Infrequently Asked Questions
Provencher
- Janine Gibson (Green Party)
- Shirley Hiebert (Liberal)
- Ross C. Martin (NDP)
- David Reimer (Christian Heritage Party)
- Vic Toews (Conservative)
Janine Gibson (Green Party)
- What is a pressing issue unique to your riding, and what would you do about it?
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Provencher has the highest number of hog barns per hectare in western Canada. These barns are associated with many environmental problems, specifically, air and water pollution through improper waste disposal, which could actually be contributing to the water quality of Lake Winnipeg, Gibson said.
"The main thing that I'm doing is educating people about the dangers of this and encouraging folks to not buy conventionally produced pork, but to support the smaller operations who are composting their manure," she said.
- What do you like least about politics?
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"The corporate pressure that is exerted on politicians so that they get bought out is the aspect of overall politics that I like the least," she said.
In the end, Gibson said, these relationships tend to serve private corporate need rather than the good of the community.
- What is your riding's best-kept secret?
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Hog industry problems.
"We are allowing hog manure to be spread two, and three, and sometimes four times the allowable limits," she said.
"That all runs off into our water system, and moreover it builds up salts in the soil which will reduce the fertility cycle, and overall reduce the fertility of that land."
- What is the best advice you've ever received?
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"My father told me to pick my audience, and so I tend to focus my time and my energy on people that value what I have to say," she said.
"That is why I'm running for the Green [Party], because most people that vote for Green policies, and who support the Green Party are very concerned about the environment, and so am I.
"Instead of being angry and frustrated by talking to people who don't care, I feel empowered and strengthened by spending most of my time with organic farmers."
- What book could you not finish?
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"I don't know if there's ever been a book that I haven't finished," Gibson said. "I select my reading quite carefully, because I can't handle a lot of violence."
- What is your usual mode of transportation?
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"I'm ashamed to say my primary mode of transportation is my car," Gibson said.
She drives a Pontiac Sunfire five-speed that she says gets very good gas mileage.
"I drive my car because it's culturally appropriate for most of the farmers I visit who don't believe in buying imports, and I believe in buying local. So to me, it's as local as I can get."
View Janine Gibson's Canada Votes Profile »
By Julijana Capone, a student in the Creative Communications program at Red River College.
Shirley Hiebert (Liberal)
- What is a pressing issue unique to your riding, and what would you do about it?
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Health care is the most pressing issue, Hiebert said.
"We have a lot of seniors in our riding, and one of the concerns they have, of course, is the cost of drugs," Hiebert said. "The Liberal party has a drug plan that would help offset drug costs."
- What do you like least about politics?
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"Not staying on the issues," Hiebert says, such as, "when I see things that are maybe going off track or maybe too much time is spent in an area that is not significant."
That takes away from important issues like the economy and the environment, she said.
- What is your riding's best-kept secret?
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"It is a very exciting riding," Hiebert says. "If you look at the history, it was Louis Riel's riding, and I'm very proud about that."
It also has the Whiteshell area and a lot of cultural diversity, Hiebert said.
- What is the best advice you've ever received?
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"To stay grounded."
Hiebert comes from a traditional Mennonite background where, she says, education for women was not seen as something to be pursued.
"So I have stepped well out of the box," she said. "I think that we're all equals, we just have a different set of skills, visions and dreams, but whatever they are, we should be able to pursue them and hopefully secure them."
- What book could you not finish?
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Hiebert said she couldn't finish a several-volumes-long series on the Romans, likely Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, although she couldn't recall the exact title.
Hiebert says she didn't finish it partly due to distractions: "I guess it was the kids and so forth," she said.
- What is your usual mode of transportation?
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"I have a '97 Camry that I like," she said. "I have it because it's very reliable, you know, it does well overall and I like flying."
View Shirley Hiebert's Canada Votes Profile »
By Julijana Capone, a student in the Creative Communications program at Red River College.
Ross C. Martin (NDP)
- What is a pressing issue unique to your riding, and what would you do about it?
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Crime is a major issue, Martin said.
"[Conservative candidate] Vic Toews, who is the minister of justice, he said he was going to get tough on crime, and since then we've had running gun battles in Winnipeg. And that does have an impact on those who are in our riding, which does go into Winnipeg," he said.
"The New Democrats want to build more community and drop-in centres -- as opposed to more jails -- to prevent crime."
- What do you like least about politics?
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"What I like least in politics, is where they get out of control, such as the ad scam, all of this Airbus with Schreiber and Mulroney," he said.
"There's not honesty and -- how should I put it? Openness, you know, about the government. And there's no reason they can't be open about contracts."
- What is your riding's best-kept secret?
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"We have quite a good quality of life. We have the whole Whiteshell area with lakes and streams, the Winnipeg River with falls and that," he said.
"There's fishing and hunting and, of course, we have our farmlands. It's a gorgeous area."
- What is the best advice you've ever received?
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"Be honest with people when you're talking to them. Be up front," he said.
"I think that people appreciate when you're honest with them and tell them what you're planning to do. Then you have nothing to fear."
- What book could you not finish?
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Martin couldn't remember the name of the book.
"It was very heavy reading, dealing with wars and the cause of wars," he said. "It was really heavy slogging and it wasn't my book, so eventually I had to give it up."
- What is your usual mode of transportation?
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"Most times I walk. One, because I enjoy walking and two is because I do have a visual impairment," Martin said.
I do ride the bike a bit and catch rides. But I prefer walking if I can."
View Ross Martin's Canada Votes Profile »
By Julijana Capone, a student in the Creative Communications program at Red River College.
David Reimer (Christian Heritage Party)
- What is a pressing issue unique to your riding, and what would you do about it?
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"I think a pressing issue unique for all of Canada is a strong voice advocating the sanctity of life from the time of conception to the time of natural death, and a strong uncompromising voice in regards to defending the sanctity of marriage, the traditional definition of marriage," Reimer said.
"This is an ongoing moral and social issue that is failing to be addressed by other political parties at this present time," he added.
Reimer believes that this will resonate well with voters in Provencher because they "have some degree of faith in God and most of them would be strong pro-life supporters."
- What do you like least about politics?
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"The inconsistency and compromise among members of Parliament and their political parties" really bothers Reimer.
"Many times candidates say one thing during election time, and when they get elected they change their tune," he said.
"Many times they ask for our vote at the time of the election only to let us down when it comes to making decisions and going to Parliament."
- What is your riding's best-kept secret?
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Reimer believes the best-kept secret in Provencher is the youth.
"We have in Provencher young people, youth, who have unlimited potential to be history-makers and world-changers."
- What is the best advice you've ever received?
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What has helped Reimer in his "walk of faith and journey of life" is this advice: "To love, honour and serve God in every aspect of life, whether it's in my marriage, in my family, in my church, in my community or serving my country."
- What book could you not finish?
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Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo: "I found it too lengthy."
- What is your usual mode of transportation?
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Reimer drives a car because of its practicality, a 2003 Volkswagen Beetle, diesel, 5 speed.
"I want to make that clear, because of the fact it's not only green in colour but it is also environmentally friendly -- not too much pollution and great fuel economy."
By Karen Kornelsen, a student in the Creative Communications program at Red River College.
Vic Toews (Conservative)
Declined to participate.
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