West Nova candidates discuss issues during Yarmouth forum

Health care, infrastructure and climate change were the main issues discussed by West Nova candidates during a forum organized by the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce.

West Nova will elect a new MP this year, given that Colin Fraser, who had held the seat for the Liberals since 2015, announced last year he would not re-offer.

Vying to succeed him as MP are Jason Deveau (Liberal), Chris d’Entremont (Conservative), Matthew Dubois (NDP), Judy N Green (Green Party) and Gloria Cook (Veterans Coalition Party).

Here’s some of what the candidates had to say on what the Yarmouth chamber found to be the three main priorities in the local area.

Health care

Deveau acknowledged there are “serious challenges” in the system but said “the Liberal government has successfully negotiated an agreement with Nova Scotia that increases payments by 4.1 per cent every year until at least 2026 ... For the first time in our province’s history, the federal government’s transfer to Nova Scotia exceeded $1 billion last year.” He also cited the Liberals’ plan for a national pharmacare program.

D’Entremont spoke of the Conservatives’ “commitment to maintain and increase the Canada health transfer and the Canadian social transfer by at least three per cent per year.” He also talked about recruiting new doctors, saying immigration should be fast-tracked “so those who want to come and practise in Canada are able to do so.”

Dubois noted universal health care has always been a cornerstone of the NDP. He also spoke of keeping the health-care system public. Referring to the need for a pharmacare program, he said, “You should be able to go to the pharmacy and it’s your health card, not your credit card, that you use.”

Green cited pharmacare as one of the Green Party’s health-care priorities, a lengthy list that also includes ensuring everyone has a doctor, recognizing the impact of climate change on health and addressing the opioid crisis as a health issue.

Cook said the government needs “to totally look at this,” she said. “We need them to revamp it so that ordinary people on minimum wage, lower wage, seniors, can afford drugs, can afford to live.”

Infrastructure

Deveau cited the Liberal government’s “historic, 10-year $188-billion infrastructure plan and we’re seeing the benefits of that right here in our communities.” He cited a number of projects, including the Yarmouth ferry terminal, water and sewer work in Yarmouth and Wedgeport and efforts to make high-speed internet available to more people in rural areas. He also said the Liberals want to invest more in community infrastructure related to tourism.

D’Entremont said he hears a lot about infrastructure, notably the need for wharf improvements in different parts of West Nova. He spoke too of the need for road work, including new overpasses and completion of the 100-series highways between Yarmouth and Halifax.

Dubois suggested infrastructure improvements could be good for the economy and the environment if done the right way.

Green spoke of energy-efficiency retrofits of buildings, the installation of renewable energy technologies through direct grants and zero-interest loans and various transportation-related initiatives, including banning the sale of internal combustion passenger vehicles by 2030.

Cook said while a lot of money may go into infrastructure, “it’s not put in the right place.” She cited “better roads” as a particular need.

Climate change

On this issue, Deveau said, “I truly believe we are at a crossroads.” He said the Liberals have the “most climate-friendly government” ever in Canada. He spoke of major investments in conservation and of efforts to develop more renewable energy, among other things. “A re-elected Liberal party will put Canada on the path to reaching a legislated net-zero emissions target by 2050,” he said. “This election is critical for the environment because all of this progress could be undone if Andrew Scheer and (the) Conservatives are elected.”

D’Entremont said the Liberal government’s carbon tax was the wrong way to go. “We need technology, not taxes,” he said. “We could actually create more jobs in Canada through technological growth while at the same time lowering our global emissions,” d’Entremont said. “We see climate change here in West Nova and we all need to work together” to address it.

Dubois said the NDP would declare a climate crisis. “There are so many things we can do, personally and on a corporate level, to stem the tide of the crisis,” he said. “It just has to be done and the sooner the better.”

Said Green: “If Greens are elected with sufficient numbers to either form government or exert significant influence in a minority government, we will declare a climate emergency, a true emergency that we actually act on.” She pointed to her party’s 20-step climate action plan, which views climate change as “the gravest security threat the world has ever seen.”

Said Cook: “We understand that man-made emissions need to be curtailed. We will use friendly technology to remove carbon from destroying the environment.”