cherished social programs are funded adequately.
The pandemic has demonstrated that work from home is a practical and desired option for many civil servants. For all tasks that are doable remotely, the government should encourage more work from home options. This will put more money in the pockets of civil servants, cut down commute times, reduce emissions, and create more free time to spend with family and loved ones. - To lighten things up – What 3 songs would you put on your deserted island playlist?
RESPONSE: A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley and Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles.
We thank all of the candidates for taking the time out of their busy schedules to respond to our questions.
Vote on September 20!