Federal candidates talk seniors’ issues

“We are absolutely committed to poverty reduction across the board. I talked about the changes that affected 900,000 seniors, [and] 57,000 vulnerable seniors that have had their income increased to the point they’re lifted above the poverty line,” she told paNOW after the forum.

People’s Party candidate Kelly Day said her party didn’t have a position on pension reform, but she was willing to work with interested individuals on a private member’s bill.

“I don’t have an answer, I don’t have a promise, and that’s why I’m here, I’m here to find out what your concerns are,” she told the crowd.

Incumbent Conservative MP Randy Hoback said increasing benefits for seniors, like the approach highlighted by Hjertaas, could lead to higher costs of living.

“If I could reduce your taxes, take the GST off, fuel tax, do things that make your life cheaper when you interact with the federal government …well then we’ve helped you do the same thing without any inflationary pressures,” he told paNOW .

Both Hoback and Day hammered hard on the Liberal’s price on carbon, saying both of their respective parties, if elected, would abolish it.

“I think everyone, whether you’re seniors or not, the carbon tax is going to have an impact on your life and what you can or can’t afford, and it will impact you severely,” Hoback told the crowd.

Hjertaas defended her party’s policy.

“I’m proud the Liberal government has introduced a price on carbon. Climate change is real,” she said.

Liberal Estelle Hjertaas speaks to the crowd (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW staff)

The federal budget

A question from the crowd about balancing the federal budget highlighted another division between Hjertaas and the other two candidates.

Day said balancing the federal budget within two years was one of the People’s Party’s top priorities.

“The money doesn’t grow on trees, it grows on the backs of hard-working people,” she said.

Hoback said he agreed with “90 per cent” of Day’s view on the budget, but said his party believed two years was too short a time frame.

Both Day and Hoback drew nods from the crowd by insisting that Canada must stop investing as much money overseas, particularly in charities.

“Do you take care of your seniors here in Canada, or do you fund some other organization, an NGO that’s working in Asia?” Hoback said.

Hjertaas pointed to the fact that Canada has the lowest debt to GDP ratio in the G7.

“What you do when you’re a sound financial manager is you borrow when interest rates are low, like right now and that’s when you invest in physical infrastructure,” she said.

The need for transit

The forum closed with all candidates agreeing that Saskatchewan needs a better inter-provincial bus service.

Hjertaas criticized the provincial Saskatchewan Party for scrapping the STC and refusing federal money to help rebuild it.

She proposed creating a national transportation strategy and a Canada-wide bus carrier.

Day said given that her party was all about smaller government, she thought transit should remain a provincial issue, but that she believed better fiscal management could have saved the STC.

Hoback said he hadn’t done a lot of thinking on it given that it was a provincial issue, but suggested that communities like Prince Albert could look into starting locally based co-operatives.

The official campaign period is expected to start any day now, with Oct. 21 being the latest date the election could take place.

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Alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Alisandstrom

by Alison Sandstrom

Federal candidates talk seniors’ issues

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