Federal election 2015: Youth, seniors' issues dominate Dryden debate
High profile candidates in the Kenora riding sat down for their third candidates forum Wednesday night
Candidates in the Kenora riding squared off on issues surrounding youth and seniors in their third debate last night in Dryden.
Organized by the Young Professionals Network and the Chamber of Commerce, it saw 29-year-old co-host Sarah McKenzie ask candidates why they think youth should vote — and why youth should vote for the candidate's particular party.
"It's not lost on me that we have a lot of experience in our candidates. It's going to be an important decision to make," McKenzie said.
- Poll Tracker: Your guide to the federal election
- Pledge to Vote
- Live Blog | Get breaking news from the campaign trail
The debate involved New Democrat Howard Hampton, incumbent Conservative MP Greg Rickford, Liberal Bob Nault and Green Ember McKillop.
"We know that historically, voting records for the youngest demographic have been low, so we thought [by] bringing the candidates here and getting involved we made the process a little more open and less intimidating to our demographic," McKenzie said.
She said the candidates "brought up a lot of issues that are important to younger voters, like child care, health and family and tax benefits, student loans."
One member of the audience, Dennis Lawrynuik, said he's concerned about the reduction in bus service to and from Dryden and wanted to know what the candidates would do to improve it.
"There's less bus for people to be able to travel to appointments in Winnipeg and in Thunder Bay," he said.
"I hear that the mayors in urban centres get all kinds of support for transportation for folks in urban centres, and I don't hear a thing for rural."
Nault said the Liberals will partner with municipalities to provide public transportation. The party's platform promises $6 billion over four years for public transit.
"[It's] time to quit blaming the other levels of government," Nault said, and sit down and negotiate funding and plans with all levels of government.
Rickford noted the federal gas tax has doubled, and Conservatives have created legislation to allow municipalities to make their own decisions about how it's spent.
"The biggest problem is that the provincial gas tax fund is actually only available to cities that have transit," he said.
In the Kenora riding, that is only Kenora.
Hampton said improving bus service is one of those things that requires federal, municipal and provincial partnership.
The New Democrats are promising $1.3 billion per year so that municipalities and regions can plan transportation on an on-going basis, he said, adding the NDP platform also promises increased transfers to municipalities.
Hampton said too much provincial money is going to public transit in Toronto and northeastern Ontario and nothing comes to northwestern Ontario.
"What's going on right now, both in Ontario and federally, is causing a very serious problem," he said.
Green Party candidate Ember McKillop said increasing mass transit and public transit is a cornerstone of the Green Party platform — and a way to reduce greenhouse gases.
She noted the Greens would reinvest in national railway service, reduce the cost to ride the rails and improve the convenience of the schedule.
More than 100 people attended the debate at The Centre.
The candidates debate again next week in Kenora.