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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday September 20, 2008 - 11 What is the main issue in the Halton riding? As part of its election coverage, The Oakville Beaver will be asking each of the candidates in the Oakville and Halton ridings to respond to a weekly question. The Oakville riding responses will be published each Friday and the Halton riding responses will be published in the Saturday Weekend edition. This week, candidates were asked: What is the main election issue in the Halton riding? Lisa Raitt -- Conservatives Of all the issues voters are considering during this election campaign, by far the most important is strong economic leadership. And let me emphasize that this includes specific, intelligent steps to protect the environment ­ ultimately an economic matter, too. I hear this every day from Halton residents, in homes, on the main streets, in the malls, Lisa Raitt and in calls and emails to our campaign office. As our Prime Minister has said, this is a time of global economic uncertainty, especially in the United States. So far, Canada has done much better, thanks to smart, prudent management of our economy. The government has cut taxes to leave more money in family bank accounts, and paid off $40 billion of Canada's debt, reducing pressure on interest rates. At the big rally this week in Oakville, Halton residents heard Stephen Harper emphasize that Canada's economic fundamentals remain strong - the strongest of all our G7 trading partners. He received huge ovations when he promised to sustain our country's confident, responsible management of the economy. We also talked about Amy Collard -- Green I believe that sustainability is the main issue in the Halton riding. We need to ensure a sustainable economy for the families living in Halton. Jobs that are dependent upon a carbonbased economy are disappearing. An economy focused on green-collar job creation is the way of the future. For example, the recent layoffs at Ford's Amy Collard Oakville plant clearly demonstrate the need for an investment in research and technology to produce vehicles that use alternative energy sources. We are not seeing other automotive companies (such as Toyota) laying off their workers, and the reason is simple; they have responded to the global shortage of cheap oil and are making the reduction of greenhouse gases a priority. We also need a sustainable healthcare system. The growth we have had in Halton over the past 10 years is unprecedented. Our health care system has not been able to keep up. People are being denied access to essential services. This makes preventative healthcare vital in Halton. Healthy living is the key to a sustainable health · CARPET · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD · CERAMICS · CARPET · · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · V I N Y L · H A R D W O O D · C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · V I N Y L · H A R D W O O D · C E R A M I C S · C A R P E T · O R I E N TA L R U G S · Don't Pay until 2009 See Lisa page 12 See Amy page 12 Garth Turner -- Liberals On their doorstep, people tell me they're seriously worried about the economy. And how can you blame them? The markets are terrible. Recession seems inevitable. Jobs are evaporating at Ford and elsewhere. Income taxes have not come down a single dime in three years. House values are falling, gas prices are crushing. Garth Turner The future's uncertain and frightening for families and retirees, as incomes are squeezed and retirement savings melt away. The way out of this mess will not be simple. It'll take a government that values the economy over political gain. In other words, Ottawa must spend less to dampen inflation and lead to lower interest and mortgage rates. Those disastrous forty-year mortgages, which have accelerated our real estate troubles, must never return. And Ontario needs to be trumpeted as a place to invest, not one to avoid. So, where do we start? Simple, chop income taxes. Give families back some of their money. Get government out of the way. Robert Wagner -- NDP Effective action to address the environmental crisis is the most pressing issue in this election. New Democrats have a proven track record of leadership in environmental solutions: · Passed Jack Layton's Kyoto-Plus Bill with targets for emission reductions every five years. · Passed NDP legislation to control of toxics in Robert Wagner toys and tabled banning cosmetic pesticides. · Proposed a Clean Water Act with standards to ensure safe drinking water. · Stood up for our waterways and oceans by exposing how mining companies use healthy lakes as tailing ponds, moved to ban bottom trawling and more. · Cancelled $4.6-billion in pointless corporate tax cuts to invest in better priorities -- including public transit and a home energy retrofit program. The New Democrat plan: · Builds on the Climate Change Accountability Act and provides the enforcement tools to get the job done. AREAaRUG l e a r n ce DISCO NTINUED S' `O NE-OF-A -KIND UP TO C % 70 OFFU P TO 5x8 R UGS F ROM STA RTING $ 900 9 1 2 LF HA WOOL, SILK & TIBETIAN E DERSUIGNER IC PERSIA GS N PR HAND WORVUEGS N FROM IRAN FROM IRAN ONLY $ 5X8 WOOL/SILK NIANS 799 In-Stock Colours Only CARPET 3/4" Select Oak only $4.99/sq. ft.* 8mm Lifetime W arr only $1.99/sq. ft.* Discontinued Pattern HARDWOOD THICK BERBER only $1.99/sq. ft.* LUXURIOUS NYLON TWIST only $2.99/sq. ft.* LAMINA TE CERAMICS 20% OFF Sale Prices! Installation With Underpad Offer good at following locations only. 1/2 Price! VINYL *Sale applies to in-stock colours only. Outlet Store - Trafalgar Village Across from Home Depot · (905) 849-4472 Huge Super Store - 228 King St. E. Downtown Hamilton · (905) 546-1921 See Garth page 12 See Robert page 12 · CARPET · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD · CERAMICS · CARPET ·