Issue: Accountability
Question: In a political role, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, decisions and policies and the obligation to explain and be answerable for resulting consequences. Politicians are often criticized for saying one thing but voting the party line despite constituents' wishes. How would you be more accountable and why should voters believe you? |
Wess Dowsett
As it is to this point, I haven't said anything inconsistent with either the NDP's policies, values or platform (full platform to be released Sunday September 28th). On any other issues, I will vote based on the best interest of Richmond Hill and/or the wishes of the constituency even if my personal views are different. Believe me because I am a man of my word and I have not given anyone cause to believe otherwise. |
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Chungsen Leung
Accountability results from integrity and action, not rhetoric. I can point to my personal actions and reputation in business and community service. I would urge all Richmond Hill voters to go to my website or to check out my record with these business and community groups, such as, Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce, Richmond Hill & Markham Chinese Business Association, York Region Hospital Foundation, Toronto Regional Conservation Authority and Canadian Massed Pipes and Drum Band. |
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Dylan R. J. Marando
I have said consistently that, if elected, my main local priority would be the development of a more mature democracy in Richmond Hill. Being an accountable representative for the people of our community would be at the heart of such undertaking because I believe that in order for a Member of Parliament to engage in a genuine dialogue with her or his constituents, that Member of Parliament must be someone that is known and trusted by the people the he or she represents. Therefore, I promise to use every tool available to give the people in Richmond Hill a chance to shape the political decisions that have a profound impact on their lives and an opportunity to discover what my positions are on those same issues. I will both actively seek the counsel of the community that I represent and communicate, clearly and frequently, what I have done to fulfill the needs of the people in my community. |
Issue: Economy
Question: Canada's inflation rate has hit a five-year high and we are already feeling the ripple effect of economic troubles south of the border. If elected, what tasks will you undertake to help turn the tide? |
Wess Dowsett
I would undertake to encourage my party and Jack Layton, our party leader, to continue with insisting that the Softwood Lumber Deal be cancelled and negotiate a FAIR TRADE DEAL with our friends south of the border. You cannot have economic stability unless the trade arrangements with your trading partners are fair and equitable. Our proposals such as the Green Auto Strategy, home and business retrofit, Green Collar Jobs are aimed at helping Canadians save money by reducing energy consumption. This will also stimulate economic growth not based on American demand. Americans are demanding more fuel-efficient cars, our Green Auto Strategy will help the auto sector retool so that we are building the cars North Americans are demanding. |
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Chungsen Leung
Turning any tide is not a one man job. It demands a team of professional and dedicated men and women. That is who Harper has in place right now. If elected, I hope my decades of experience in finance and international business can be of assistance to the Conservative government. |
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Dylan R. J. Marando
I believe that the greatest economic risk that our country currently faces, is the risk of failing to be innovative by not responding to the growing global green economy. If elected, I will help Canada grow its economy by:
- Supporting the creation of a fairer and more responsible market through the eliminating the enormous corporate subsidies to coal, oil, gas, and nuclear energy companies.
- I will help ecologically friendly small business committed to a low carbon economy by supporting the creation of a Small Cities Green Venture Capital Fund.
- I will help make it more attractive to work by supporting fiscal reforms that will decrease income taxes, decreasing payroll taxes, and introduce income splitting for all Canadians.
- I will support the development of regulations and incentives, which will make a variety common technologies, such as vehicles and home appliances, cleaner and more efficient. Furthermore, I will support bold government investment in renewable energy projects. Such a shift in economic direction has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new high paying green collar jobs. |
Issue: Environment
Question: Plans for a new peak-demand power plant to serve York Region's growing population have divided the community. What is the solution to York's energy woes and what will you do in a detailed plan, including costs - to address these concerns? |
Wess Dowsett
As president of the John Fitzpatrick Steelworkers Housing Cooperative I led our Board of Directors and recently undertook to reduce the energy consumption of our 116 unit apartment building by 50 per cent. We did this by replacing our boilers with ultra high efficiency boilers at a cost of approximately $300,000. The payback is seven years or less. If every apartment building in York Region was to do the same, peak demand for energy may well not be needed at all. Reducing energy consumption reduces our carbon footprint and is therefore good for the environment. Simply generating more power is not only costly and inefficient, its bad for the environment. |
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Chungsen Leung
This is a lot more complicated and complex then just throwing money at the problem. The starting point began with the 3Rs (reduce, recycle, reuse) program. Employ new urban and municipal waste disposal technology including "waste to energy" There are also solar, wind turbine generation and geothermal heat generation which could solve part of the problem. People need to be educated on a new approach to life by making a smaller ecological foot print on Earth. The federal government will take the lead in providing the guidelines and the public education to get Canadians to make this change to adopt to our new energy requirement. |
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Dylan R. J. Marando
I believe that the most rational solution to our current energy crisis is to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels and to make a serious commitment to renewable energy. The uncomfortable reality is that global demand for fossil fuels is rising rapidly, supply is being threatened by a variety of factors, and, therefore, we experience higher energy prices. Furthermore, we know that we rely on energy technology that is not the most efficient available and we know that the consensus in the scientific community is that if we continue to use fossil fuels the way we are using them today, we will experience ecological and economic catastrophe. I believe that we must create an efficient energy program that emphasizes conservation- which is proven to be the cost effective immediate energy solution- and that uses our exceptional wind, tidal, and solar resources to create clean and renewable energy technologies. This program, which will involve some immediate sacrifices and government programs aimed to help the average Canadian adapt to the new system, will eventually save the average Canadian money, create sustainable energy infrastructure, create hundreds of thousands of green collar jobs, and protect our environment. |
Issue: Health Care
Question: Despite ongoing expansion projects, overcrowding and ER backlogs remain a reality in York Region. What's the solution? How will you effectively lobby to get action on this?
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Wess Dowsett
Our ER units have backlogs in part because there aren't inpatient beds to support patients, and in part because thousands of Canadians don't have a family doctor. One reason that there aren't enough inpatient beds is because our health care system isn't providing sufficient long term care or home care that would enable these patients to leave expensive acute care hospital beds and live at home. Patients are stuck in expensive hospital beds because they can't get the care they need at home. The NDP plans to relieve both causes of the problem by investing in training more doctors and nurses and through expanding home care and a drug plan that will make expensive medicines affordable. These plans are consistent with the Romanow Report. If not in government, we will be able to convince our opponents that expanding home care is a good idea because it is very cost-effective way to improve efficiency in our health care system. |
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Chungsen Leung
Continue to work closely with the provincial counterparts health providers to achieve the respective commitment to manage the overcrowding and ER backlogs. Lobbying to get action on this issue still does not solve it. We need to set realistic and achievable targets with sustainable funding. |
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Dylan R. J. Marando
I am proud of the health care system in Canada and I think that many things are done very well in the area of health care. I believe that the universality of health care must be protected and that we must continue to strive to reduce patient wait times. What I do not believe is that simply throwing money at hospitals is the best way to support our health care professionals. What we need is a comprehensive health care strategy that concentrates more on prevention, more on wellness, and more on finding more doctors. A Green government would reduce the burden on our health care system by:
- Substituting our current well-being measurement system- the use of the GDP- with an innovative accounting method called the Genuine Progress Indicator. Because the GPI embraces a more systematic and comprehensive definition of well being it gives our government a better understanding of areas of strength and areas of weakness in our society. Being able to properly respond to areas of social weakness can have the impact of saving our health care system billions of dollars. |
Issue: Social Issues
Question: York Region is a community of immigrants. Services to assist new Canadians are overcrowded, creating lengthy waits. What are you going to do to improve things? Give us a detailed plan explaining where the funds would come from? |
Wess Dowsett
The NDP has already proposed the Creating Fair Opportunities plan to recognize foreign professionals-with national standards for credentials assessment; permanent training and bridging programs; and international reciprocity agreements. Helping immigrants before they arrive will reduce some of the strain on York Region's resources in the future. The NDP is planning on not implementing $50,000,000,000 worth of tax cuts to profitable companies, so unlike other parties, we will have some revenue room to invest in municipalities. By helping fund the municipal level, the financial strength of the federal government can be leveraged with local knowledge of the unique requirements of each municipality. Part of this help will come in the form of budget relief in other programs aimed at helping municipalities (such us infrastructure help), which will enable York Region to allocate resources to the changing needs of its residents. |
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Chungsen Leung
Funding for immigrant services comes from many sources. The resettlement services is delivered by many immigrant groups as well as different levels of government. These former immigrants helping new immigrants is the best way for the resettlement services to be delivered effectively overcoming barriers to language and with an understanding of the respective cultures. The federal government has committed to increasing funds for these service providers. |
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Dylan R. J. Marando
I feel that I am extremely privileged to be part of one of the most multicultural communities in the world and, therefore, I will strive to make my community a more welcoming place for immigrants. If elected, I will make the transition from a foreign nation to Canada more convenient by:
- Encouraging professional societies to remove barriers that prevent immigrants from having their credentials recognized.
- I will support the allocation of greater funding for language training programs. |
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