Eye rolls, vitriol and constant quipping plagued a heated Oct. 2 Ottawa-Centre all-candidates debate hosted by Carleton-based organizers.
Almost immediately after moderator Lily Akagbosu uttered her first sentence to start the debate, a loud protestation by Vincent Cama of the Communist Party rung throughout the University Centre Atrium, painting a tone for the rest of the night.
“If it’s an all-candidates debate,” Cama rallied loudly, “why wasn’t our Ottawa-Centre candidate [Stuart Ryan] allowed to run?”
“I’m still here, I’m still young,” chimed Cama, following the land acknowledgement.
“We’ve heard you—you’ve been heard,” said Akagbosu. “There will be time to have some of your concerns be heard, but for now I’d like to continue.”
Equity advisor Bailey Reid took the stage next, explaining the presence of a “safe, physical decompression space” near the Atrium for students with “intense feelings, who’d like to come somewhere that is quiet and where they can breathe” during the debate.
“I think we all needed a decompression space,” chuckled Conservative party candidate Carol Clemenhagen, kicking off the debate.
Almost immediately after @CUSAPresident said the debate is beginning, a @compartycanada (the communist party) member interrupted.
“If it’s an all-candidates debate, why weren’t we invited?” #cdnpoli #ottnews #elxn43 pic.twitter.com/2qOndQf73M
— Temur Durrani (@temurdur) October 2, 2019
Including Clemenhagen, the debate heard from candidates from all five major parties—Angela Keller-Herzog (Green), Emilie Taman (NDP), Merylee Sevilla (PPC), and Liberal incumbent MP Catherine McKenna.
Each candidate was provided time for two-minute opening and closing statements, and a minute to answer 10 prepared questions with a focus on student issues, such as those on rising living costs, education cuts, unemployment, climate change, Indigenous reconcilliation, and diversity.
The floor was not open to questions.
Rising living costs
The first question of the night was how each candidate plans on making the cost of living more accessible, given recent statistics that 63 per cent of Ottawa residents find the city far too expensive.
Keller-Herzog answered first, stressing the need for affordable housing and cutting down rising tuition fees for students.
She said the Greens believe quality education needs to be free for all students. “If we’re going to invest in roads to drive on, why shouldn’t we be investing in education of our future?”
McKenna said she’s heard from several students who rely on food banks due to rising costs of living, blaming it on the Doug Ford government and “his cuts to OSAP.”
“We’re the first government to finally invest in a national housing strategy,” said McKenna, urging students to vote to re-elect the Liberals “because we’re putting money right back in your pocket” with cuts to cell phone plans.
Clemenhagen said this issue isn’t just for students.
“The Liberals are waiting to tax ordinary citizens,” she said, pointing to McKenna and “her government’s increasing taxes, which is hurting affordability.”
“The Conservatives don’t want to tax you any more than you should be, we want you to live within your means,” she added.
“We’re very committed to an ambitious national housing program that would build 500,000 units of affordable housing across Canada,” Taman added.
Opening up the market and reallocating “money we give to foreign countries” will allow lower costs of living, said PPC candidate Sevilla.
Sevilla criticized the Liberals’ pledge to cut cell phone bills.
“We need to allow people with more options so they can look at the different ones and figure out what they want,” she said. “How can you tell Rogers, Bell, Telus to cut 25 per cent of their cell phone plans?”
Education cuts
“Post-secondary education is within provincial jurisdictions, but it is notable that federal-provincial relationships are strained, which concerns students,” said Sissi De Flaviis, a CUSA vice-president and moderator, who introduced the next question.
“What is your party going to do in the next term to better the relationship with the provinces?” she asked the candidates.
This isn’t the first time federal and provincial relations have been strained, said Taman, answering first.
“I think the best thing we can do to help federal-provincial relations in this province is to actively cater against Doug Ford and get a new premier,” said Taman with a laugh, to much cheer from the audience and a smile from McKenna.
Sevilla, who took the microphone next, did not answer the question directly. During her minute to speak, at least four audience members quipped, “Answer the question directly!”
“The Green Party would like to set up a council of Canadian governments that can work together to move towards a higher order of consensus, so we can together as a country,” she added.
McKenna said the Liberals had already seen the brunt of this strain in federal-provincial relations after all but one province was unwilling to share their work on Canada’s climate strategy.
“But then we got a whole other complement of a bunch of Conservative premiers in the provinces,” she said. “The reality is we have to act in the national interest, especially when it comes to issues such as climate change.”
“It is unconscionable that we have premiers who want to treat climate change as a partisan issue.”
Clemenhagen said McKenna’s response was off-topic, responding herself with how the Conservatives are committed to increased partnership with provincial governments.
“In terms of blaming the Conservatives,” Clemenhagen said the Liberals “have managed to destroy provincial-federal relations all on their own” when they’ve been in power over multiple NDP and Liberal premiers before the Conservatives won those provincial seats.
Unemployment
“It’s become increasingly difficult for university graduates to find meaningful employment,” said Akagbosu, asking the candidates what their parties would do to improve job prospects and career opportunities.
Sevilla said a large part of unemployability concerns come from problems in transferring skill sets and degrees from province to province. “If you’re a nurse in one province and want to move to another, you will have barriers.”
“What we’re saying is you should be able to move to another province and practice there, live there without these limits,” she added.
The Greens believe “a massive reorientation of the economy” needs to happen for a sustainable future, said Keller-Herzog. “We need to move away from our massive carbon footprint if you want a future to even have a job to begin with.”
“I mean, the good news is the unemployment rate isn’t the lowest in four decades,” said McKenna.
“But if you’re an Indigenous youth or didn’t grow up having connections, it is still very hard,” she said, adding that’s why the Liberals are investing in their youth employment strategy.
Taman said there are “subtle, structural issues” which prevent students who have no choice but to work while in school from performing to the best of their capabilities.
“Looking at these barriers,” Taman added, “we want to move away from unpaid internships. We want to abolish them altogether.”
The large crowd of students cheered in response.
Climate change
Given the massive turnout at the Sept. 27 Globalization Climate Strike, “especially from students,” Akagbosu asked candidates what distinct and actionable points their party has to address the climate crisis.
McKenna questioned why the Conservatives believe “our carbon footprint should be free,” given their stance against provincial carbon taxes.
Clemenhagen said their carbon tax plans have not worked in the past. “You’re not meeting your 2020 goals,” she added. “Half the provinces are in court over those plans.”
McKenna rolled her eyes in response, pointing towards a printed document she brought along of the Liberals’ climate strategy.
Sevilla, however, said she does not believe climate change is a “real, urgent issue.”
“There is no climate crisis,” she said.
The crowd erupted in loud boos in response.
Diversity and representation
Noting that all five candidates on stage are women, De Flaviis asked the candidates what suggestions they had to see more women in politics and positions of power.
For McKenna, the question was deeply emotional. She said she’s been called names, had people send her threats and “much worse on a daily basis.”
Keller-Herzog said there’s a deep lack of unpacking when it comes to gender and identity politics, often resulting in decreased representation and diversity in politics.
“I think we need to put greater emphasis on putting more women in positions of power to break those barriers,” she added.
Clemenhagen said she had to do everything in her power to get to university.
“Women have often been seen as afterthoughts,” she added. “I think all our mothers would be incredibly proud to see us here tonight.”
“At the end of the day, as women, we do support one another,” said PPC candidate Sevilla.
“And that’s important if we want to get to that same end goal of having a better and proper Canada.”
Feature image by Tim Austen.
