NDP Candidate Targets Liberal incumbent in First Guelph Federal Candidate Debate – Guelph | The Canadian News

The head of the Guelph Liberal Party, Lloyd Longfield, had to repeatedly press the rebuttal button during the debate on Thursday before the federal elections.

Aisha Jahangir of the NDP came after the Liberal party record early and often in Thursday’s discussion organized through Zoom by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce in association with the Guelph Association of Realtors and the District.

Jahangir started things off in his opening statement warning voters not to choose parties that have not kept their promises.

“To get different results, we have to make different decisions,” said Jahangir, a registered nurse who is running in her second federal election.

“What we need now is the courage to act together and that is exactly what the New Democrats offer Canadians and what I want to offer the people of Guelph.”

In his comments, Longfield said that the past 18 months in the pandemic have been the hardest Canada has faced in more than a generation. He even admitted that there are many cracks in the health care system and that the government has to do better.

“That work has to be front and center,” he said. “We have a lot of problems that we have to face, but one thing in common is that we have to face them together.”

Longfield is seeking a third term as a Guelph MP after being elected for the first time in 2015.

Jahangir called Longfield during a discussion about affordable housing. He accused liberals of offering subsidies to developers who do nothing for those looking to rent.

Longfield responded with a liberal promise to spend $ 1 billion to help municipalities cut red tape in the permitting process.

“We need to close the gap with municipalities in terms of the cost of implementing better housing programs,” he said.

Later, Jahangir accused Longfield and the liberals of promising universal child care for decades.

“They should have taken care of the families a long time ago,” he said. “Child care, in fact, is the smartest investment we can make in our future and our economy.”

Jahangir added that the NDP plans to make affordable child care available to all Canadians.

Longfield said he expects Ontario to join a plan to spend $ 30 billion over the next five years to reduce child care costs to an average of $ 10 a day.

They had pledged to enter into bilateral agreements on that compromise with eight provinces and two territories before Parliament was dissolved.

Longfield then added that a child care plan under the Paul Martin government was in the works until the NDP and the Conservatives forced an election in 2005.

“Then we had 10 years of Stephen Harper without implementing childcare,” he said.

Jahangir later had one of his own rebuttals to that statement.

“It was good for you to mention and remind all 10 years of Harper, but I’m going to remind you and everyone else that we have had six years of Trudeau,” he said. “Childcare is long overdue.”

Conservative candidate Ashish Sachan accused liberals of spending “out of control” that is putting health care at risk.

“(Trudeau) will be forced to raise taxes or cut funding for important social services like health care if current spending is not responsibly controlled,” he said.

On the issue of having COVID-19 vaccine credentials, Longfield and Jahangir agreed that everyone in Canada should have to show proof, while Sachan said Canadians have the right to make their own decisions about vaccination.

Green Party candidate Michelle Bowman said mistrust in science must be addressed.

“We really have to take a good look and ask ourselves why people mistrust science, mistrust government, and regain that confidence,” he said.

The entire debate will be posted on the Chamber of Commerce’s YouTube page on Friday. Candidates will also participate in another debate on Friday, hosted by 1460 CJOY.

Canadians will go to the polls on September 20.