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aes adi aumento i 20 A eS NE "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2000 - 7 'ELECTION 2000 - DURHAM GOES TO THE POLLS Incumbent says Liberals have more work to do By Chris Hall Weekend Star The federal government has accom- plished plenty over the past seven years, but theres still much more to .do, says incumbent Durham MP Alex Shepherd. Seeking his third term as MP on Nov. 27, the 54-year-old Seagrave resident says his Liberals have accomplished much in office, but face more challenges. ~ "There are a number of things that remain not quite right yet," said Mr Shepherd, who has an accounting firm in Port Perry. "We've got the concept of fiscal respon- sibility, lowered the deficit, reduced taxes and now have a surplus, but there are still things like the harmonization of the GST and other taxes that are among our objec- tives to get down," he said. "There are still some things that I'd like to see be done, and that includes a reform of the parliamentary system." Mr. Shepherd lists repairing a fragile health care system as one of his govemn- ment's top priorities. "I think our health care system will be a challenge, but I think we can fix it. | don't think we should throw it out and create a new system," he said. Canada is the fourth-largest spender on health care in the world, but ranks 18th when it comes to providing medical ser- vices, he said. "There's something wrong there. We've got to fix that," said the MP. "The money's there, we've just got to use it properly." During his campaign, Mr. Shepherd says he's been well-received by the pub- lic, and hasn't taken any flak for the fall election call. "There hasn't really been that much concern over this election call," he said. "People understand that we went to the polls three-and-a-half years in last time, and we're doing that again this year." As for the surging Canadian Alliance Party, Mr. Shepherd says that's a path Canadians don't want to travel. "The Canadian Alliance to me has a very different definition of what Canada's about. They want to shift the power to the provinces and make a more vulcanized system. Canada is already centralized now, we don't need those changes," he said. ; ~~ "We don't want to go any further down that road." He also calls the Alliance's tax propos- als "bad for this country. It would shift the tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class. "I can't see that happening here; they're looking to create an American style of government here, and that's not my idea of Canada," said Mr. Shepherd. [LN Durham Liberal MP Alex Shepherd (right) was joined by cabinet heavyweight David Collenette recently as he hit the streets in prepara- tion for the Nov. 27 election. A Utica man will repre- sent the Canadian Alliance party in the upcoming federal elec- tion. Gerry Skipwith, the insurance firm, was selected earlier in the summer to carry the party flag in the Nov. 27 general election. A former Reform sup- porter, Mr. Skipwith made the move to the Canadian Alliance, a party he ultimately found himself representing. "l was with the Reform for three or four years and then made the switch to the Canadian Alliance," he said. His party's three main themes in the general election are health care, the economy and taxa- tion. "Health care is at the top of the items. There is a lot of interest and con- cern with the health care system," he said. i "Our economy and taxation are important as well. There is such a waste with the current government... there was nothing in (the Liberal platform) for agriculture, 57-year-old owner of an Skipwith runs for | Alliance in Durham Skipwith very little, and that is something that is very important to this riding." As for the Canadian Alliance Party itself, Mr. Skipwith says the public "has been very willing to talk to me, I've been well received. There was a lit- tle hesitancy with the Reform Party, but now they're much more open." And, while polls con- tinue to show his party running in second place nationally, Mr. Skipwith says he'll take a wait- and-see approach. Mr. Skipwith said that if he's elected, the peo- ple of Durham will defi- nitely be represented at Ottawa. Cureatz back to run for Tories in Durham Newcastle lawyer Sam Cureatz will carry the Conservative flag in the upcoming general election. He accepted the nomination (Nov. 3) in Bowmanville when the Durham Federal Progressive Conservative Party met at The Veltri Complex. He was the lone candidate. While he initially was not interested in representing the local Tories, Mr. Cureatz said he soon changed his mind for the good of the party. "I guess later | felt comfortable enough and | proceed- ed to seek the candidacy. | want the people of Durham Region to know that the Conservative party is the oldest party in Canada, and that we are a alternative national party. : "I really feel the party has been good to me over the years. If we're not successful than at least we can show the people in Durham that the Conservative party is still here, and that in the future we will be an alternative national party." This will be the second federal election nomination for Mr. Cureatz. A bitter dispute with fellow Tory Llewellyn Jones, a Scugog resident, in 1997 forced a second nomination vote for the region's Conservative party, and delayed their campaign. A former MPP for the Durham area, Mr. Cureatz, 52, now lives in Newcastle where he practices law. He has been married to his wife, Kathryn, for0 years, and has three sons, aged 25, 23, and 16. Cureatz CHP rep runs again Christian Heritage Party (CHP) candidate Durk Bruinsmd will take a third shot at a seat on Parliament Hill this elec- tion. Mr. Bruinsma, 60, was nominated to represent his party in Durham in early October. This will mark the third time he has run for the CHP here. He and his wife recently moved from their farm into Bowmanville, where they remain semi-retired. The couple own and operate a janitorial service. The Christian Heritage Party will run on a platform based on religion and morals, he said. "I'm excited about being here again. My nomination was uncontested; | got 100 per cent of the vote. | guess they thought | was doing a good job the other times. It's an exciting time and lots of fun," said Mr Bruinsma. "Our constitution says that our country was found- ed of religion, and we're losing that religion," he said. "I think that our govern- ment has forgotten about our vision that has come about from religion. Our policies are different now," said Mr. Bruinsma. "The Christian Heritage Party is the only party against abortion. The Canadian Alliance says they will leave it up to the constituents." NDP candidate will focus on health care Representing the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Durham Riding, Dr. Ken Ranney. will be on the ballot when the Nov. 27 federal election rolls around. A semi-retired med- ical doctor, the 70-year- old Bowmanville resi- dent accepted the NDP candidacy on Oct. 30. "When they first called and asked me to run | said no, then later | said maybe, and now here 1 am," he said. "This is not a very popular riding for the NDP, but I'm happy to do it for the party." "I've got a number of reasons to run," he said. "I am very concerned with the way our society is going; | always have been. It seems more and more that money is tak- ing over, and insufficient attention is being paid to the needs of people and the environment." In particular, Dr. Ranney plans to focus in on health care, including special issues like the prevention of cancer and particularly how health care is administered. " AH