As the provincial election campaign enters its last week,
the candidates representing the four major political parties in
Sudbury Riding seemed at ease during a televised debate on
Persona Channel 10 Monday night (Oct 1).
By now the candidates have their parties' lengthy platforms
memorized and they have met several times before to debate the
issues. They have their lines rehearsed.
But the televised debate, with its potential for a larger
audience, was  make it or break it time for the men who
want to take Rick Bartolucci's job.
Bartolucci is extremely popular with constituents and won his
seat in 2003 with almost 69 percent of the vote.
While the rookies didn't give the political veteran any
knockout punches, they did ruffle his feathers on issues such
as the OHIP premium and Phase 3 (public/private) hospital
construction projects.
The debate was polite but informative. Northern Life
co-sponsored the debate, and I was one of the panelists.
I sense voters are not engaged in this election. It may be
because Greater Sudbury's economy is healthy, or it may be
because the campaign for the province's first fixed date
election unofficially started many months ago, and has seemed
to go on and on.
Several of the candidates agreed voters are apathetic, but
Bartolucci said the people he's talked to on the hustings are
enthusiastic about the positive things going on in the
province, and he expects a good turnout on election day.
Green Party candidate David Sylvester said voters are apathetic
because they don't believe politicians' promises. If people
really want a change, they should vote Green.
New Democrat candidate Dave Battaino said many voters are
concerned about making ends meet. He wants a fair deal for
families, something he has repeated throughout the campaign.
Part of that fair deal is his party's promise to increase
minimum wage to $10 if elected Oct. 10.
Later in the debate, he said small companies would not be
penalized by the increase because most value their employees
and pay more than minimum wage. Rather, it is often large
corporations that only pay minimum wage.
They can afford to pay more, he said.
The Green Party supports raising working people's wages above
the poverty line. An increase in minimum wage would help small
businesses because it would be spent locally, "not in Cancun,"
he said.
Progressive Conservative candidate Louis Delongchamp said his
party supports a wage that allows people to "live with
dignity," but has concerns that an immediate increase to $10
per hour would have a negative impact on employers.
The PCs would create a commission to study what is an
appropriate living wage, he said.
Bartolucci said the Liberal government had increased minimum
wage to $8, and plans to raise it to $10.25 by 2010.
"We believe it is important to raise it, but not too quickly,"
said Bartolucci.
The Liberal government raised minimum wage in stages to $8 from
$6.85 starting in 2003.
The candidates also provided their opinion on election reform.
While the Liberals and the Progressive Conservative parties
support keeping the first-past-the-post system, the NDP and the
Green Party support a reformed mixed member proportional (MMP)
system.
MMP was recommended by the citizens' panel studying election
reform, said Sylvester.
It could result in more minority goverments, but that is not a
bad thing, he said.
The televised Nickel Belt debate took place Tuesday evening
(Oct 2), and it too will be available at Northernlife.ca to
review prior to the election.
View more Persona, Channel 10 videos >>
Election results will be available as soon as they are
finalized Wednesday, Oct. 10 at NorthernLife.ca, and there will
be more coverage in the Friday, Oct. 12 issue. Northern Life
will not be publishing a special edition on the day following
the election.
Northern Life is endorsing candidates and will do so in the
Friday, Oct. 4 issue.
For information about candidates, as well as election reform.
Visit
Northern Life's Election Section >>
 
Vicki Gilhula is the managing editor of Northern Life.
