Freedom Flyer July 1995 Cover

Freedom Flyer 28

the official newsletter of the
Freedom Party of Ontario

July 1995




Article electronically reproduced from:

The Barrhaven Independent

May 27, 1995


Nepean's 'five' clash at all-candidates meeting

By STEVE NEWMAN
Independent Staff

Andrew de Jong of the Green Party of Ontario definitely made the most mileage among those the five politicians participating in the May 16 all-candidates for the provincial riding of Nepean.

But it wasn't while in front of a quiet audience of nearly 80 people, some of whom left before the 2 1/2 hour session was over.

De Jong, who doesn't own a car but admits he would if he lived in Barrhaven, cycled 20 kilometres from his Ottawa home, to attend the all-candidates debate at Kennevale Public School.

There was no clear winner among the five candidates, who included Hans Daigeler, the incumbent Liberal, as well as John Baird (PC), John Sullivan (NDP) and Cathy Frampton (Freedom Party).

NO CLEAR WINNER

While there was no clear winner at the Barrhaven Community Association-sponsored event, a couple of spirited responses from the audience were reserved for Baird, a communications consultant who has taken two months off work to run. He focussed on the conservatives' promises to cut the heavy taxes and bureaucracy he said the New Democratic Party has become renowned for during its term of office.

Frampton quickly pointed out that it took telephone calls to three different numbers before she was able to contact Baird's office.

"I don't believe the PCs have the ability... to decrease bureaucracy at Queen's Park," said Frampton, who also expressed concern about the illiteracy rate among Ontario students.

Daigeler focussed on defending his second of two terms in office, noting his accomplishment included obtaining recent $100,000 funding for the Qualicum/Graham Park Community Centre and fighting for the early completion of Highway 416.

Baird spoke several times about conservative leader Mike Harris's intentions to right the wrongs of Premier Bob Rae's NDP.

Sullivan primarily supported decisions of the Rae government and its "record of achievement ... and taking action when it was needed."

Dejong criticized past governments for pumping million of dollars into what he termed "sinkholes," instead of into renewable resources such as the educational system.

"PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH"

The most spirited candidate response came from Daigeler, who accused Frampton of racist remarks. He was alluding to Frampton's observation that western society functioned more competently than other societies, including those run by communist regimes.

Frampton had earlier rejected the notion that Ontario needs racially-balanced curriculum in the schools.

"I was talking about an equality of values, not an equality of cultures, please do not put words in my mouth." said an indignant Frampton.

In her handout entitled Body of Knowledge, she wrote: "Many immigrants come to Canada to make a better life for themselves than they are able to find in their native country.

"To suggest that western civilization must treat as equal to dictatorial cultures, or cultures that abuse or treat women as possessions, is to give the ultimate insult to the immigrants that have chosen by their own free will to come to Canada for a better and, yes, Western life.'

SCHOOL consTRUCTION FUNDS

Daigeler, responding to questions about the delayed provincial funding expected for Barrhaven-based secondary schooling, strongly suggested the public school would be built by the fall of 1997-98 and the Roman Catholic one for the fall of 1996. Close to $15 million has been received for the building of a Barrhaven-based Roman Catholic secondary school, to which Daigeler responded: "I think they (the Roman Catholic School Board) is right that it will not be able to accommodate the student population it has and will have (without the extra $6 million)."

DEFENDING NDP'S TERM

Sullivan, a 26-year-old education officer with the Public Service Alliance of Canada, spoke about the NDP's "unparalleled record of successful maintenance and and creation of jobs in Ontario." He said the NDP government, despite the impact of Free Trade, trained and then created or maintained 60,000 Ontario jobs.

"There were at least 20,000 on social assistance now working and living with an average income of $21,000, of which 2,000 are in the Ottawa-Carleton region."

Frampton directed several comments at the past Liberal and NDP government and Ontario's "suffering through 24 progressive tax hikes."

De Jong, after cycling into the debate, talked about us living on a finite planet with finite resources and the need to re-examine how we use sustainable and unsustainable resources. One of 60 Green Party candidates, de Jong called construction of Highway 416 unnecessary and a terrible waste of money.

"What the Green party is all about is looking at a green economy and not a grey economy," said the 39-year-old school teacher.

Baird promised the PCs' repealing of Bob Rae tax hikes would amount to $170 a month savings for the average Nepean family. He also called for the elimination of welfare benefits to 16- and 17-year-olds.

"If Manitoba and B.C. can balance the budget, so can Ontario," said Baird, who pointed to Manitoba's example of replacing its MLA pension plan with a RRSP plan.

"No members of the legislature should get 30-year pensions," he said.

PRESSING CONCERN

One of the more pressing concerns of members in the audience was the lack of funding for Barrhaven-based high schools, particularly for the Separate School Board, which has already received $15 million toward what it says is a required total of $21 million.

Daigeler, reading a letter received May 12 from the Ontario Ministry of Education, said the NDP government indicated that all requests for capital funding for schools will be carefully evaluated.

In responding to one question about Ontario's standards of education, all candidates except Frampton generally applauded the Ontario education system. Frampton, in her earlier remarks, expressed concern about high rate of illiteracy among students.

She also said there should be more efforts to have children within walking, instead of busing, distance of their schools.

Baird criticized what he called the exorbitant number of non-teaching employees in the education system and the need to down-size administration and focus more spending on activity in the classroom.

Sullivan defended the NDP government's employment equity policy. He called it one best types of such legislation in the world and denied preference is given to minorities when filling jobs. "There is no quota," he said.




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