Chamber meeting gets down to business with candidates

It was down to business when the Niagara Falls riding federal candidates met virtually last Wednesday.

For an hour and 45 minutes, Conservative incumbent Tony Baldinelli, NDP candidate Brian Barker, Liberal Andrea Kaiser and Peoples Party of Canada representative answered four questions they had been given before the meeting, all to do with business. The Green Party's Melanie Holm was expected to participate, but cancelled her appearance at the last minute, with no explanation offered.

They were asked about the shortage of labour for tourism industry jobs; adapting to a post-pandemic world and ensuring both health and civil rights are protected; opening borders while protecting public health; and dealing with the pressure on businesses and consumers when construction costs are in flux.

In response to the first question, about the need for labour in the tourism industry, Liberal Andrea Kaiser said, as businessperson who has worked in the tourism sector for almost 30 years, she knows firsthand how difficult the past 18 months has been for that sector.

She talked about crucial Liberal programs such as the wage and rent subsidies, and the CEBA money that has helped small businesses through the pandemic. “The best way to get workers back to work,” she added, “is by implementing a vaccination certificate so they feel safe and secure,” by extending the wage and rent subsidy programs, and the Liberals’ Canada Recovery Hiring Program, which would create 100,000 jobs.

The second question posed was how to incorporate a policy that ensures people’s health is protected in a post-pandemic world, while still maintaining the civil rights and freedoms that every Canadian is entitled to. 

The People’s Party of Canada addresses this question as a major part of its platform, and representative Peter Taras answered it by setting out three goals of his party: end lockdowns immediately, stop mass-testing for COVID, which “is only causing mass hysteria,” and “allow businesses and individuals the freedom to decide what is best for their own health and business.” The patronizing attitude of the “wealthy elites and big government,” he said, “thinking they know what is best for my health, has to end.”

The extended closure of local borders, which impacted local businesses, was the topic of the third question: how do we protect public health while still supporting the movement of people across borders to help businesses?

Conservative Tony Baldinelli, said his party has been advocating for a safe and responsible reopening plan for months, long before the election call, and is still waiting. Allowing American vaccinated visitors into the country was a good beginning, but “would it not be incumbent to negotiate reciprocity for Canadians to enter the U.S. if fully vaccinated?” he asked. An advisory panel of experts released a report in the spring with recommendations to end the hotel quarantine program, and a series of measures on how to open the border safely with those vaccinated and unvaccinated, said Baldinelli, “and it’s incumbent on the government to follow the science.” The Conservatives continue to press government for support for the two Niagara bridge commissions, he said, which have received nothing yet. “That is totally unacceptable. Those two bridge commissions have been devastated by the impact of COVID, and they need assistance, just as the businesses in our local community.”

The fourth and final question was about home builders and other service providers who, as they quote on future work, have no idea what their costs will be. 

NDP representative Brian Barker spoke about growing up in Welland, “a dead steel town now.” We have an opportunity now to address climate change by bringing back good green manufacturing jobs, and creating infrastructure to address this very real issue, he said. Although the question was about the uncertainty of home building costs, “an issue we have here in Niagara is housing. If the costs continue to rise you won’t have anyone to buy the product,” he said. “I think we need to address this by providing affordable housing options, with the right mx of effective measures, building capacity for social community and affordable housing providers, and rental support for housing co-ops, creating thousands of jobs in our communities.” Those measures, he added will “jump-start the economy and help businesses thrive.”