The battle for Midway: federal candidates face off for votes

By Andy George

No verbal bombs were dropped and no campaign ships were sunk, but there were certainly a number of shots being fired - most coming from the right of center in the All Candidates Forum held at the Midway community center on Saturday. Conservative candidate Stephen Hill had his sights aimed at New Democratic Party (NDP) incumbent Alex Atamanenko the entire evening, while the Green Party and Liberal candidates held their own.

 

In what might be considered his best district in the riding, Hill opened the evening by asking the audience, “Wasn’t last Saturday’s ribbon-cutting a great event?” and was immediately met with applause. By claiming responsibility for the re-opening of the Midway mill, and later as a small business owner, Hill labelled himself as a job creator, “primed and ready to move forward to even greater accomplishments.”

 

Mr. Hill would then hit again and again at the incumbent, taking an aggressive approach to turning the tides in this election. Hill alluded to Atamanenko’s lack of job creation and queried, “I’m confused, who is the MP and who is doing the work of the MP? Alex has concerns about Interfor, wage rates, the union, you people - the investors … if nothing ever happened at all, there’d be nothing to criticize.”

 

“You asked me to assist in reopening the mill - we re-opened the mill. We had the ribbon-cutting last week. Alex and I both want the same thing. The question is: who’s going to deliver what you want?”

 

There was plenty of fodder slung his direction, but Atamanenko never seemed phased by his counterpart’s accusations promoting his message poignantly all evening.

 

He initiated with best wishes to the Midway community, and then pointed to other local projects in the Southern Interior. Beginning his crescendo, Atamanenko spoke to the unfortunate who frequent food banks (especially those formerly of armed forces), keeping an organic food approach, and finishing with a flurry.

 

“We can take corporate tax cuts and divert them to small business; we can take the $2 billion in fossil fuels and put it into green technology and jobs; we can take the money earmarked for F-35’s and create a thriving ship-building industry to build our own ships and protect our coastlines,” Atamanenko stated.

 

When responding to a question about everyday people in need, seniors frequenting food banks and the difficulties to save money the NDP candidate illustrated the issue, then showed how to revise the plight. “The gulf between those that have and have-not is increasing. We’re being told our country is leading the world in economic recovery and it’s not true… we can start by implementing at least one or two of those 58 recommendations of the all-party committee on poverty; instead of just assuming that if we give tax breaks to corporations, that jobs will filter down and somehow everything will be fine,” said Atamanenko.

 

But to break the battle for Midway down to a two-party forum would be unjust to the brilliant common sense agenda of the Green Party, and the feistiness of Liberal candidate Shan Lavell.

 

Lavell, a candidate with a rich history in health care and social services, “may be female and blonde, but a fierce grandmother, and a fierce woman,” she quipped. Lavell chose the federal Liberal Party because of the ‘family first’ platform which aligns well with her own ideals.

 

Because of her experience in the health industry, Lavell caters to the niche of those voters desiring better social services. She is a specialist who knows the industry, and kept the forum honest by challenging assertions. “Stephen is not informed, our social sector is working with overwhelming need, our teachers, our RCMP are acting like social workers. Our social service sector is being gagged by no-talk-rules, and I would like to personally put together a witness protection program (as a tool) for people working in the social sector,” said Lavell.

 

She was again critical of Mr. Hill when he referenced the less fortunate with the word ‘recidivism,’ a term usually referring to criminals.

 

Time and again Lavell said that many of the concerns addressed by the audience are outlined in the Liberal platform which is available online.

 

As for the Greens, the same extraordinary political message of clarity, common sense, intelligence and relation to what people actually want and need out of government was conveyed.

 

British Columbia Southern Interior candidate Bryan Hunt was unable to attend because of a personal matter, and so sent a representative on his behalf, the eloquent and undeniably apt Andy Shadrack. Point after point was made superbly by the political veteran, and the audience is left to wonder if such strength would be exhibited by the political novice.

 

On the whole, “(the Green Party) platform lays out a budget; the only political party running in this election that submitted it to the parliamentary budget office,” explained Shadrack.

 

Shadrack said that the Greens propose to “reduce EI and CPP contributions for small businesses, to fully implement income-splitting, to eliminate personal income taxes below $20,000, and bring in a carbon-pricing tax of $50 a tonne.”

 

The topic of health care brought about very interesting responses. Shadrack of the Greens who want health care powers turned over to the provinces, but advocates for federal economies of scale through a national drug buying program and national pharmacare.

 

The Greens also called for provincial and federal governments to share a percentage of resource revenues with local governments, which is important for rural areas.

 

All evening Hill simply ignored the Liberals and Greens and focused on Atamanenko.

 

To illustrate, the question was asked as to the direction of marijuana in B.C. Hill responded firmly with, “marijuana is an illegal substance and marijuana will continue to be an illegal substance under a Conservative Government. I’m embarrassed to be a Canadian when we have legal marijuana and illegal marijuana. It makes a complete mockery of this country.” 

 

Incumbent Atamanenko also touched on a local issue with the long-gun registry and laid out a policy some may not support. “I’ve looked at both sides, read and thought about this, and I’ve decided that if there is a possibility that it will save one life, if there’s a possibility that it will help police officers, then I won’t scrap it,” he said.

 

Trade agreements were also topics that pit the two opponents against each other.

 

Conservatives are attempting to bring forth Canada-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a free trade agreement with Europe similar to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Hill supports a more globalized approach to free trade.

 

“I can go on and talk about the advantages of free trade until the cows come home. It’s very good for Canada and if you think otherwise then your choice is Alex – but you are going to continue to languish, you’re going to continue to lose schools, you’re going to continue to lose hospitals, and we’re going to go backwards,” Hill stated.

 

Atamanenko is against CETA and wants desperately to re-work NAFTA so that Canada isn’t being hurt as a result of it. He clearly laid out why to vote for him by asking, “Do we want a sovereign nation that has control of its destiny, control over its food supply, and control over its manufacturing sector; or do we want a nation that continues to say, ‘well the answer is more trade agreements, more trade agreements.’ And maybe that’s what this election is about – the future of our country.”

The Midway forum, held on Saturday, Apr. 16, was the first of two in the Boundary. Come out Monday night to hear the candidates work to win your vote in Grand Forks at the Grand Forks Senior Secondary School auditorium at 7 p.m.