Tyler McKay | Assistant News Editor
Featured Image: The candidates prepare to answer one of the night’s many questions. | Courtesy of Celeena Mohammed
On October 3, a candidates’ debate was held at Osgoode Hall. The debate was hosted by the Faculty of Environmental Studies for the candidates running in this upcoming federal election to discuss their respective stances on environmental issues.
There were many topics covered, including preservation of natural resources, wilderness conservation, pollution, climate change, along with how this relates to the economy and ordinary Canadians.
The candidates present included: MP Judy Sgro from the Liberal Party, Maria Augimeri (NDP), Iftikhar Choudry (Conservative), Mike Schmitz (Green), and Christine Nugent (Marxist-Leninist). Invitations were extended to all candidates in the Humber River-Black Creek riding, however the candidates for the People’s Party and the United Party declined.
The debate was broken down into three sections between opening and closing remarks. There was first a set of three questions that were asked by the moderator, followed by three pre-screened audience questions.
This was followed by questions from the candidates where each were asked one question by another. However, some criticism was levelled at this format.
“As a local debate, I figured there would be engagement of the audience, but just like City Hall debates, it’s not really a people’s debate,” says an anonymous Health and Society student.
MP Sgro presented ideas ranging from stricter regulation on asbestos to the promise for the economy to be carbon neutral by the year 2050.
Candidate Choudry brought forth the Conservative plan to provide Canadians with a green home tax credit whereby homeowners will get a 20 per cent tax refund on renovations that make their homes more environmentally friendly.
The Conservative platform lists the installation of solar panels and high-quality insulation among the viable options.
The Green candidate, Schmitz, provided many goals for Canada to strive for, such as no more oil pipelines, no fossil fuels, and free post-secondary education.
As it applies to students, MP Sgro highlighted the Liberal promise to “give students up to $1,200 more per year, in grants, and to give students two years after graduation to get started in their career before they need to begin paying off their student loans, interest-free.”
Graduates won’t have to pay the loans back until they secure a job paying at least $35,000, according to the Liberal platform.
NDP candidate Augimeri pledged to maintain a strong carbon pricing plan and create 300,000 green jobs. The Marxist-Leninist candidate Nugent suggested that we get the money from the defence budget to pay for new, green initiatives and encouraged a nation to nation relationship with First Nations groups to make environmental decisions.
The general reaction seemed to be that the Liberal and Conservative candidates were too scripted while the other candidates were more genuine.
“I think the Liberal and Conservative candidates were probably a little hamstrung by the party, like you kind of have to say the party line, but it doesn’t make for great debate,” says an anonymous environmental studies student.
“I’d never heard of the Marxist-Leninist Party until today. Christine Nugent was insightful in her answers. She was connected with the audience. It wasn’t too performative in the sense that you’re reading off the books, like the Liberal and Conservative were doing,” adds the anonymous Health and Society student.
