Rob Strang, Karen Gventer, Lori Holloway and Sylvia Jones discussed a host of issues at Tuesday night's meeting. There’s considerable agreement among the four major party candidates running in Dufferin Caledon on the need for such things as affordable housing, mental health services, encouraging volunteerism, food security, supports for seniors, etc.

Such matters were discussed at length Tuesday night at the all-candidates’ meeting hosted by Caledon Community Services (CCS) and Fair Share for Peel.

The candidates fielded a number of predetermined questions covering these issues and others. But the questions that came from the floor dealt with practicalities, namely how to pay for these services.

One man in the audience pointed out the Province is already in debt, to the tune of some $250 billion, yet there’s talk of more government spending.

Green party candidate Rob Strang said his is the only party that has a plan for balancing the budget in the coming term.

“Debt is going to kill us,” he declared.

The plan of combat it, he said, includes not lowering corporate tax rates (he said they’re already low) and not subsidizing energy costs. He said that in the long-term, the only way to control energy costs is to control consumption. He also called for raising the levy on aggregates.

New Democrat Karen Gventer stated that over the last 20 years, her party has balanced more budgets than any other party in Canada. She said one of the main points in the NDP platform is affordability. One method of bringing that about is restoring corporate tax rates, which she said are a lot lower than they need to be. She also called for the need to invest in public services, arguing every dollar spent that way adds $1.40 to the economy, while a dollar of corporate tax cuts only adds $1.30.

Liberal candidate Lori Holloway argued the provincial debt doubled in the five years the NDP were in power in Ontario. She added the New Democrats want to raise taxes, and that will put the economic recovery at risk. She also said the Progressive Conservatives have a $14 billion hole in their budgeting plans.

PC incumbent Sylvia Jones said her party is committed to finding two per cent in savings in every ministry, except Health and Education.

She also charged there has been an 80 per cent increase in government spending in the eight years the Liberals have been in power.

As well, Jones pointed out there are 630 agencies, boards and commissions in the Provincial government. The Tories plan to review them all, tweaking the ones that need it, and scrapping the ones that aren’t worth keeping. That will include the Local Health Integrated Networks (LHINs). She said that will free up some $300 million, which will go toward front-line health care.

Another man observed that successive governments, dating back to the days of Bill Davis, have been ducking the issue of the hydro debt. He expressed his objections to the debt retirement charge being part of his hydro bill.

Jones commented that was supposed to be a temporary tax, but the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty has extended the time it will be in place. “Enough is enough,” she declared.

Holloway said the debt reduction charge is the result of Conservative mismanagement. She added if the charge is scrapped, the money will have to be made up somehow.

“There’s a whole lot not being said,” she remarked, adding it’s part of the $14 billion hole in the Conservative platform.

Gventer said it really doesn’t matter because the debt is still going to be there, largely because of cost overruns from nuclear plants.

She added the NDP have a plan to reduce energy consumption.

Strang agreed the nuclear cost overruns were a problem, pointing out they were some 2.5 times projections.

He charged the Conservatives and Liberals still advocate investing in nuclear, also pointing out the PCs under former premier Ernie Eves capped electricity costs. He re-iterated his point that capping energy costs is folly.

He added there is still a hydro debt that has to be paid.

There were a couple of ideas put forth from the floor.

One man commented that he can give money to a charity and get a tax receipt for it. He wondered if some kind of similar arrangement could be worked out for people who give of their time.

Holloway liked the idea of looking for innovative ways to support non-profit operations.

Gventer added it would be good to come up with new ways to encourage volunteering. She lamented that there is a trend today for some people to look at their volunteer activities in terms of what’s in it for them, instead of it being the right thing to do.

Strang, who used to be a Town councillor in Orangeville, said he was amazed at the number of people who volunteer their time. There were so many that he didn’t think issuing tax receipts would be affordable.

He also pointed out some volunteers are compensated. He cited the example of firefighters, although he commented that full-time firefighter unions have objected to their members volunteering their services. He had hoped the government would step in a do something about it, but the Grits have done nothing yet.