Kitchener Centre candidates discuss climate change, homelessness, U.S. tariffs
There are 7 candidates in the riding of Kitchener Centre
Kitchener Centre voters have seven candidates to choose from in this federal election.
The seven candidates are (in alphabetical order by last name):
- Brian Adeba, Liberal Party of Canada.
- Kelly DeRidder, Conservative Party of Canada.
- Margaretha Dyck, United Party.
- Mike Morrice, Green Party of Canada (incumbent).
- Ellen Papenburg, Animal Protection Party.
- Wasai Rahimi, People's Party of Canada.
- Heather Zaleski, New Democratic Party.
CBC K-W invited the candidates from the four major parties. The topics covered included climate change, how to help people and municipalities with homelessness, local companies and the impact U.S. tariffs could have on them.
Adeba of the Liberals says his background is in policy analysis and journalism. He has lived in the riding since 2010 and is married with two children.
Kelly DeRidder of the Conservatives was asked to take part in the panel but her campaign never responded to invitations. Her website says DeRidder has worked in tech as an automation and engineering project manager.
Morrice of the Greens is the incumbent in the race after winning the seat in 2021. He says his focus has been on bringing the community's priorities to Ottawa and he's helped secure funding for shelters, advocated for increases to the Canada Disability Benefit and has worked across party lines to get other local issues addressed.
NDP candidate Heather Zaleski also did not take part in the panel and did not respond to invitations to take part in the panel. Zaleski's LinkedIn page shows she is currently a parliamentary assistant in the House of Commons and is located in Windsor. She has previously worked on Ontario NDP and federal NDP campaigns.
Both DeRidder and Zaleski have been sent the questions from the panel. When they respond, their answers will be added to this story.
LISTEN | Federal election candidates from Kitchener Centre take part in panel discussion about top issues:
On climate change
The panel was held on Tuesday, which was also Earth Day, so the candidates were asked what the federal government has done correctly in recent years when it comes to tackling climate change and what needs to happen going forward.
Morrice said in 2017 the federal government put forward $752 million to get train tracks built for two-way, all-day GO train service between Waterloo region and Toronto.
"We have yet to get a timeline though for completion. And as you and listeners know, I've been up and down in Parliament calling for the federal government to get some accountability," Morrice said.
He said he wants the next government to put pressure on the Ontario government to give a timeline for when the work for two-way, all-day GO trains will be completed.
"I want to go back to Ottawa to continue to fight for that timeline on climate broadly," he added.
"We need to recognize that at this point in the crisis we need to see action that matches what scientists tell us is required," he said, noting the federal government still pays to subsidize oil and gas producers and has also paid for the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project, also called TMX.
"We need to turn those investments towards the economy of the future, towards high speed rail, towards electrification and electricity ties across the country and recognize that this is not the time to be building new fossil fuel infrastructure," Morrice said.
Adeba said the Liberals are committed to a balanced approach to climate change.
"We have to ensure that we go about this issue of combating climate change in a pragmatic manner," he said, noting the party is committed to reduce emissions by 40 to 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
"At the heart of this issue is really the issue of protecting jobs as well as cutting emissions. And we have to find that balance," Adeba said. "Otherwise it will be a haphazard way of doing things that will be detrimental to our society."
On homelessness
There has been a large encampment in Kitchener Centre at the intersection of Victoria St. N. and Weber Street W. since early 2022.
When it comes to addressing homelessness and helping people in encampments find homes, Adeba said the Liberals are committed to getting "back into the business of building homes."
He said the Liberals will work to make sure everyone has help "including those on low incomes, including the homeless."
Morrice said in November, when the federal government announced funding for encampments and Waterloo region wasn't on the list for that funding, he made sure to say something.
"I walked over to the minister and reminded him that the number of folks living unsheltered in Waterloo region has at least tripled in recent years. We are the epicenter of the homelessness crisis," he said, adding he worked with the minister's office. "Three months later, we were on the next round of funding."
He said while local organizations are building supportive housing units, the federal government needs to build affordable housing.
"One of the solutions I've been putting forward is to get the definition of affordable to match what folks in our community can actually afford. And I want to go back to Ottawa to continue to bring that forward to the minister of housing to make sure that all federal dollars build affordable units, to end the tax breaks for large corporate investors, and to get more homes built faster to address the housing crisis that we're in," he said.
WATCH | Kitchener Centre voters are concerned about homelessness. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue:
On tech companies and tariffs
Kitchener Centre is home to Communitech, which helps local tech companies to scale up and grow. But there have been concerns about what the U.S. tariffs could mean and whether companies might feel pressure to go south of the border.
Morrice said it's not just tech jobs, but also manufacturing, including Toyota.
"Here's what I have done. Even when Parliament wasn't sitting, I've reached out to two different ministers in recent months to put forward the needs of folks from our community because we need to be mindful this is not a time to take partisan shots. We need to stay united and strong as a country and recognize the real threat isn't even our American friends, it's the White House," Morrice said.
He said the government needs to be there for workers the same way they supported people through the pandemic.
"We need to be there for small businesses in our community, particularly those who are significantly trade exposed," Morrice said.
"We need to help them diversify to new markets. We need to be there for folks who may not be able to afford the rising cost of essentials and of course provide incentives for provinces and territories to reduce interprovincial trade barriers and more."
Adeba said the money from counter tariffs needs to go back to helping businesses in Waterloo region.
"We also are going to, under our plan, create a fund to start to help manufacturing in Canada so that it's resilient towards these tariffs," he said, adding local Liberal MPs have been "instrumental" in advocating for this already.
Other parties
Dyck of the United Party works as a paralegal and has spent years volunteering in the community.
The United Party's platform calls for a focus on Canadian sovereignty, building on Canada's resources to grow the economy, ending equalization payments, investing in military and border security, protecting firearm ownership, responsible immigration and it argues allowing abortion and medical assistance in dying means "human life has been devalued" in the country.
Ellen Papenburg of the Animal Protection Party is listed on the party's website as being a life-long vegetarian and she became vegan three years ago.
She was an activist and newsletter editor with the Young Vegetarians and board member of the Nederlandse Vegetariers Bond in the 1970s in the Netherlands. She has run in previous elections both federally and provincially, including in 2011 when she ran in Perth-Wellington for the NDP.
"Animal rights and welfare and climate change are top priorities," the website bio for Papenburg says.
Wasai Rahimi who is the People's Party of Canada candidate, has also served as president of the Afghan Association of Waterloo Region. He has worked in Afghanistan through iHelp International, which offers basic courses and training to women. In 2022 when the Taliban came to power, he stayed in the country to help former colleagues and families escape. He has previously called on the federal government to help Afghan nationals who are at risk because of their connection to foreign organizations.
His bio on the party's website notes he has volunteered in the community and has previously run in a municipal and federal election.
These candidates have been sent questions by email to offer their top issues in this federal election. When those responses are received, this story will be updated.
Voters go to the polls on April 28.
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