The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) hosted a pair of debates this week, including one featuring the Barrie-Innisfil candidates where the environment was among the topics of discussion.
The Barrie chapter's debate on Tuesday night saw three of the four candidates answer questions, including Conservative incumbent John Brassard, the NDP's Aleesha Gostkowski, and the Liberal Party's Lisa-Marie Wilson. People’s Party candidate Corrado Brancato was not in attendance and no reason was given by organizers.
The five topics at the debate included COVID-19, the federal budget, long-term care homes, the environment, and affordability.
On the topic of the environment, all three candidates in attendance pointed out the threat that climate change brings.
Gostkowski said the NDP has a plan to battle climate change with an environmental bill of rights.
“New Democrats will stand up to the abusive power of polluters, the harms of which disproportionately impact remote and marginalized communities,” Gostkowski said. “We are committed to expanding protections for our natural environment, beginning with enshrining the right to a healthy environment in a Canadian environmental bill of rights.
"This would ensure all communities would get a guarantee to clean water, land and air.”
Wilson called climate change "the greatest long-term threat of our time." She said the Liberal Party has a plan for a cleaner environment and more jobs.
“We will create new middle-class jobs for Canadians by making Canada a world leader in batteries to power the clean economy, helping industries to adopt clean technologies to cut pollution and supporting all workers to ensure that no one is left behind,” Wilson said.
Brassard said the Conservatives' plan is the most extensive he had seen in his six years as MP and, while naming off some points in the plan, spoke of his party’s commitment to Lake Simcoe.
“Canada’s Conservatives have in the past provided almost $60 million to the Lake Simcoe Clean-up Fund. In 2019, we renewed a commitment to the fund and we’ve done it again in our 2021 plan,” Brassard said. “It is critically important for the ecosystem, for the health, vitality and sustainability of Lake Simcoe that we reinvest in that plan.”
To watch the full CARP debate for Barrie-Innisfil, click here.
The federal election is Monday, Sept. 20.
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