Who will get your vote in Thornhill riding?

Candidates open up by answering questions about party strengths and weaknesses

Yorkregion.com
June 1, 2018
Simone Joseph

We recently spoke with candidates running in the Thornhill provincial electoral riding. Our candidates gave answers to six extra questions, discussing what their party can offer residents in the riding.

Here's our candidate Q-and-A:

1. Fun question: If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be? Why?

Liberal (Sabi Ahsan) -- I would choose to be a dove. Doves are a symbol of peace. A bird can easily fly to visit friends and family, bringing the community together.

Conservative (Gila Martow) -- I'd be a golden retriever poodle mix -- a golden doodle. My Chelsee (spelled see because my husband and I are eye care professionals) is a golden doodle and when I'm out in my neighbourhood walking her, everyone says how lovely she is and I've come to kind of consider them the unofficial mascot of Thornhill.

Libertarian (Mike Holmes) -- I would be a monkey because they always seem to be in good spirits, work hard, smart and love hanging around.

NDP (Ezra Tanen) -- Elephants have strong family ties and demonstrate a propensity for empathy. A strong recognition of the importance of family and empathy define my identity while defining my politics. I am proud to run for a party committed to the daycare, health care, and seniors care services which strengthen families and are sensitive to the needs of Ontarians.

2. What’s the first action you’d like to take as MPP?

Liberal -- The first action that I would like to take as MPP would be to introduce back-to-work legislation for York University. The students have missed enough classes and delaying their opportunity for summer or permanent jobs if they are graduating. The strike is also very difficult for union members who have expenses to pay, which they are unable to.

Conservative -- Before the House adjourned for this election, I was researching legislation and meeting with stakeholders in different files like transit, accessibility and health care, so resuming those conversations is a priority. My Private Member's Bill calling for improvements to Ontario's accessible parking regime could not be debated due to Kathleen Wynne proroguing the legislature, so I'm excited for Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government to make passing bills easier without the games that the Liberals were playing.

Libertarian -- I would like to meet with the other levels of governments so we can align our priorities; especially moving forward quickly with the Yonge Subway expansion to Highway 7 and beyond, and ensuring that we have the proper infrastructure to move Thornhill into the future.

NDP -- As an MPP, I want to provide opportunities for my Thornhill neighbours to become politically active and share their ideas for strengthening families and communities in this province. My first act as MPP will be to provide contact information and advice on political involvement for everyone in my riding while establishing a plan to further engage my constituents.

3. What’s the strongest part of your party’s platform?

Liberal -- The Ontario Liberal Party has an excellent record of achievements and we have the fastest growing economy in the G7. Our platform builds on these accomplishments. Intelligent infrastructure investment is the Liberal party’s strong suit, examples are transit and the new Vaughan Mackenzie Hospital scheduled for completion in 2020.

Libertarian -- Lowering hydro rates. The Libertarian party would cut your hydro bill in half!

Conservative -- I am most excited about the investments that Doug Ford will be making in transit infrastructure, particularly the Yonge Subway Expansion. This is what residents of Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill want, and it’s great for the environment, saving about 2,500 bus trips per working day according to VIVA.

NDP -- The NDP are committed to strengthening all aspects of our health-care system, ensuring patients, their loved ones, and health-care professionals benefit from renewed investment. I am motivated to bring change for the better to health care.

By opening long-term care facilities, reopening hospitals, hiring health-care workers, funding take home cancer drugs, and investing in home care, the NDP will bring necessary change for the better.

4. What’s the weakest part of your party’s platform?

Liberal -- With a fully costed platform, we are able to provide essential services for Thornhill and Ontario residents. It provides care over cuts and creates a fairer Ontario through balanced policies. We constantly look for better outcomes. If elected as MPP, I will advocate on behalf of all of my constituents at Queen's Park to make sure that their needs are met.

Conservative -- I am proud to say that this is a platform that works for everyone. All of Ontario will benefit from lower taxes, lower hydro rates and bringing businesses back to Ontario. We will make Ontario a place to invest, a place to grow and to raise a family. The difficulty in this is there is a lot of work to do. We're going to be auditing the books that the Liberals will leave us, and getting this province back on track is going to be tough, but I'm ready.

Libertarian -- We don’t believe that we have a weak part of our platform but the Libertarian party will prevent youth from becoming generation screwed but this will take time to correct!

NDP -- The NDP platform identifies many areas where change for the better is possible for Ontario’s voters. Our plan is extraordinarily comprehensive and includes items which have not been well advertised. We are committed to reviewing the funding formula to ensure that schools are able to serve students with special education needs. The NDP is also committed to expanding the manufacturing sector by improving the way Ontario’s assets are showcased to investors. Mid-career employment training, as promised by the NDP, will allow many people to thrive in today’s economies. These important commitments are sometimes buried by bigger announcements, obscuring how much Andrea Horwath and the NDP will bring change for the better.

5. What’s the strongest/weakest aspect of your biggest opposition’s platform?

Liberal -- I'd like to be able to talk about a strength or weakness of the Progressive Conservative platform, but they have not released a fully-costed platform (this was true as of this reporter-candidate communication Tuesday). The NDP platform is rooted in ideology instead of providing pragmatic solutions. Their refusal to enact back-to-work legislation will cripple essential services like transit, hydro and police, by always pandering to unions. Their budget numbers don't add up. Their planned tax increases for small businesses will have a very negative impact on the economy and result in businesses choosing to move away from Ontario.

Conservative -- I want to know why Andrea Horwath's NDP are planning to hike hydro rates by another 25 per cent. People want to know why the NDP insists on an additional $600 million in higher hydro rates, which will happen if they shut down the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station.

Libertarian- the Libertarian party doesn’t see any strong aspects of the opposition parties, they have all been in power over the last 30 years and the province’s debt has increased approximately $9.3 billion per year, so budgeting is their biggest weakness. Ontario is in debt by approximately $312 billion or $23,000 per person. The three big parties are all the same.

NDP -- The PC’s platform is big on passion but short on crucial details. I appreciate how my opposition’s messaging reflects a yearning for change, but I am disappointed in the reluctance to specify how change will be implemented. I would like to know which essential services the Conservative party will cut to save the government $6 billion. Furthermore, it is unclear how a party committed to shrinking government revenues will pay for their promises. I chose to run for a party dedicated to change for the better and for a leader, Andrea Horwath, who specifies a comprehensive plan centred on making life easier in Ontario.

6. Other comments?

Liberal -- Everybody agrees that Ontario is a wonderful place to live. The investments made by the Ontario Liberal Party, have given Ontario a thriving economy. But  we  know  we   aren’t  done,  that   we  might  have the lowest unemployment in nearly  20 years and best growth in the G7,   but  we need to  do  more to  make  sure that  progress is   shared  equally. In Ontario, we care for each other. All of us work together -- through government -- to do the things we cannot do by ourselves. Together, we need to expand pharma care to seniors, create publicly funded preschool, child care, and make our planned investments in mental health care and hospitals and seniors care.            

Conservative -- I just want to say how touched I am by all the support that my team and I have been getting at the doors this election. People are ready for change and I am so honoured that Thornhillers are putting their trust in Doug Ford and I to bring positive change for our community. It means a lot and again, I am truly touched.

Libertarian -- The Libertarian party will explore new possibilities so the more people that vote Libertarian, the stronger the message will be that the status quo is unacceptable.

NDP -- When the government cuts back on services, incredible inefficiencies are created as we all pick up the bill. The hydro sell-off is a perfect example. Private ownership allows private companies to profiteer from our hydro bills, eliciting ruinously expensive electricity. Similarly, when the province sold Highway 407 for quick cash, taxpayers picked up the tab when tolls were raised. Importantly, these examples demonstrate how privatization means everyone pays more than when hydro and highways are publicly owned. Furthermore, the entire province is impacted by cuts to hospitals and universities. Cutbacks in hospitals mean patients and their families must spend more out of pocket while receiving lower quality health care. Funding freezes imposed on universities mean that tuition rises while students, and often their parents, must make increasingly difficult sacrifices. Cutbacks mean high user fees while quality is not guaranteed, in many cases private spending is inefficient and burdensome.

To learn more about the candidates in Thornhill riding, check out these links: Vaughan Chamber asks candidates three questions in this video, for Green party candidate Rachel Dokhoian, go here, for  Sabi Ahsan (Liberal), go to his Facebook page, for Gila Martow (Conservative), go to this website and look here for information about Ezra Tanen (NDP) or Mike Holmes.

Also, don't forget to check out candidates' thoughts on Thornhill's biggest issue, their candidate profiles, and an article about how the Liberal Muslim candidate is confident running in this mostly Jewish riding.