Ottawa mayoral candidates gathered at Carleton Sept. 23 in an all-candidates debate organized by the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) ahead of the Oct. 27 municipal election.
Mayoral candidates Anwar Syed and Mike Maguire, along with incumbent mayor Jim Watson gathered to debate key student issues. Carleton journalism professor Andrew Cohen moderated the discussion.
Syed said students have an important role to play in the election.
“The students have a responsibility to select and elect people who will be good for the city,” he said.
Candidates focused on hot-button issues like the beginning of light rail transit (LRT) construction and climbing energy costs.
Although Maguire and Syed contested the LRT, Watson said that it was an investment in the future of Ottawa.
“My view is that too many politicians think of the next election. They should be thinking of the next generation,” said Watson about the 21-year LRT plan. “We have to start building for the future.”
Maguire said that election issues could be boiled down to “hydro, taxes, traffic, and trash,” and that his concerns would focus on more than student issues. The city needs to return to a “stable” financial approach, he said.
Issues surrounding student employment were also raised along with high tuition costs and affordability of living.
Watson focused on the role of local entrepreneurial hub Invest Ottawa in creating jobs, and highlighted the success of local startup Shopify. According to Maguire, the main obstacle to employment in Ottawa is expensive energy, which makes the cost of doing business in the city too high.
“[The cost of energy] is going to be an unbearable burden for small business who might want to employ you,” said Maguire. “We also have to look at . . . how to attract new businesses, such that they might want to hire part-time students.”
Maguire said things like energy costs that seem far-removed from students are more important than they think.
“It’s a flow through cost on your lease, that’s a big concern. Any time property taxes go up, that’s a flow through cost on your lease,” he said.
Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations were also discussed, with Maguire and Syed agreeing it was not an election issue, while Watson discussed planned events and tourism opportunities.
Watson said students are a vital part of life in Ottawa.
“[Students] are great for the economy and for the vibrancy of the city . . . I’ve always considered the student population an important aspect of this city,” he said.
First-year public affairs and policy management (PAPM) student Connor Ahluwalia said that he came out to the debate to get informed before voting.
“I’ve come away feeling a lot more confident in my understanding of what the issues are,” said Ahluwalia.
RRRA president Will Verschuren said Carleton’s many politically-inclined programs created a need for the debate.
“We have politically specific programs here at Carleton: PAPM and political science courses. There’s just demand for a debate,” he said.
Voting for the election takes place Oct. 27, with advance polls at Carleton on Oct. 18.
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