Provincial candidates try to woo Bolton votes
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter

Leadership, health care, education and taxes were among the issues the four candidates running in the provincial election for Dufferin-Caledon tackled during last Monday night's debate at Humberview secondary school organized by the Kinsmen Club of Bolton.

Rob Strang of the Green party started things off telling the slightly less than 100 people in attendance that he wants to see communities grow better not bigger. He said Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty "doesn't have the guts to stand up to the development industry." He challenged his Liberal and Progressive Conservative opponents to say they will stop the development industry. He added there's total lack of longterm planning in the province. He wants people's grandchildren to inherit a better quality of life.

Liberal candidate Betsy Hall won her party's nomination May 30 and said she started knocking on Bolton doors June 4. She explained leadership does matter.

"It matters where the leader is taking us," she said.

She noted Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, this riding's current MPP, has said there's no greater honour than to serve the City of Toronto.

"For me this election is about you in Dufferin- Caledon and Bolton," she said.

She added it's time to have a Liberal from this riding at the government table.

New Democratic Party candidate Lynda McDougall said hard-working men and women are looking for job security, and people want a leader who will put working families first.

She would like to see hydro made more affordable and energy made cleaner. She also wants people to have access to the best education, health care and longterm care.

Progressive Conservative candidate Sylvia Jones said she's proud to serve as a member of the John Tory team. She believes government decisions need to be fair and good for society.

She pointed out taxes are not being spent fairly or wisely by the current Liberal government.

The hot topic about funding faith-based schools is about being fair, she explained. She noted the United Nations has said Ontario hasn't been fair about funding education.

She and Tory also want to put fairness back in health care.

"For me this election is about leadership," she said.

She believes Dufferin- Caledon can thrive under Tory.

Following their opening remarks the candidates then addressed the spending of taxes.

Strang said the Green party is the most frugal of all the parties. He noted the sale of Highway 407 was the biggest waste of taxpayers' money by the Progressive Conservatives. He added Market Value Assessment is a huge bureaucracy costing millions of dollars.

Hall noted the Tories lied about the $5.6 billion deficit when they were in government. She added the idea of funding all faith-based schools could result in a fragmented education system with a variety of boards.

McDougall commented the average family making $80,000 per year has been hurt by the health premium tax brought in by the Liberals. Now people are hearing about the government having a $2.3 billion surplus just before the election. The NDP will shift taxes on to those who aren't paying.

Jones said the Progressive Conservatives will reinvest into roads, bridges and transit, and this will make a difference to those who commute to work.

During public questions, a woman asked why should voters trust Jones after her party left government with a deficit.

Jones said the PC's plan is to eliminate the largest tax increase in Ontario's history brought in by the Liberals with a fiscal plan that works.

Strang commented the Green party believes in a tax shift. His party will increase taxes on fossil fuels, oil and natural gas and decrease income and health taxes.

McDougall explained the NDP will freeze property taxes from January 2005 until a home sells or until there's a $40,000 improvement made to the home.

Hall said fiscally the Liberals will pay down the debt.

Another woman noted the Conservatives are advocating private health care. She asked Jones how can they reduce taxes and improve the service.

Jones replied there are private clinics where people can use their OHIP card. She added the Liberals chose only three things to reduce wait times while other areas put people at the back of the line.

"Wouldn't it be better to have health care that covers all of us?" Jones asked.

Hall said the Liberals concentrated on five things to reduce wait times. The introduction of private clinics would be the beginning of a slippery slope, she remarked.

"Private clinics are for those who can pay their way to the front of the line," Hall said.

McDougall said the NDP wants all hospital care to remain public. She noted in Dufferin-Caledon they don't receive enough money, and there's a great need for more doctors, nurses and equipment.

"More funding, all public," she summarized.

Strang said the Green party thinks long term.

"We have to have a healthy population," he said.

His party wants to place an emphasis on illness prevention.