The two leading candidates in the newly drawn NDG-Westmount riding faced off at the CTV Montreal studios Wednesday, where they discussed their parties’ platforms on the economy, affordable housing and how they plan to pay for their promises.
CTV anchor Mutsumi Takahashi moderated the cordial debate between Liberal incumbent Marc Garneau and NDP candidate James Hughes.
Takahashi started by asking the candidates to distinguish their parties.
“If you were to point out the single most important thing that differentiates you from the other parties, what would you say it was?” she said.
“On a single issue, I would say that we at the Liberal Party, we will get on with our promises right away,” said Garneau.
For the Liberals, that means money into the Canadian economy via infrastructure.
For first-time candidate Hughes, what sets the NDP apart is its stance on anti-terrorism.
“The biggest is the spy bill, Bill C-51,” said Hughes. The NDP said it plans to scrap the bill if elected.
Other issues in a newly drawn riding that's made up mostly of NDG, Westmount and Montreal West include better transit and affordable housing.
“The NDP is going to get to the housing file in a very aggressive way, renewing social housing agreements with the province, getting new housing out the door – including in our riding – will be amongst the top priorities,” said Hughes, who formerly worked as head of the Old Brewery Mission.
Garneau said social housing is also on the Liberals’ priority list.
“We will massively finance infrastructure exactly for that. We've said $20 billion over 10 years in what we call social infrastructure which is affordable housing and social housing,” said Garneau.
Takahashi asked them both how their parties plan to fund those promises.
“We are the only party that will tax the wealthiest one per cent in order to redistribute the income. We think that's something Canadians support,” said Garneau.
The NDP has a different strategy, Hughes explained.
“We think a much better way to draw in the kind of revenue to pay for our commitments is increasing the large corporate tax rate from 15 to 17 per cent,” he said.
The Liberals’ Marc Garneau said he is a man on a mission to help build, “a bigger Canada, a Canada with more generosity, a Canada with a sense of vision, a Canada that is more admired in the world than it is now.”
The NDP’s James Hughes said he is eager to bring about change, “to get back to a place where government is trying with all the resources it has to make a difference in the lives of people in need. It would be so wonderful and I'd be so excited to be a part of that.”
The federal election is on Oct. 19.
