Ford would make an ‘excellent’ premier, Smith says on TV debate
Peterborough-Kawartha Progressive Conservative candidate Dave Smith said he thinks his party’s leader, Doug Ford, is an approachable and compassionate man who deserves to win the election.
“I’ve been very impressed with Doug Ford … I think he’ll make an excellent premier of Ontario,” Smith said on a live all-candidates’ debate on YourTV on Wednesday evening.
Three candidates were debating, with TV host Jay Amer moderating: Smith was joined by
Sean Conway (NDP), Gianne Broughton (Green) and Jeff Leal (Liberal incumbent).
Although the debate topics were wide-ranging, the candidates were asked how they’d pay for their campaign promises – and each one mentioned that the details are available in their platforms published online.
“We released our fully-costed platform today,” Smith said, although the Canadian Press reported on Wednesday that the PCs had published a new list of promises online that doesn’t include a detailed plan of how to pay for them.
But Smith went on to talk about the “pure government
waste” his party would cut, if elected: the PCs would ensure the province doesn’t continue to own empty office buildings.
He pointed out that Liberal spending has put the province into $312 billion in debt.
“Our children’s future has been mortgaged,” he said.
Yet Leal didn’t think his government has taken anything away from future generations: in fact, he talked about how the Liberals’ ambitious infrastructure program gives Ontarians great opportunities.
He didn’t seem to like the suggestion that he’s overspent at anyone’s expense.
“I think I’ve demonstrated integrity for three decades of public life,” he said.
Smith and Leal also clashed on a couple of other occasions in the evening, notably when Smith listed his qualifications and accomplishments: he has an MBA, for example, and he said that nobody has done more to contribute effort and money toward bettering the community.
Then Leal listed some of his own accomplishments over four terms as MPP: his government partnered to help build Peterborough Regional Health Centre, for example, and to bring the new trade school to Fleming College.
They also brought the GO bus to Peterborough and extended Highway 407 to the city.
But when asked about how they would decrease the cost of electricity, Leal said the Liberal government inherited a hydro system that lacked capacity “after two decades of neglect” and the Liberal government spent $50 billion on upgrading the system, he said, to avoid a future blackout as extensive as the one in 2003.
“It had to be paid for,” he said. But Smith said his party would immediately reduce bills by 12 per cent by turning the dividend the government receives from Hydro One back to ratepayers.
Conway suggested his party would take a different approach: they’d buy back the distribution system of Hydro One and keep it in public hands, he said..
The next debate is on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the McDonnel Street Activity Centre.