The NDP and Green Party candidates for Banff-Airdrie presented why each should be the riding’s next MP to a room full of Cochrane High School students Sept. 29.
Joanne Boissonneault of the NDP and the Green Party’s Mike MacDonald were at the school posing their platforms and fielding questions from students, Grades 9 to 12.
Boissonneault, an Airdrie resident, 25-year educator and mother of three boys, said she decided to run for “fairness and justice, which are the two pillars of the NDP platform.”
She pointed to her experience working with the different levels of government as a district representative for the Alberta Teacher Association for Calgary as well as her teaching history at Rocky View Schools.
MacDonald, who works for Alberta Health Services as a children’s mental health consultant, maintained the Green Party is the best representative of young people’s interests.
“We know statistically that your age group is pretty keen on our party.”
His decision to run came about out of concerns about the state of democracy in Canada. “I feel at the federal level, things have gone a bit sideways and there’s more and more politics going on and less and less good governance.”
The candidate answered a number of questions from students, ranging from concerns about the energy-based economy, to questions about Canada’s handling of the Syrian refugee crisis, to issues of democratic reform.
One student asked, in light of falling oil prices, how Canada could meet its energy and economic needs.
Boissonneault presented her party’s stance on pipelines. “What the NDP wants to do is to protect the environment, but also have a pipeline that’s safe and secure that will also deliver the oil across the country in a safer manner.”
But, she added, that her government would work with communities and First Nations to respect territory that pipelines would run through.
MacDonald told the students that there’s a misconception of his party as “wanting to turn the tap off.”
“From the Green perspective, what we’d like to do is… create ways to assist those who would like to move away from a carbon-based economy to a renewable economy.”
That would mean halting tax breaks, subsidies and grants to energy companies and invest the money into renewable energy, MacDonald said.
“By changing things, we’re not going to collapse the economy. We’re going to shift the economy.”
Boissonneault built upon that point, saying the NDP would work towards reestablishing refineries and manufacturing within Canada to create jobs.
MacDonald then attacked the steady fall of corporate tax rates attributed to the Conservative government.
“In 1960, the corporate tax rate was 40 per cent. Currently they’re paying 15 per cent. You’re paying more tax on your income than corporations are. I don’t think that’s right.”
The Greens would put the tax rate up to 19 per cent, MacDonald said, for things like infrastructure spending.
For Boissonneault, she had a bone to pick with the Harper government’s spending record on infrastructure and said the NDP plans to invest $1.3 billion each year in that area.
The candidates were asked for their opinion on the Syrian conflict and the current refugee crisis.
MacDonald spoke about the need to return to Canada’s reputation for peacekeeping.
“As a Green, I’d like to see us get back to more of that peacekeeping role. If we’re going to involve ourselves in other nations’ issues, then we need to solve their conflict in a more diplomatic way.”
Speaking on Canada’s handling of refugees, MacDonald did not mince words. “We changed the way we defined refugee. I think we’ve gone too far and made it too difficult.”
Boissonneault shared similar views that Canada has strayed from its original mandate. “Since the (Conservatives) have been in power, we’re no longer recognized.”
She reiterated the NDP’s plan to bring in 10,000 refugees for the first year and another 9,000 for four years after.
The Eagle asked both candidates why it was important to engage with the students’ demographic, many of whom are not yet voting age.
“Next go around, they’re going to be voters,” MacDonald said. “We know that that demographic, the 18 to 35 year olds, are very interested in the Green Party. For us, they’re the future of Canada and they’re very interested in Green ideals.”
For Boissonneault, it was about stressing the importance of engaging in the voting process.
“It’s very important for them to get ready in the election process and to understand it and to understand that voting is very important. If you want to affect change and to affect democracy, you have to vote.”
