Better Solutions To Local Issues of CCMV

1. What are the most important issue facing voters in this constituency?

a. Economy
b. Taxes
c. Healthcare and the lack of doctors in rural Nova Scotia
d. Long-gun registry

2. Do you think this riding has received or is scheduled to receive its fair share of infrastructure stimulus funding? If not, please explain why you feel that way.

No. Stephen Harper has proved that he does not care about Atlantic Canada, and photo-op cheques don’t change that.

3. What will you do to increase the amount of infrastructure stimulus funding throughout the riding?

I want voters to know that there are ways to meet the needs of CCMV without increasing government debt through deficit spending, and taxing Canadians. There are infrastructure projects like the new hospital in Truro and the planned Truro-Colchester Civic Centre that the other parties, frankly don’t have a plan to finance beyond the rhetoric of the ‘Gas tax’ or deficit financing. That’s not good enough anymore. Taxing Canadians and deficit budgets aren’t working. They’re robbing us of our competiveness as a nation, and eroding our standard of living.

CHP Canada would simply use the Bank of Canada to fund our infrastructure needs, making no-interest loans to provinces like Nova Scotia, so these much needed projects could become reality—without taxing Canadians today and long into the future. From about 1945 until 1974, this is largely how Canada financed government expenditures. And the level of national debt was a small fraction of the nations GDP, and income taxes were low. It’s time to use the Bank of Canada as it was designed, to serve the best interests of the country.

4. Which projects do you think should be put forward and approved?

Every community has a list of projects submitted to the federal government for stimulus funding. Truro has the Normal College historic building that needs revitalizing, the library, which needs 8 to 12 million dollars. Tatamagouche, Debert, and Brookfield have stadiums that need attention, and all communities have road, and sidewalk programs that need attention.

Then there are the big projects which affect the entire region, the Millbrook overpass and the Bible Hill interchange. These projects have been on the federal government’s backburner. It’s time for the government to pay attention to the needs of Atlantic Canada.

5. If Truro is to maintain its reputation as the “Hub of Nova Scotia” what needs to be done to ensure it benefits from the Atlantic Gateway Initiative?

The Atlantic Gateway Initiative is a program that has widespread support from provincial, and municipal governments, and from the Millbrook First Nations, but it is stalled by the lack of federal government funding.

The West Coast has the Pacific Gateway, why are we waiting for an Atlantic Gateway?

The Millbrook overpass and the Bible Hill interchange would help with the traffic flow to the Truro Industrial Park. All lower levels of government have signed off on this as a priority project for the region. Why isn’t the federal government listening to the concerns of CCMV?

The spin-offs from the development required for this project would bring infrastructure to the Truro area, including development to the Debert Industrial Park. The increased economic activity would be a direct stimulus to the economy of Truro.

To get the plan brought to completion the government has to stop relying on deficit spending, and increasing taxes, which stall growth, and use the CHP infrastructure policy to immediately finance infrastructure needs across the region and the country.

6. Do you support development of a new deepwater container terminal in Melford? If not why? If so, what will you do to help?

Yes, absolutely.

Halifax is overcapacity and cannot handle the cargo carried by the new super container ships. This would bring much needed employment to Nova Scotia, but most importantly the spin off’s for communities in CCMV in terms of jobs would be an enormous boost to local economies.

Again, it seems like many of the important infrastructure programs that could and should be implemented are blocked by a government which cannot find a way to fund them. I would advocate a return to the successful policy of using the Bank of Canada to fund the infrastructure needs across the country, as was previously the policy until 1974.

7. What will you do to improve the delivery of health care to encourage more doctors and health professionals to re-locate to remote rural areas of this riding?

This is an area that is very important to the CHP and voters. I have recently held discussions on this topic with a Canadian physician recruitment specialist, and the CHP has a concrete plan that will work to attract, train, and retain doctors in rural areas.

1. To attract doctors the CHP would offer the incentive of paid tuition for doctors who are willing to specialize in family or rural medicine. Currently doctors graduate with up to $200,000 in debt.
2. Doctors would then have to contract with a Health Authority to give a specified number of years of service.
3. Residency requirements for graduating doctors must involve rotations throughout rural areas to allow doctors to form relationships within the community and put down roots.
4. Immediately fund additional residency spaces for graduating doctors. Most Canadians will be shocked to learn that although Canada has a severe shortage of doctors, every year graduating doctors are forced to leave Canada to complete their residencies because there aren’t enough placements for them.
5. Lastly, the government must have more involvement in setting the standards for licensure of doctors in Canada.

8. What changes are needed to help the agriculture and forest industry become sustainable and profitable?

The primary objectives of the CHP Agriculture policy are to ensure food security for Canadians and to keep our rural communities healthy and vibrant.

We can take several steps to protect the agricultural industry:

1. Ensure that imported foods adhere to the same standards required of Canadian farmers. Canadian farmers are world leaders and we must make sure that they compete on a level playing field. Apple growers are one example of a sector threatened by imports.
2. Ensure that the Product of Canada label means at least 95% of the items’ content is produced in Canada.
3. Provide environmental payments to farmers for protecting water, air, forests and soil. These payments are made annually to farmers who have done specific practices that help improve or protect our common environment. Examples include: No till farming, green manure cover crops, fencing the cattle out of streams and planting trees.

Forestry: exporting raw logs is exporting jobs.

I would work to strengthening the domestic industry to create jobs. Eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers to stimulate the domestic economy; creating more demand, such as the Trade, Investment, Labour Mobility Agreement has done between BC and Alberta.

9. What talents do you have which could be used to assist farmers to develop a “Fuel Pellets from Grass” industry in Nova Scotia with this riding being the leader? How would you help?

My 25 years with the Canadian navy has prepared me to think strategically, and my success as a businessman has equipped me to tackle start-up initiatives.

As MP I would strongly support the Fuel Pellets from Grass industry and the huge opportunity it represents for Nova Scotia to be world leaders in this area. I would urge the cooperation between the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government to act in cooperation to provide infrastructure support for developing this industry. The Atlantic BioVenture Centre in cooperation with the Nova Scotia Agricultural College presents a unique opportunity for our students to be the world leaders in this industry. This bio technology represents the way of the future, and would bring jobs and industry to Agritech Park in Bible Hill and the entire region. To fund the project the federal government should immediately implement the CHP’s infrastructure policy.

10. Would you encourage MP’s from Atlantic Canada to join together to become strong advocates encouraging immediate government action to assist small businesses in their battle to ensure no significant increase is approved in the percentage fee for interact and credit card purchases? If so, how?

As a successful businessman, I would want to support restrictions on significant increases regardless of whether or not other MPs join to become strong advocates.

11. Which will rate higher with you? Following party policy at all times or consulting with the electorate and voting in accordance with their wishes? Explain how you will handle these situations.

I am the leader of the CHP. CHP policies are good for Canada. They would strengthen families, create jobs, and eliminate government debt. When someone votes for me they will know what I stand for. When issues arise in Ottawa that would adversely affect CCMV, such as the failures by the Conservative government to provide significant aid to Lobster fisherman, the lack of movement on the Atlantic Gateway Initiative, the lack of In-Service Contract work for our aerospace industry, and more, I will speak up strongly for my constituents.

12. Why should voters support you in this election?

CHP Canada has policies that would strengthen Cumberland-Colchester Musqudoboit Valley, and I believe this by-election will be about more than what the “major” parties have to offer. It is clear that the Conservatives under Stephen Harper have failed CCMV.

Voters here have proved that they are willing to look for and choose the candidate who has the best blueprint for governing. Our campaign is about offering ‘Better Solutions’ to the serious issues that face us. There are better ways to ‘do’ politics in Canada, and I believe you, the voters are ready for those better solutions. I believe you are going to look hard at the policies to determine what is best for you and the country. And I believe you will discover that the CHP’s policies are the best.

I will be the strong voice needed in Ottawa for CCMV. On November 9th, a vote for Jim Hnatiuk, would be a vote for moving CCMV forward.