 |
 
|
Forget the pre-packaged
campaign platforms and the media take on what's important in the provincial
election. CBC is going door to door, finding out what Ontarians think
the parties should be promising. Follow along throughout the campaign
as we compare those issues with what each party is promising.
|
|
|
Teachers: Michael
Sklazeski, Thunder Bay
 Michael
Sklazeski is a high school student in Thunder Bay. His election wish
is to get more quality time with his teachers.
Listen (Runs 3:24)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The NDP will
introduce a charter of rights for education. It includes a section
confirming every child's right to a public education that meets their
needs and goals. |
| The Liberals
will place a cap of 20 students per class in the early grades, up
to grade 3. |
| The Conservatives
will increase the resources available for provincial education inspectors.
These inspectors will be directed to drop into classrooms, unannounced,
to evaluate teacher performance. |
|
Health Care: Dave
Christensen, Lappe
 Dave
Christensen is a prospector from Lappe, Ontario. He wants to see better
hospital services and shorter waiting lists this election.
Listen (Runs 3:44)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Conservatives
say they will use innovative partnerships and financing to build new
hospitals in fast growing communities, while maintaining their commitment
to small and rural hospitals. They'll guarantee waiting times will
not exceed medically recommended limits and promise to fly people
to other cities, provinces or states to meet that guarantee. |
| The Liberals
say they will place a moratorium on E.R. closures. They'll provide
adequate, multi-year funding to both hospitals and health sciences
centres. They'll set and meet maximum waiting times for tests and
scans at public clinics. |
| The NDP say
they'll cancel the expansion of private MRI and CT clinics and improve
diagnostic services in public hospitals. They'll also cancel plans
for private hospitals in Brampton and Ottawa in favour of public hospitals
in those cities. |
|
Health Care: Larry
Washburn, Windsor
Larry
Washburn is an accountant in Windsor who wants to see more doctors,
and more specialists, in the Ontario health care system.
Listen (Runs 2:13)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Tories promise
to ease the doctor shortage by making it easier for foreign-trained
doctors to practice in Ontario.
They also promise free tuition for medical students who agree to practice
in under serviced areas. |
|
The Liberals
promise help for foreign trained doctors
seeking accreditation. They also promise loan forgiveness to
students who choose medicine, and pledge to increase space in medical
schools by 15 per cent.
|
| The NDP platform
calls for a reduction in medical school tuition, and an expedited
training and accreditation process for foreign trained doctors.
|
|
Roads: Jim
Thompson, Sudbury
 Jim
Thompson is the head of the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, and he wants
to see more money spent on roads this election.
Listen (Runs 2:51)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Progressive
Conservatives list a number of highway projects they plan to tackle.
This list includes the four-laning of Highway 69 to Sudbury. The Tories
also pledge more than a billion dollars a year on highways, if they're
re-elected. |
|
The NDP plans to start a new Transportation Trust Fund dedicated
to public transit and highway maintenance. The NDP would take 3
cents from the existing 14.7 cents a litre gas tax and put it toward
transportation. The party says this would amount to about 470 million
dollars a year.
|
| The Liberals
promise to invest in highway and road improvements to ensure access
to critical trade links, starting with Windsor, Niagara and Sarnia.
The Liberals say they would give municipalities 2 cents a litre from
the gas tax to use for building roads and bridges, or improving transit. |
|
Schools: Shelina
Merani, Ottawa
 Shelina
Merani, a young mother in Ottawa, wants schools to be more open and
accountable.
Listen (Runs 2:40)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Liberals
promise to make school boards more accountable, and to insure they
have the resources and the flexibility to respond to local needs. |
|
The Tories will require school boards to submit their
spending plans in advance, and will also appoint an
Ontario Education quality auditor to investigate how
all school boards spend their money.
|
| The NDP say
they will pass a Charter of Rights for Education, making excellent
public education a legal right for every student. |
|
Racism: John
Fox, Thunder Bay
 John
Fox lives in Thunder Bay, and for him, the biggest issue this election
is racism against aboriginals.
Listen (Runs 2:25)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The NDP say
they will expand Aboriginal justice programs and revise the school
curriculum to reflect the historic contributions of First Nations. |
| The Liberals
say key services will reflect the needs of Aboriginal communities
and where possible be delivered by them. |
| The Conservatives
don't mention Aboriginal issues in their platform. |
|
Pesticide: Carmel
Gilrois, Sudbury
 Carmel
Gilrois runs a bed and breakfast in Sudbury. This election, she wants
the province to do more about pesticide use.
Listen (Runs 2:00)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The NDP platform
says the party will implement a "Pesticide Reduction Strategy"
and support municipalities that wish to ban cosmetic pesticide use. |
| The Liberal
party doesn't mention pesticides in their platform. They say they'll
leave it to municipalities to set the rules on pesticide use. |
| The Progressive
Conservative party doesn't mention pesticides in their platform. They
say they'll leave it to municipalities to set the rules on pesticide
use. |
|
Tuition:
Sean Hannaford, Thunder Bay
 Sean
Hannaford is in fourth year at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.
His top election issue is tuition fees.
Listen (Runs 3:01)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Liberals
say they'll freeze college and university tuition for at least two
years, and use that time to work with students, colleges and universities
to create a long-term solution to rising education costs. |
| The NDP say they'll
immediately cut college and university tuition by 10 per cent. |
| The Conservatives
don't mention tuition in their platform. |
|
Taxes: Keith
Naimark, Thunder Bay
 Keith
Naimark is publisher of Superior Choices, a seniors' newspaper
in Thunder Bay. He wants to see tax increases this election.
Listen (Runs 3:11)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Conservatives
say they'll cut personal income tax by 20 per cent in January. They
also promise other tax breaks, such as increasing the tax credit for
private school tuition, a break on property taxes for seniors, and
tax credits for disabled people or family caregivers. There is also
a proposal for a new mortgage interest tax break for homeowners. |
| The Liberals
say they will hold the line on your taxes and those of corporations. |
| The NDP say
they would add two new tax brackets in Ontario: one for people who
earn more than $100,000 a year, and another for people who earn more
than $150,000 a year. |
|
Wages:
Terry Smith, Sudbury
 Terry
Smith, a retail worker in Sudbury, says minimum wage needs to be higher.
Listen (Runs 2:58)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Liberals
say they will raise minimum wage to $8.00 over four years. |
| The Tory platform
doesn't address minimum wage. |
| The New Democrats
say they will increase minimum wage to $8.00 immediately. |
|
Mergers:
Keith Hipkins, Ridgetown
 For
Keith Hipkins, of Ridgetown, amalgamation is the most important issue
this election.
Listen (Runs 2:36)
RealPlayer
Windows
|
|
| The Plan |
| The Tories make
no mention of amalgamation in their platform. They say amalgamation
is working for the province and won't consider reversals. |
| The Liberals
promise an end to dictated municipal amalgamations from Queen's Park.
But they have no plans to reverse any pre-existing amalgamations.
|
| The NDP would
consider reversing amalgamation in some areas, but only at the request
of local governments. |
|
|
|
|
