Federal Election 2008: News and information in York Region ridings

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Oak Ridges-Markham Election Issue Responses

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?

Andy Arifin
The greatest betrayal of trust occurs when a new Member of Parliament crosses the floor (becomes a member of another party), which obviously ignores the wishes of voters. Many people will remember that Harper welcomed former Liberal David Emerson into the Conservative Party just a couple of weeks after the last election. Under an NDP government, legislation will force MPs to first resign and run in a by-election if he or she decides to change parties.

Lui Temelkovski
When it comes to responsibility for decisions and consequences, the Liberal record speaks for itself. The Liberals said we would navigate the country's economy out of its slump, and we delivered. We brought Canada 13 years of sound fiscal management, job creation, and low inflation. We safeguarded the country's social safety net in the process. The Liberals said, for example, that we would create daycare spaces, and we delivered over 50,000 each year between 2001-04. We promised to make municipalities a cornerstone of our time in office, and again we delivered when we implemented gas tax sharing with Canada's municipalities. Here in the riding, constituents demanded action on rural mail delivery, and I delivered with a motion in Parliament urging Canada Post to restore traditional mail delivery. The minister responsible for Canada Post was then required, by law, to order the post office to maintain mail delivery in rural Canada.

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?

Andy Arifin
Actually, according to Statistics Canada, core inflation stands at 1.7 per cent, which is below the 2 per cent target for core inflation. Furthermore, the economy contracted at an annualised rate of -0.8 per cent in the first quarter of this year and grew only by 0.3 per cent in the second quarter. These figures indicate a stagnant economy. The NDP are pushing for a revival of the battered manufacturing sector with our Green Car strategy that will provide governmental incentives to manufacturers that develop and produce low- or zero-emission cars. We are also proposing a retrofit programme of existing building stock, such as business buildings, hospitals and schools, to make them more energy efficient. The two measures will keep money flowing in the economy and thus, counter the slowdown. In contrast, the Harper Conservatives are sticking to their stay-the-course’ attitude. The Conservatives have not even released a platform, which speaks volume about their lack of direction for the economy.

Lui Temelkovski
The recent announcement that even Canadian commodity markets are being impacted by the world economic downturn confirms that we cannot remain complacent in Canada. Until now, it was mainly the manufacturing sector in central Canada that was hard hit. The U.S., our largest trading partner, is acting on the economic crisis. So is the European Union. The status quo is not working. That is why Liberal leader Stephane Dion announced a Five-Point Plan during the election campaign. Within the first 30 days of forming a government, the Liberals will:
-Meet with the nation's financial regulatory agencies to assess the state of our financial regulatory system.
-Request private sector economists provide an independent overview of the state of the economy and a forecast for the future.
-Have the Department of Finance produce a prompt Economic and Fiscal Update to the government.
-Meet with provincial and territorial leaders to chart a coordinated strategy to meet the new economic challenges we collectively face.
-Cooperate with the provinces to spur job growth in areas of manufacturing and infrastructure that show the most potential.

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?

Andy Arifin
The solution to the increasing demand for energy is decentralised power generation, namely in the form of solar power. We want to install 100,000 solar panels on rooftops, with a grant of 30 per cent of the costs and loans for the remainder. Of course, we also need to reduce energy consumption. The NDP will mandate new standards for energy-efficient home appliances. As for the budget, a New Democratic government will raise the $2,500 million for entire environmental plan from the auction of carbon credits; $200 million will be dedicated to the alternative energy and retrofit programme. In contrast, the Harper Conservatives’ environmental record has been widely criticised as being too pro-corporate.

Lui Temelkovski
The proposed peak power plant for York Region has sparked immense controversy. The planning and provision of energy, as your readers know, is a provincial responsibility that falls under the Ontario Power Authority. The federal government can play a role in fostering the adoption of sustainable energy solutions. To do this, the Liberal Party proposes a clean energy policy, the Renewable Power Production Incentive, as a way to increase the percentage of our national electricity output that comes from renewable energy sources. The goal of the Renewable Power Production Incentive is to have 12,000 Megawatts, or 10% of our national electricity output, come from renewable sources of energy by 2015. Our costing puts this clean energy strategy at $370 million over four years.

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?

Andy Arifin
Universal medicare was first implemented by the NDP in Saskatchewan under Tommy Douglas, which is why I am a staunch defender of non-profit health care. The problem with needlessly long hospital waits centres on the clog’ in both the intensive and regular wards. People who could be receiving their care at home, at community health clinics or at long-term residences are, instead, in hospitals. The solution is to create new spaces outside of hospitals. It is a simple, but effective, remedy because it increases access and also decreases costs (hospital-based care is extremely expensive).

Lui Temelkovski
Providing health care to Canadians is a responsibility we share with the province of Ontario. The federal government shoulddo its part tomeet that responsibility, and we will work to rebuild the spirit of cooperation with the provinces that has been lacking under the current government. That is why our party proposes a Doctors and Nurses Fund to reduce the shortages like those York Region is experiencing. The Fund will enable us to increase thenumber of health care professionals by expanding the number of residencies and educational opportunities.We will alsoconfront obstacles that keep doctors from practising, such as bottlenecks in the licensing process and the hurdles foreign-trainedmedical professionals face. Finally, we willoffer incentives to medical students to practise in high-demand areas of medicine -- including family medicine and geriatrics.

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?

Andy Arifin
The perennial issue of foreign accreditation is the solution. If we do not provide adequate employment opportunities to highly skilled immigrants, we all lose in the end. Our plan, spearheaded by Olivia Chow, contains specific details. The NDP’s Foreign Credentials Recognition Agency, integrated with Service Canada and international visa offices, will provide information about assessment criteria and processes; educational institutions for those who need to upgrade their skills; mentorship, bridging programmes and training for Canadian experience. The agency will also create a uniform assessment process for the entire country. We are committing $25 million for this plan.

Lui Temelkovski
I am very familiar with the challenges facing immigration services in York Region. My constituency office has dealt with hundreds of immigration, citizenship, and refugee cases - in fact, the sheer volume of work means that my staff are dealing with these cases on a daily basis. So we see the human face of the challenges newcomers face. Also, for two years I served on the House of Commons Immigration Committee, and we delved into the issue of service shortages extensively. Having worked with COSTI, the immigration services agency, before running for office I experienced first-hand the demands placed on services for new Canadians.

How can we improve this situation? My party has advancedproposals forprograms to help integrate new Canadians more effectively. Through New Beginnings Canada we willtailor language training to the job market, so that newcomers can developthe language skillsnecessary for the jobs that match their qualifications.

Turning to the job market itself,our Bridge to Workplan will smooth the transition to the Canadianlabour market throughthe use of internships, mentorship programs, and work placements.