Cambridge candidates on how they'll address health care, homelessness and tariffs
Health care, homelessness and the threat of U.S. tariffs were among the top issues addressed by Cambridge candidates as part of a panel discussion on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition on Tuesday.
Three candidates joined host Craig Norris for the panel discussion. CBC K-W invited the candidates from the four parties with MPPs currently sitting at Queen's Park.
There are five candidates in Cambridge:
- Rob Deutschmann, Ontario Liberal Party.
- Carla Johnson, Green Party of Ontario.
- Belinda Karahalios, New Blue Party of Ontario.
- Marjorie Knight, New Democratic Party.
- Brian Riddell, Progressive Conservative of Ontario (incumbent).
Three candidates — Deutschmann, Knight, and Johnson — attended the panel. Riddell declined the invitation to participate. More information about Karahalios can be found below.
LISTEN | Provincial election candidates from Cambridge address some of your top issues:
Health care
In CBC K-W's voter survey, people in the Cambridge riding identified health care as their top concern.
Candidates were asked what they believe the challenges are for health care in Cambridge specifically, and how they plan to address it.
Knight said the number one issue she's hearing is the lack of family doctors. She described a personal experience of being treated on an emergency room cot for days due to bed shortages after experiencing a heart attack.
"The nurses and the doctors were fantastic and they looked after me, but you're giving somebody a basket to carry water," she said.
As a solution, Knight said there are foreign trained doctors who are living in the city that she would like to see trained under Canadian certified doctors so they, too, can practice, which would add to the supply of doctors.
Johnson agreed with what Knight laid out and criticized the current Progressive Conservative government for what she called "terrible, neglectful decisions."
"What breaks my heart is we have a province who overwhelmingly continues to vote for a government that refuses to do anything to even try to solve the problems," she said.
Deutschmann said the issue of access to primary care is as dire in Cambridge and North Dumfries as it is across the province.
He also mentioned that when visiting his father at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, he saw multiple people laying in beds in the hallway.
"I watched the debate [Monday] night and Doug Ford kept talking about the millions and billions of dollars that they've invested," Deutschmann said. "If that's true, and given what we're seeing today, it's either a complete lie or he is the most inefficient spender of our money in the province."
Housing and hmelessness
Housing and homelessness were another major concern for Cambridge voters, particularly encampments and affordable housing. Candidates were asked how they'd address the growing crisis.
Johnson condemned efforts by the current government to persecute people experiencing homelessness.
"Homelessness should absolutely never be criminalized. These are people with needs. These are our most vulnerable people," she said.
Johnson said her government would try to look at solutions, because she says the PC government hasn't been doing enough.
Deutschmann argued for stronger provincial and municipal funding partnerships. He said he believes that municipalities have footed the bill and left to their own devices when it comes to handling housing.
"Too much has been shifted from the province down to the municipality and onto the property tax base, which was never intended for a lot of the things that we deal with now," he said, adding the region spends $180 million on those issues.
He said he would work toward no-strings-attached funding from the province to help deal with chronic homelessness, which he said would cost the region around $300 million.
Knight highlighted that homelessness is not just about addiction or mental health, rather many people are simply unable to afford rent, including full-time workers and seniors on fixed incomes. Knight herself has experience living in a shelter.
"I worked full time, 44 hours a week, while I lived in the shelter because I couldn't find somewhere that I could afford to rent," said Knight.
"We need to stop thinking about people who are homeless as second class citizens and we need to start building homes again."
U.S. tariffs
With proposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods potentially impacting various businesses and industries, candidates were asked what they would do as Cambridge's MPP to address those tariffs.
Deutschmann called for a "Team Ontario" approach, gathering local business, labour and trade experts to determine exactly how tariffs would impact the riding, and bring those voices to Queen's park. He stressed that tariffs are a federal concern.
"It's not the premier of Ontario who's going to be the voice for Canada," he said.
Knight agreed that tariff threats are a federal issue "but we need to have a Team Canada, Team Ontario vision," she said.
Similar to pandemic relief efforts, Knight suggested her government would seek out provincial funding for businesses to ride out tariffs, if implemented.
"Maybe we need to help people to find other markets for their things," she said.
Johnson said her plan to address tariffs would be focused on hearing from those most affected by them.
"There are no simple solutions to this, but we are a country of people who like to stick together," she said..
Johnson said she would also work toward breaking down interprovincial trade barriers to strengthen local markets.
Candidate from a non-major party
Belinda Karahalios is the New Blue Party candidate for Cambridge. While she is a former MPP for the riding, having lost the 2022 election to Riddell, the party she's running for now does not hold a seat at Queen's Park.
Karahalios said in an email to CBC News that her top priority for Cambridge is to clean house at Queen's Park, ensuring proper representation for the province.
"The riding of Cambridge is rapidly growing and our needs are not currently being properly addressed," she wrote.
She said she believes the cost of living is the greatest issue for voters in Cambridge. She said the PC government's undelivered promise to cut income tax for the middle class and the addition of an industrial carbon tax in the province has made life more costly.
She said if re-elected, she would fight for a variety of issues like increased autism support, lower taxes and fiscal responsibility.
"The people of Cambridge deserve an MPP who will show up to work and bring their issues to Queens Park," she said.
Voting
Advance polls run Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There are three advance polling locations in the riding of Cambridge:
- Islamic Centre of Cambridge, 1550 Dunbar Rd.
- North Dumfries Community Complex, 2958 Greenfield Rd., Ayr.
- Royal Canadian Legion Branch 126, 334 Westminster Dr. N., Cambridge.
Until Feb. 26, people can also vote Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cambridge election office, located at the Smart Centres Cambridge, 4-46 Pinebush Rd., Cambridge.
Election day is Feb. 27.
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