Cambridge business leaders grill local federal candidates on range of issues

The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce hosted a virtual forum with Cambridge federal election candidates Wednesday, giving local business leaders first-crack at grilling the candidates on their party’s plans to tackle everything from pandemic response to the housing crisis to labour shortages threatening to stall Canada’s economic recovery. 

Invitations for the Zoom meeting went to chamber members only, but local media was invited to listen in on what the candidates had to say.

Cambridge and North Dumfries incumbent Liberal candidate Bryan May, Conservative candidate Connie Cody, NDP candidate Lorne Bruce and Green Party candidate Michele Braniff participated in the 90-minute meeting that was recorded for the chamber’s YouTube channel.  

Cambridge People’s Party of Canada candidate Maggie Segounis did not respond to an invitation.

Before the floor was opened to questions, chamber president Greg Durocher prefaced the debate by condemning the protest that marred Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s recent visit to Cambridge, calling the actions “appalling embarrassing, and senseless to say the very least.”

“It doesn’t demonstrate what we as a democracy want to show,” he said, adding violent and offensive protests are no way for anyone to get a message across. 

“Let’s have dialogue and debate,” he said. “That’s the way opposing sides in a democracy come together to create better legislation.”

Among the first questions, chamber secretary Terry Kratz wanted to know what the candidates thought was wrong about the federal response to the pandemic and what they would have done differently.

As a service industry worker, Bruce called the initial reaction from the feds “less than stellar.” 

“I was surprised at how ill-prepared we were,” he said, adding it was apparent the government ignored recommendations from SARS outbreak. 

“Right off the top, I was shouting from the rooftops, where was the PPE. We were ill-prepared for it. I kept asking what we’re going to do. What’s the mask protocol.”

May defended his government’s response, blaming the Ontario government in part for allowing its “entire stockpile” of PPE to expire. He said within days of asking if Canadian businesses could pivot to help meet demand for PPE, the federal government received over 5,000 responses.

“We now have 54 per cent of PPE made in Canada,” he said, admitting the pandemic has been a learning moment for all levels of government. 

Braniff said while the collaboration between business and government may have worked well in some areas, the pandemic highlighted several weaknesses in the system, the main one being the need for local manufacture and supply.

“This is not the last pandemic,” she said, calling for increased investment in health care at all levels.

Cody said the Conservatives will focus on preparedness going forward and the need to take rapid action to protect the health of Canadians without resulting in a dire impact on the economy. She said her party wants to completely overhaul the pandemic preparedness plan, focus on threats from infectious diseases and bio-terrorism and strengthen the country’s supply chain so we’re not relying on other countries for vaccines and PPE.

Chamber member Peter Voss wanted clarity on the rumoured plans to tax the sale of primary residences, as well as other strategies the parties have to help pay down the massive deficit incurred over the last 18 months and ensure Canadians can maintain a standard of living that has been in decline as wages haven’t kept up with inflation.

Bruce said the NDP plans to tackle Canada’s debt by targeting large international companies currently “not paying their fair share.”

May said the idea of taxing the sale of primary residences is nothing more than a scare tactic floated by other parties around the Liberal platform.

“This is one policy brought forward years ago that was handily defeated,” he said, adding the Liberals have a plan to deal with the federal deficit that’s the only one fully costed.

He said a recent International Monetary Fund report on Canada’s COVID response highlighted the idea that if federal wage supports weren’t in place, the deficit would be the same as it is now. “Canada had the best economic support system in the world for its businesses and its citizens,” he said.

Darren Drouillard asked what each party plans to do about the “troubling rise in ethics issues and scandals” plaguing politics and how each party will hold themselves accountable. 

May said the federal ethics commissioner is responsible for that role and needs to be trusted to do its job. “There are systems in place to deal with situations as they arise,” he said, adding that it was “fascinating” to him that during a worldwide pandemic, opposition leaders chose to attack the Liberal leader on issues that, in the end, were not worthy of the scrutiny they received.

“The mudslinging this past year was nothing like I’ve ever seen,” he said. “The fact that there is obstruction to make Justin Trudeau look bad is quite egregious and does not help the people of Canada.”

Cody said the Conservatives plan to revisit the federal accountability act to create stricter laws around ethics, prevent cover-ups and increase transparency and accountability.

“We’re tired of the division and the Liberals don’t seem to be listening,” she said. “Canadians are deserving of a government that acts on their behalf.”

Braniff said federal leaders “need to zoom out a little bit and look at the wider culture and wider systems” rather than focusing on what’s happening around ethics at the parliamentary level.

Larger cultural issues need to be addressed first, like following through on Truth and Reconciliation, racial and gender disparities, she said. 

“It’s naive not to recognized that there are injustices going on in larger society.”

On the topic of labour shortages stifling various sectors of the economy, Prakash Venkataraman asked what each party plans to do to address the problem, focusing on the government’s promise to bring in 400,000 immigrants in 2021 that has only brought in 35,000 immigrants to date.

“There’s an imbalance in immigration based on the needs on the ground,” he said. 

Cody said it would be irresponsible to bring in over 400,000 new citizens to Canada without addressing their housing and employment needs first.

The Conservatives hope to set up a credential recognition task force to streamline the overall process to bring skilled labour and entrepreneurs to Canada.

“Investment has been driven out of our country for quite a while now,” she said, adding that in addition to fulfilling its immigration mandate, Canada needs to create more opportunities within skilled trades and apprenticeship programs at the secondary and post-secondary levels.

Braniff said one of the ways to streamline the immigration process for skilled workers is developing a national standard for establishing credentials in their country of origin so when they arrive in Canada they can get into the workforce immediately.

She agreed there needs to be more investment in skilled trades for post-secondary education and a system to fast track international students and foreign temporary workers who are already integrated into the Canadian economy.

Putting most of the blame on the pandemic for his government’s failure for meeting immigration targets over the last year, May said the labour shortage issue is a top concern of Cambridge business owners. He said the Liberals are dedicated to developing better pathways for temporary workers and foreign students to stay in Canada.

Bruce said the foreign temporary workers program needs to be changed into a system that’s a lot more flexible and fair, particularly in the agricultural sector where temporary workers pay EI and CPP but never collect it. 

A question about loosening restrictions on foreign students who are limited to 20 hours of employment a week, led May to explain how international students are in Canada for the purpose of study, not earn an income.

"If you’re suggesting they should be allowed to study and to work, that’s a whole other conversation," he said, adding most students who come to Canada from overseas are here on scholarships or subsidies from their own governments.

"They’re not coming here on a work visa. That program has evolved to allow them to earn some extra money on the side," he said, adding the Liberals will focus on pathways for them to remain in Canada once they graduate

Bruce said the feds need to create more programs to ease student debt, including revisiting minimum wage.

On the topic of economic recovery, the candidates had a range of ideas beyond continuing support through wage and rent subsidies.

"We’re not done. We need to continue," May said.

The Liberals plan to extend the Canada recovery hiring program through March 2022, further support the hospitality and tourism sectors, implement a national program for businesses to adopt digital technology, and create a Canada small business financing program.

"$10 a day childcare is not just a social program," he added. "This is going to help small businesses across this country to get the talent they need."

Braniff said the Greens plan to cap the small business tax rate at nine per cent, eliminate red tape, make investments in green innovation through research and development grants, improve broadband internet in rural areas, and support farmers.

"We need to have government take a role to create conditions that allow businesses to prosper."

On the question of how the parties plan to tackle the affordable housing crisis, Cody said Canada needs a new approach on housing policies that don't seem to be working since homelessness has increased and people who have worked their entire lives can’t afford to pay rent or mortgages.

The Conservative plan would address the housing shortage by building a million homes, and put an end to foreign investors from buying homes in Canada if they don’t live and work here.

May said making housing more affordable and providing housing for those in need has been the cornerstone of his career as an MP in Cambridge, adding the Liberals have invested $72 billion to make housing more affordable and address chronic homelessness.

"The issue is the market is absolutely skyrocketing," he said.

The Liberal plan would provide help to those getting into their first time home through a home tax savings account and the doubling of the tax credit for first time home buyers in addition to building 1.4 million new homes through a "new housing accelerator fund."

The Liberals also plan to eliminate the main culprits of the housing shortage: foreign speculation, blind bidding and house flipping.

Braniff called the national housing strategy a good start, but not fast enough.

She said the Green Party would make the need for affordable housing a national emergency to allow things to happen much more quickly.