-Concerns about taxes, fuel costs raised-

OSOYOOS TIMES-October 8, 2008-

By Paul EverestrnOsoyoos Times

Not surprisingly, much of the focus of the federal all-candidates forum held in Osoyoos on Oct. 1 was on economic matters and how a deepening financial crisis in the U.S. could affect jobs, small businesses and pensions here in the South Okanagan.
Conservative candidate Rob Zandee of Oliver, NDP candidate and incumbent MP for the Southern Interior riding Alex Atamanenko, Liberal candidate Brenda Jagpal and Green Party candidate Andy Morel all took the stage at the Osoyoos Secondary School Mini Theatre before a gathering of roughly 35 people.
The forum was moderated by members of the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce.
In his opening remarks, Zandee spoke of his firsthand insight into the needs of farmers and small businesses across the riding through his Oliver-based farm equipment business.
Jagpal, a Montrose resident, touched upon her experience working in the community and stressed the need for balanced social needs with a strong economy.rnAtamanenko said leadership is needed in Ottawa on issues such as affordable housing, health care and care for seniors, adding that the current Conservative government is giving financial breaks to large corporations and oil companies while individuals are paying more income tax.
Morel, who lives in Rossland, said his party's platform is environment-based because all other issues, such as business and health matters, are tied in to the environment.
One of the first questions put to the candidates by Chris Scheuren, one of the chamber's directors, was about how the parties would take measures to help workers move more freely between the provinces to deal with growing labour demands, especially in Western Canada.
Jagpal said that a problem limiting worker migration is how many skills and qualifications are not transferable between provinces, adding that she would like to see qualifications, especially within the teaching profession, recognized universally across Canada.
Atamanenko said a priority is to improve training for our own workers so they get preference for jobs here and stimulate the economy by creating more jobs in the green sector.rnWhen asked about their feelings on harmonizing the GST with B.C.'s provincial sales tax and looking at capping government spending to prevent a deficit, Zandee said he believed the East Coast model of the Harmonized Sales Tax works pretty well and other provinces should be nudged in that direction.
He also noted that the Conservatives were keeping the government in positive territory by working with a $9.8 billion surplus.
Morel said he felt separate federal and provincial taxes were a burden for small businesses and harmonization would lead to better co-operation between B.C. and the federal government.
One of the first questions from the audience challenged the candidates to explain why the cost of fuel is so high in Canada when trucks from Alberta are unloading fuel at U.S. gas stations.
Atamanenko blamed the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, and said Canada needs more self-sufficiency when it comes to oil.
Zandee brought up the need to cut taxes on diesel fuel, especially to help local farmers.
He said more investment needs to be put into refining capacity in Canada to lessen the country's reliance on East Coast refineries that are vulnerable to large storms.
Canada needs fuel alternatives, Morel said, adding that the record profits of large emitters such as oil companies should be taxed, with the revenues going to more sustainable industries.
Morel also said limits should be put on the amount of emissions a corporation can release so that heavy emitters can't do business.
Responding to an Oliver man's question about why people with low incomes are taxed so heavily, Jagpal said her party's Green Shift platform would help individuals and small businesses, especially at the gas pumps.
Zandee, however, said the Green Shift idea will increase costs when Canadians fill up since producers will have to spend more to get their product to the market and that increased spending will mean higher gas rates will trickle down to consumers.
Atamanenko and Morel raised the idea of eliminating income tax for people who make $20,000 or less a year.
Morel went so far as suggesting that a guaranteed living wage is something the government should look at to reduce poverty.
The candidates also fielded questions on issues such as labour shortages in the South Okanagan, genetically modified crops, Canada's infrastructure, pension splitting and the legalization of marijuana, to which Atamanenko said decriminalization could help demolish the criminal industry that has sprung up to traffic the drug.
In the end, Atamanenko said he was running on my record, pointing out that he had worked diligently for his constituents in the areas of passport clinics, immigration issues and dealing with his U.S. counterparts over the controversial Shankers Bend concept in Washington state which, if built, would flood parts of southern B.C.
Zandee said he was running on the government's record of increasing the number of jobs in Canada, paying down the national debt and putting the rights of the individual before the rights of the criminal in justice matters.
He added that people in the riding would be better off with someone on the government's side of the House of Commons rather than a representative who belongs to the opposition.
Jagpal pointed to her resume of working with community-based programs dealing with women's and immigration issues while stressing her connection to the small business community since she is a certified general accountant.
Morel closed off the night by saying that even though Canadians were going to the polls for the third time in four years, they still had no options and his party means change.rn[email protected]