Candidates for the federal electoral district of Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe went toe-to-toe in a televised debate on Wednesday evening.
Throughout the one-hour program hosted by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton, candidates made promises, voiced criticism, and even rolled their eyes a few times while discussing key issues for the region.
Candidates of five federal parties took questions from a panel of journalists that featured Robert Lothian of 91.9 The Bend News, Tom Bateman of Brunswick News and Céderic Thévenin of l’Acadie Nouvelle.
The format allowed candidates to speak about each topic for one minute, followed by a minute and a half of open discussion.
The debate will be available through Rogers TV every night until Sept.19 and can is accessible online.
The Economy
The first topic focused on the labour shortages affecting many parts of Canada, including the Greater Moncton region.
“Yes [Canadians] did need help and support during the pandemic, but now it’s time to incentivize workers and business,” said Darlene Smith, candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada.
Smith referenced the Conservative’s Canada job surge plan, Canada Investment accelerator and Rebuild Main Street Tax Credit.
The New Democratic Party’s Serge Landry said the next federal government must prioritize creating jobs that will raise wages and benefits.
The additional obstacle New Brunswick faces is an ageing workforce. People’s Party of Canada candidate Lorilee Carrier said her party could properly address the issue.
“The PPC actually believes that some of those shortages can be taken by skilled and vetted immigrants who want to come to Canada,” said Carrier
Incumbent Ginette Petitpas Taylor of the Liberal Party of Canada suggested that her party’s 10-dollar-a-day national childcare program will allow parents to return to work.
The topic was seen from a different approach by the Green Party of Canada’s Richard Dunn, who said tackling mental health and social issues such as homelessness and substance abuse would be the best solution.
Pharmacare
Candidates transitioned to a national pharmacare plan and what party is best suited to deliver it to Canadians.
Landry began the discussion, taking aim at the Liberal party stating “Thirty years ago childcare was promised by the Liberal government, thirty years later it’s starting,” adding, “We don’t have thirty years to wait for pharmacare.”
Petitpas Taylor would later return the criticism by suggesting the NDP lacks a detailed plan and brought up her party’s national pharmacare program.
The PPC’S Carrier said her party would work with the provincial government to provide a pharmacare program that is more accessible and less restrictive.
If elected as a member of parliament, Dunn said he would back a national pharmacare program. He underlined that healthcare is a provincial matter, and introducing a program requires a strong relationship with the provincial government.
Lastly, Smith spoke about her party’s plan to increase the health care funding for provinces and remained very critical of Petitpas Taylor’s inaction on pharmacare.
