Winnipeg South candidates grilled on Canada's economy

With just days until the election, CBC's Information Radio grilled all four candidates running in Winnipeg South on a range of issues: from science funding to childcare.

One issue all four touched on during the Wednesday interview was their party's approach to growing Canada's economy. In September, Canada's unemployment increased to 7.1 per cent, Manitoba's was 5.2 per cent.

Here's how all four Winnipeg South candidates would tackle the economy:

• CBC's Vote Compass
• Read the political parties' 2015 platforms
• Conservatives not muzzling scientists, says 'Professor Popsicle' Gordon Giesbrecht

Terry Duguid, Liberal Party of Canada 

"The evidence is in. Over the last ten years the economy has been stagnant. Yes, we went through a recession but we've been through recessions before and Liberals have been good at balancing budgets in the longer-term but right now we need to kick-start the economy. Our young people need jobs. Our infrastructure is falling apart, so we need to invest in those critical elements of the economy...in these kinds of times you don't promote cuts and austerity, you promote jobs, growth and investment in infrastructure."

Gordon Giesbrecht, Conservative Party of Canada 

"I'm quite happy to pick up where (MP Rod Bruinooge) left off, with a great Harper Conservative government that has served our constituency and our country well by helping us get through the worst financial crisis in our history since the Depression. By any number of factors,we are leading the G-7 in our recovery," Giesbrecht said, "There's a clear choice in parties: deficit versus balanced budgets...I am a scientist who takes an evidence-based approach to politics and I'm running against a lifetime politician who takes a political approach to science and everything else he talks about." 

Brianne Goertzen, New Democratic Party

"My friends are living this economy. We're all employed within precarious employment, which is low benefits, low wages. I believe taking a risk on me, if that's the way you want to put it, is really about voting for the NDP and a platform that's going to be representing everybody...I believe the NDP is really the only party that is caring about people….if you look at the policies that have been put in place by Harper it's an attack on unions, it's an attack on fair bargaining, it's an attack on wages and benefits."

Adam Smith, Green Party of Canada

"(The Green Party's tax plan) affects everybody. The lower income people spend all their money locally, it stays within the economy, the fact is providing funds to the poorest people to stimulate consumer demand at a local level is just good for the economy as a whole….a good economy is about velocity of money, it's about the money moving around."