Editor's note: Ahead of the Sept. 20 federal election, BarrieToday has contacted all of the candidates in the Barrie-Innisfil riding with five questions related to the local opioid crisis, COVID-19 vaccine passports, Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, climate change, and affordable housing. The following answers were received from Lisa-Marie Wilson, the Liberal candidate in Barrie-Innisfil. More candidate Q-and-A's can be found on our Canada Votes 2021 page.
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1. For the past several years, Barrie has had a devastating drug crisis, one of the worst in the province. How do you think the opioid problem should be addressed and what is your stance on the proposed supervised consumption site (SCS) here in the city?
I recognize that the opioid crisis continues to affect communities and families across Canada. I have spoken to many families locally who have personal stories about a friend or family member who has been affected.
If elected, I am committed to advocating for safer supply projects in communities across Canada to help prevent drug overdoses during the pandemic and beyond. I will work with all levels of government, partners, stakeholders, people who use drugs and people with lived and living experience and organizations in communities across the country to respond to the overdose crisis.
2. As we brace for a fourth wave of COVID-19 and a more aggressive delta variant, many are suggesting Canada should embrace a vaccine passport. What is your view on this?
Prior to the election, the Liberal government announced that work is underway to develop a proof of vaccination system that will facilitate cross-border travel, while reducing the risk of spread and importation of COVID-19.
Canada continues to participate in the international dialogue on proof of vaccination for international travel, including with the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, and through the G7.
I encourage everyone who is able to do so to get vaccinated.
3. We are a rich country in many ways, but many Indigenous reserves still don't have clean drinking water. The tragedy of residential schools has ripped open the hurt and trauma many of our Indigenous families have felt for generations. Many of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations remain unheeded. How would you address these issues and help heal these wounds?
I recognize there is much work ahead on the path of reconciliation, and a Liberal government will be there to make sure no Indigenous community is left behind during this pandemic and in the years to come.
That means working together on important priorities:
- Implementing the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Accelerating response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the National Action Plan in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- Additional investments to meet clean drinking water commitment in First Nations communities.
- Working on a distinction basis with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation to accelerate the government’s 10-year plan to build social infrastructure.
Our Budget 2021 sets out more support for Indigenous communities, including those hit hard by COVID-19. It will help ensure Indigenous communities continue to receive and administer vaccines, and have funding to hire nurses, get PPE, and do whatever is needed to protect people.
With that and so much more, we’ve got a lot of work to do — but we can, and we will, continue to move forward together to advance reconciliation and address the unacceptable gaps that have impacted Indigenous peoples for far too long.
4. Recently, a major scientific report warned of increasingly extreme heat waves, droughts and flooding, and a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade. Scientists say it’s a "code red for humanity." What tangible ways will your party address climate change in both the short- and long-term?
Climate-related disasters such as wildfires have been affecting Canadians across the country. The extreme heatwaves and wildfires across Canada this summer are a reminder of the urgency to fight and adapt to climate change.
We need to take strong action to prepare for future extreme weather events and ensure we keep Canadians safe.
Since 2015, the Liberal government has been taking real action to protect our environment and fight climate change while ensuring the safety of Canadians affected by devastating wildfires and helping them get through difficult times.
Since 2015, our Liberal government has invested more than $100 billion toward climate action and clean growth. We need to act now to confront the climate crisis, but Erin O’Toole and the Conservatives don’t believe climate change is real. Only our Liberal team has a plan to fight climate change and build a cleaner future – for everyone.
Further details on our climate plan will be outlined in our full platform which will be released in the coming weeks.
5. Housing is a human right, but many people in Barrie are not able to afford a roof over their heads. The cost of living continues to rise while the price of housing and rent skyrockets well beyond affordability for the average person. What would your party do to address this?
Access to housing is a necessity, yet far too many residents of Barrie-Innisfil lack access to stable and affordable housing. This crisis has made it clear that affordable housing is key to Canada’s recovery, and the Liberal government is committed to supporting the most vulnerable during COVID-19, including those living in homelessness.
To help address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, the Liberal government has invested $1 billion through the Rapid Housing Initiative in October, to secure more accessible and affordable housing and help those experiencing homelessness.
If elected, I am committed to working with all levels of government to increase the availability of affordable housing in Barrie-Innisfil. Further details on our housing plan will be announced in the coming weeks.
More information on Wilson's campaign is available by clicking here.
