Carleton’s Unicentre atrium was host to New Democratic Party (NDP) leadership candidate Romeo Saganash Jan. 11.
The event, hosted by the Carleton New Democrats, saw Saganash speak about the issues surrounding the Canadian environment.
“We are happy to host visits from any of the candidates, including Paul Dewar back in the fall,” said Carleton New Democrat president Kayle Hatt, adding the club is “staying neutral” during the leadership race.
Saganash, who served as chair of the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment before becoming an MP, spoke about the importance of preserving the environment for the well being of Canadians present and future.
“We owe to our children, our grandchildren, and even the world to improve our record on the environment,” he said.
Saganash’s plan to help the Canadian environment involves moving Canada towards a “carbon neutral” economy with increased investment in wind, solar, and hydroelectric projects and imposing carbon taxes to better reflect the environmental cost of products on store shelves, he said.
While the theme of the discussion revolved around Sagansh’s position on the environment, he also discussed issues concerning university students. Saganash spoke about his approval of a national transit program, which would see the federal government actively aid cities in the funding of transit systems.
If elected leader of the NDP, Saganash said he would also increase the level of partnership between the federal government and provincial governments on the subject of university funding.
“If we want to remain strong in an increasingly global context,” Saganash said. “We have to have strong partnerships with provincial governments to move forward on a variety of issues.”
Hatt praised these events as a way for students to become aware of the leadership race, as well as giving students a forum to express their questions for the potential leader of the NDP.
“Whoever wins the race will be the leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons and will be a candidate for the role of prime minister in 2015,” he said. “So whoever becomes leader will have a big impact on politics and public life in Canada. I think it is important for students to meet the candidates, decide if they support any of them . . . and get involved.”
Saganash won’t be the last NDP leadership hopeful to visit Carleton, Hatt said.
“We are working to have Peggy Nash and Thomas Mulcair . . . so students will have had the opportunity [over the academic year] to see half of the candidates.”
No date is set for these proposed visits. The NDP will select their new leader on March 24.
