Election Q&A: NOEL DUIGNAN (NDP)

1. Why are you the best candidate to represent the riding of Wellington-Halton Hills? (Response limited to 100 words). As a passionate believer in social justice and a member of the NDP for 30 years, I am running because I want to help get more done for our community and Canada. I believe that I am the only candidate who wants to take better care of our seniors, to make sure we invest more in education and training, to improve health care and stop privatization in its tracks, get serious about our environment and clean up government. 2. Looking at each of the other parties separately, please offer an opinion as to why they should not form the next government. (Response limited to 200 words). The Liberals had 12 years to act on all the social issues facing Canada, but they spent 12 years "doing nothing about anything" except making sure their friends got rewarded. They failed to act on child property-- they cut social spending instead. They balanced the budgets by cutting health care, education and spent billions on corporate tax cuts to biggest corporations in Canada instead of taking care of Canadians and did nothing to stop corporate agribusiness from squeezing farmers to extinction. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are wrong on the issues, out of touch with Canadian values, and he leads an ineffective opposition that did not get results for people in the last parliament. For example, their child care plan is a tax cut worth about $19 a week, which would barely make a dent in a family's bill for child care. They want to be part of the U.S. missile defence scheme, they have no credibility on the environment, their record on ethics is a little better than the Liberals, they support the Liberals on trade deals that make life tough for the farmers, they want, like Ralph Klein, to expand for-profit health care.

3. What is the major local issue(s) in this campaign and what will you do to deal with it if elected? (Response limited to 100 words). One of the issues facing the people of Wellington-Halton Hills is the issue of gas prices. Most people living in our riding have no choice but to use vehicles whether it is going to work, working on the farm, buying groceries or picking up their children. The NDP is the only party willing to take on the oil companies and has a plan for fair gas prices. (Conservatives brought in the GST on gas prices). On the above issue and other Canadians have only one real alternative to the Liberals in Ottawa, the NDP.