WHITEWATER REGION (Westmeath) — Last night, eight candidates were to gather in the Westmeath Hall to each give a brief presentation. It was a meet and great, not a debate, but an opportunity for each one to explain their platform.
The candidates were seated on the stage and moderator Steve Deon, President of the Deep River Community Association, introduced each speaker in turn. Mr. Deon gave each candidate three minutes, starting at 6:00 p.m. and finishing at 6:30 p.m. Then the candidates mingled with approximately 60 people present.
Each speaker had a different message and all were respectful of the others, before, during and after the talks. In fact it seemed like a get-together of former friends, not competitors trying to represent the riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke in the Federal Parliament.
Dan Criger, Independent – had concerns about the country’s future. Its citizens had to live within their means. Canada did not have an income problem but an excessive spending problem by government. This was setting a bad example for our youth. Career politicians just didn’t get it and didn’t seem to have a moral compass.
Ian Pineau, Green Party – first addressed those people affected by the flood in this area. His said party was fully developed and the Greens could have a big influence if they were positioned as a strong minority party. Climate change was the big issue and without the proper environment there would be not much left. He felt Elizabeth May had good values and would know how to close government loopholes.
Ruben Marini Liberal – has lived in Renfrew county for 40 years and believes this riding is not benefiting from advancements as others are. Issues he’s looking at are lack of housing, the need for high-speed internet and getting new technologies to locate here. He would, if elected, ensure that recent announcements for ‘flood control’ are implemented.
Robert Cherrin Veterans Coalition Party of Canada – has an issue with over-taxation. He mentioned that in the last 4 years, the government gave $415 million to other countries, not counting foreign aid, which should be kept in Canada. He believes Canada could save 20% of spending by this means and by freezing hiring and developing better carbon capturing.
Deheereendra Kumar Independent – came from India with his wife and son in 2009. Mr. Kumar is most concerned with the lack of long-term care for seniors and fears it will only get worse. There should be more funding for mental health and today’s drug over-usage problems. He says nobody at the federal level is giving attention to them.
Eileen Jones-Whyte NDP – a teacher for 25 years, she believes an investment in people improves society as a whole. Mostly following the party platform, Ms. Jones-Whyte is promoting free pharmacare, cancelling student debt, decreasing cell-phone costs, carbon reduction and protecting the environment.
John Davies Independent – had a different view of government. He says Canada is a corporate democracy not a democratic one and traces this back to when we were a British colony. Therefore our representatives aren’t obligated to represent the voters who put them into office. He feels our incumbents are ruled from the top down and he proposes a complete new system to rectify this.
Stefan Klietsch Libertarian – was formerly a candidate with the Green Party but was expelled for proposing too many alternative changes. He is adamantly opposed to ACEL’s nuclear waste dump proposal being so close to the river. He feels we need more MP’s and that the Constitution is outdated. He is concerned about the opioid crisis.
In retrospect all candidates had informative speeches that were all markedly different and sincere. The candidates all appeared optimistic about being elected. If anything might have been improved, it would be to allow the audience to ask the candidates questions while they remained on stage. It was an interesting but rather a low-key affair, not what everybody anticipated.
