Essex candidates spar over voting independence

Federal election candidates in Windsor and Essex debated on Sept. 30. This is the first of three debate recaps CBC Windsor is posting along with Windsor-Tecumseh and Windsor West. In each segment, previously undiscussed issues came up. Below, one question from the Essex debate is presented along with the lightly-edited and condensed responses from each candidate, presented in the order in which the candidates responded. 

Issue

Voting independently from the party.

Question

"If in power, what would you do if your party implemented a law that you disagreed with or felt was bad for the area?"

Response

Tracey Ramsey, New Democratic candidate

I have sat across from Tom Mulcair and had this very conversation. He's been in Windsor twice and I've had the opportunity to sit down and discuss these issues with him. It's important to me to be bringing the voice of my constituents to Ottawa. Of course, we would sit in the NDP caucus and be democratic about the decision we would make. In the end we would represent our constituents but we also represent our party and the values we stand for."

Audrey Festeryga, Liberal candidate

"I, too, am very pleased to be able to say that a Liberal government and the government of Justin Trudeau wants to represent the constituents of Essex. They want MPs to be the voice of Essex in Ottawa. That is part of the open and transparent government we are promising. We need to have our voice heard for a change, our voice needs to speak loudly — again our issues and this region with the highest unemployment rate in the country five years running have not been resolved. I am very, very proud to say I will be a voice for our constituents in the event that it conflicts with the Liberal platform."

Jeff Watson, Conservative candidate

"When the civil marriage bill was in was in front of Parliament, an issue of moral conscience to many and Bev Desjarlais, an NDP MP from Churchill, Man., simply abstained, she had her critic portfolio stripped from her, [was] put on the fifth row and in the subsequent nomination meeting the leadership of the NDP ran Niki Ashton and ran her out. That's what you get with the NDP. I'm the only one who's actually voted against a three-line whip. As a Conservative, I've voted freely and I'm still in this party representing you and being an influential voice that brings billions to this region."