Start the Debates

Friday, 23 May 2014 05:47

The first in a series of all candidates debates for the Oxford County candidates focused on Agriculture.

WOODSTOCK -- Thursday welcomed a meeting of all provincial candidates under the welcome banner of the Oxford County Federation of Agriculture.

P-C candidate Ernie Hardeman used the night to help re-enforce the role of Agriculture and Food Minister as a position best served as a full time responsibility, not an associate duty of the Premier in the previous government.

"When the Premier is sitting at the cabinet table as the Premier, she can't then turn around and speak on behalf of the agriculture and rural community."

Oxford Liberal candidate Dan Moulton says he worked in Queen's Park too and saw first hand how Agricultural issues were elevated by Premier Kathleen Wynne.

"I saw that day-in and day-out, working at Queen's Park that agriculture and the agriculture food industry was an essential focus of this government."

Another rural issue brought forward was the potential closing of A.J Baker school in Kintore, a question NDP candidate Bryan Smith hopes will make a comeback in subsequent debates.

"I'm hoping it will come up again because it's an extremely important topic, our local communities are extremely important and school's are important to their sustainability."

Green Party candidate Mike Farlow says issues around agriculture can relate back to everything we take for granted, and not just in a riding like Oxford.

"That's my intent, to make sure, not just to be a one trick pony, but if you don't have safe water and you don't have safe air, then you have nothing."

Farlow in his closing comments also praised the younger candidates, Dan Moulton with the Liberals and 19 year old Devin Wright, who's running for the Libertarian Party.

Wright says he found out about Thursday's all candidates debate mere hours before it was scheduled to take place, but welcomed the experience to field questions from the electorate.

"This was a very good night, I needed this night this night to be able to break the ice and have the confidence to be able to get in front of people and talk, I feel really great about this night."

Thursday's debate addressed a wide ranging focus for issues regarding energy rates, the Kemptville College preservation effort, saving A.J. Baker school, farmland preservation and provincial transfers.

Tim Hodges, who's running for the Freedom Party of Ontario, was not in attendance Thursday.

Not much turn-around time for candidates, they're taking part in another all candidates meeting sponsored by the Oxford Chambers of Commerce Friday morning.