All seven Delta candidates running in the federal election took part in a debate at North Delta Secondary Monday evening.
Organized by the Delta Chamber of Commerce and Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, the event saw Liberal incumbent Carla Qualtrough, the Conservatives’ Tanya Corbet, New Democrat Randy Anderson-Fennell, Green candidate Craig DeCraene, the People’s Party of Canada’s Angelina Ireland as well as independents Tony Bennett and Amarit Bains answer a variety of questions, from what they would do to protect LGBTQ rights to how they’d address the rising costs of childcare and waitlists.
Asked how they would address the opioid crises, Bennett said it is out of control and that mental health support urgently needs improvement.
Bains said pharmaceutical companies need to be held accountable while better training is needed for doctors to stop their over prescribing of power opioids.
DeCraine described the situation as a national health emergency, suggesting drugs be decriminalized, while mental health assistance also needs to get better.
Saying marijuana is a gateway drug, Ireland noted the decriminalization of it has been a disaster. Rather than harm reduction, a policy focusing on detox and rehab is more appropriate, she explained.
Corbet pointed to Deltaport as a major entrance point for illicit drugs and that police resources need to be adequately equipped to deal with the situation.
Qualtrough said her government is focused on a comprehensive and compassionate approach.
“I was very proud when we restored harm reduction as a key pillar of our strategy because this is the way to treat people with dignity and respect. I was here in North Delta a couple of weeks ago for a really important conversation we’re having in our community around the overdose crises, which I will call not just the opioids because fentanyl is contaminating many, many types of drugs. We approved over 25 supervised consumption sites, we passed the good Samaritan drug overdose act and we think health professionals should have more access to methadone…we are going to double down and invest more than the $230 million we already invested because we know more needs to be done,” Qualtrough pledged.
Noting every part of the country is impacted, and outlining his party’s plan which includes getting tough on traffickers, Anderson-Fennell complained the Liberal government is lagging behind.
“In government we will declare a public health emergency and commit to working with all levels of government…we’ll work with the provinces to support overdose prevention sites and expand the treatment and demand for people struggling with addiction. We will also launch an investigation into the drug companies and rules that they’ve played by,” he said.
On the issue of securing funding for dike upgrades and combating sea level rise, all the candidates said funding needs to be in place for dike projects, especially for Delta. Ireland said the government dropped the ball on the issue and it would be one of her top priorities, while Anderson-Fennell explained his platform of making infrastructure investment a major priority, and will create community investment agreements with other levels of government.
Asked what they would do about the mortgage stress test and how to make it easier for first-time homebuyers, DeCraene noted he’d just leave the current system as it is, while Bennett explained his proposed housing plan called CHAPS (Canadas Housing Affordability Planned Strategy), which he says is a self-sustaining national strategy for home ownership.
Corbet, saying her government has a plan to help first-time homebuyers, talked about the need to investigate money laundering in the real estate market.
Bains suggested the stress test didn’t need to change but more incentives are still needed, while Ireland said better development incentives are needed to encourage more entry-level housing.
On the issue of supporting aging in place and seniors care, Qualtrough spoke of her government’s record which includes lowering the age of pension eligibility, a national dementia policy, as well as other policies, but Ireland blasted the Canada Pension Plan as a pathetic disgrace which has seniors struggling to get by while the government is sending billions overseas.
Saying life has become more unaffordable for seniors, Corbet noted tax cuts were needed, while Anders-Fennell explained his government would have a national seniors’ policy as well as phamacare to save seniors hundreds of dollars every year.
Among the other questions was what should be done about the George Massey Tunnel and public transit. All the candidates had similar answers that the crossing needed replacement, although when it came to funding, Ireland said it’s a provincial responsibility.
The election takes place Oct. 21.
The chamber is hosting another debate on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the Genesis Theatre in Ladner, starting at 6 p.m.
