In a federal leaders' debate heavy on content for voters in Quebec, voters a little farther east may have missed some moments that matter to those in Atlantic Canada.
Aside from seeing Nova Scotia used as a unit of measuring immigration, there was nothing specific to Atlantic Canada on the debate stage. However, there were comments that can illuminate the federal party leaders’ positions on matters important to the region.
Climate Crisis:
As the climate crisis continues, the issue got quite a bit of time on each federal party leader’s plan to tackle climate change.
Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer: “This carbon tax is increasing the cost of everyday essentials, like gasoline, home heating, and groceries and it will only go up after the next election … the Conservative government under my leadership will scrap the carbon tax.”
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau: “The choice tonight is very clear between two parties that have very different views on climate change. Mr. Scheer wants to rip up the only serious plan on climate change Canada has ever had the day after the election and we will continue to do more … that’s why we’re going to get to net-zero by 2050.”
New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh: “While Mr. Trudeau has said a lot of nice things, let’s look at what he’s done. He said he’s for the environment, but continues to exempt the biggest polluters from his price on pollution … he says he’s a climate leader, what does he do? He buys a pipeline. There’s a big gap between what Mr. Trudeau says and what he does.”
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May: “If it fails to meet the goal of holding global average temperature to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, we fail to give our kids a livable world. Greta Thunburg is right, the house is on fire.” May also called for an internal committee within federal government dedicated to “fighting the existential threat of climate change.”
Health care
While there was no specific question on health care in the debate, a few moments gave some insight into how federal leaders would handle it. While health care is administered on a provincial level, federal money flows to each province, largely on a per-capita basis.
People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier: “I won’t interfere in health care because it is provincial jurisdiction. We cannot, in Ottawa, solve the problems we’re having for health care. We can transfer the money to the provinces.”
Singh: “With a New Democratic government, we will bring in universal pharmacare for all. You will use your health card, not your credit card for medication.”
May: “We need to renegotiate a new health accord. It’s been left alone for too long … we are suffering from a lack of family doctors. We need an investment in our health care. The wheels are falling off the bus and we need to invest.”
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Immigration
Atlantic Canada faces an aging population overall, while Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province in Canada due to lose population over the coming decades. Here are some perspectives on immigration from the federal party leaders.
Scheer: “You can be proud of Canada’s history, proud of our identity, you can be proud of the things we’ve done and accomplished in the world, while at the same time welcoming people from all around the world. That is something that has made Canada strong.”
Bernier: “We must have fewer immigrants in this country to be sure these people can participate in our society.” Bernier wants to cut immigration in half, to 150,000 people a year.
Trudeau: Mr. Bernier is “trying to make people more fearful about the migrations that are happening in the world, the opportunities around globalization, and our ability to redefine every single day what it means to be Canadian.”
May: “I find the things that Maxime Bernier has said to be completely appalling.”
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