West Island Liberal candidates discuss priorities

By Kevin Woodhouse, August 30th, 2012

At the beginning of the provincial campaign, the four West Island Liberal candidates met at Jacques Cartier candidate’s Geoffrey Kelley’s campaign headquarters to meet with the media about their accomplishments in the last nine years in government.  Last Friday morning, Kelley, Marquette candidate François Ouimet and Robert Baldwin candidate Pierre Marsan were in Pierrefonds at Yolande James’ campaign office to meet with reporters and to outline their objectives for the coming mandate and to encourage West Island residents to get out and vote.
The candidates spoke about their forays to get the word out by going to numerous community organizations, shopping centres, train stations, taking part in block parties as well as doing many door-to-door visits and that “despite the myth of people not being interested, people are interested in this election,” said James.
“For us, health care is a priority and the other parties are preoccupied with referendums or by labeling and dividing Quebecers,” said Kelley.  “We want to build a strong Quebec in a united Canada.”
In terms of health care, Kelley noted that the Lakeshore General Hospital, the focal point for West Island care, was built “50 years ago for a population of about 100,000 that were mostly young families.  Now, that population is about 340,000 and many citizens are seniors.”
Kelley also spoke about the Veterans’ Hospital that currently has two empty floors and could one day become a centre for “geriatric excellence.  There is also a hospital coming for the Vaudreuil-Dorion area as it is one of the fastest growing municipalities and about one third of all LGH users come from that area so a new hospital should eventually take the pressure off the Lakeshore.”
“Access to general practitioners is still a challenge but we do have a plan,” Kelley told the assembled.
Marsan said that, for the QLP, “the economy is our number one priority but for other parties like the PQ, a referendum is their first priority.”
The Robert Baldwin candidate also spoke about CAQ leader François Legault’s concept of abolishing school boards and raising teachers’ pay by 20 percent.  “In order to get rid of school boards, there would need to be amendments made to the constitution.  And while the teachers would get a large increase, what would we tell our doctors, nurses and health care technicians who have been negotiating in good faith?”
Ouimet focused on how the QLP weathered the global recession with aplomb and that Charest invested into infrastructure upgrades throughout the province.  “We came through the recession in better shape than the provinces and the U.S.  We also plan to have a balanced budget by next year.
“We have a good economic plan for Quebec’s future and a committed federalist leader while the other party leaders want more referendums and conflict,” Ouimet said.
James focused on education and initiatives like a $100 annual stipend for parents of elementary aged children to go towards school supplies for next year’s return to classes  as well as developing more spots for daycare.  The Nelligan candidate also pitched the idea of giving businesses a tax credit if they create a daycare on the premises that would be managed by the government.
When asked about the student strike that gripped the province during the spring, James answered that “the population has heard our propositions and we consulted the populace.  Bill 78 was introduced so that students who wanted to go to school could.”
“Bill 78 was used to conserve the spring session and in that respect it is mission accomplished,” added Kelley.
The candidates also remarked on the fact that in the last provincial election, only 58 percent of eligible voters voiced their democratic rights and they encouraged all of voting age to take part in the process on Tuesday, Sept. 4.n