Salmon Arm residents wanted answers about the future of the carbon tax and helping seniors with the rising cost of living when MP hopefuls gathered for an All Candidates Forum on Tuesday.

All five candidates for the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies electoral district were in attendance at the Song Sparrow Hall answering questions submitted prior to the event.

Seniors and affordability

Candidates were asked what their party would do to help seniors struggling with rising inflation, and how they would encourage publicly funded cutting-edge healthcare options.

“Right now, in these times, for instance as a Mark Carney-led government, we're making RRSPs readily available this time of year 25 per cent without penalty,” said Ken Robertson, Liberal party candidate.

He added the Liberals have a plan to increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement by five per cent in 2025.

“This is where we have to also talk about universal health care too, because costs are up across all sectors of our lives,” Robertson said.

“When it comes down to universal health care, I believe in the public system. I don't believe in a two-tiered system that will actually really hurt our universal healthcare.”

NDP candidate Phaedra Idzan said her party would adopt a national seniors strategy.

“New Democrats believe that if we stand together, we can fix healthcare, stop price gouging and make homes affordable for seniors,” she said.

“New Democrats would make sure that seniors don't fall through the gaps by bringing in a national senior strategy to make seniors healthcare a priority, reduce isolation and tackle seniors' poverty.”

She added the NDP would increase the GIS and provide free medication to seniors through universal public pharmacare.

“If you live in Grindrod like me, cutting-edge healthcare options would be having anyone to go to at all about health,” said Owen Madden, Green Party candidate. “There's a huge discrepancy between urban and rural centres.”

He said ensuring the federal portion of healthcare transfers went toward increasing access in rural areas would be a high priority for him.

"We are suffering from a mental health crisis in this country, in my opinion, and too many people are suffering mentally because they cannot afford the expensive therapy and counselling that they require," Madden said.

"We have to provide healthcare provision that's affordable or free."

PPC candidate Michael Henry said he believes reducing inflation is the best way to help seniors struggling with rising costs.

“The tax rate would be, for the People’s Party of Canada, 15 per cent on the first $100,000 so that would help free up inflationary events for seniors,” he said.

Henry said the PPC wants to repeal the Canadian Health Act in order to allow provincial governments to implement public-private healthcare systems "like other developed countries."

He said the plan would replace healthcare transfer cash payments for a tax point system that would give provincial governments a stable source of revenue.

“In turn, they would be responsible for improved efficiencies in the healthcare programs,” he added. “So there's a couple of items that we have on the table that we'd be interested in processing.”

Incumbent Conservative Mel Arnold said the current Liberal government is leaving seniors behind.

“Our seniors built this country, and they're being left behind by the wasteful, inflationary spending of the current government,” he said.

“We've seen inflation devalue your pensions, your GIS, your CBP, your old age security. We will ensure those are protected.”

He also said the Conservatives would allow seniors to earn more money from part time jobs without being taxed.

“We'll also allow seniors to work longer and earn up to $34,000 tax free,” he said. “That's $10,000 more than the current situation.”

He went on to say the issue he receives the most mail from constituents about is what he called "this current Liberal government's attack on natural health products."

“They want to put the same restrictions on natural health products as prescription drugs," he added. "Making those products unaffordable to everyone, including seniors.”

The future of the carbon tax

“The carbon tax became demonized and scapegoated as the reason why life was so expensive in Canada, that was driven by the Conservative Party, and I have to accept that it has become deeply unpopular,” Madden said.

“However, we believe that polluters should pay, not taxpayers, and so segments of our economy will be given a budget — and if they exceed that carbon budget, then they will pay."

He added ending fossil fuel subsidies and carbon budget taxes would "prepare Canada for the climate shocks ahead.”

Robertson pointed to new leadership in the Liberal party leading to a new view on the carbon tax.

"The Mark Carney government will use the reformed carbon tax market to finance these climate conscious choices, meaning that big polluters, not taxpayers, will pay,” he said.

“On his first day as prime minister, Mark Carney canceled the carbon tax, saving Canadians an average of 18 cents a litre on the price of gas.”

He said the public still supports "the big polluters" having to pay, adding "we're still going to make sure that they do."

Arnold, on the other hand, said Carney did not actually eliminate the carbon tax.

“I'll be very clear on this one, Mark Carney didn't eliminate the carbon tax," he said. "They only zero rated it for an election period.”

He said since it is still under legislation the Liberal government could bring it back.

“And I don't doubt that they still plan to do that,” he added.

Arnold finished by saying the Conservative party would end the carbon tax legislatively.

Henry said the PPC also plans to "abolish the carbon tax completely and permanently."

“We reject the idea that punishing Canadians at the pump or taxing businesses into submission will fix the environment,” he said.

“Our plan is simple. End all federal carbon pricing schemes, cancel the Liberals' net zero targets that devastate industry and agriculture, support practical environmental stewardship not ideological climate policy.”

Idzan, on the other hand, said while NDP will eliminate the consumer carbon tax, they support an industry carbon tax.

“People in our region are already dealing with the climate crisis, whether it's wildfires, droughts or floods, and while people are doing their part, they see oil and gas giants getting billions of dollars in subsidies and paying next to nothing in carbon taxes,” Idzan said.

She said the NDP plan to eliminate oil and gas subsidies and move the money into clean energy and home heating rebates.

“Let's stop punishing the people doing their best and start holding the biggest polluters accountable,” she added.

Hear more from your candidates

You can hear more about where candidates stand on important issues at upcoming all-candidates events including an all candidates event on April 22 which will be streamed live on the Castanet website.