Climate change strategies, U.S. tariffs top topics at Chase all-candidates meeting

United States tariffs and climate change were the top issues on attendees' minds as they asked questions of MP hopefuls during an all-candidates meeting in Chase on Thursday.

Four of the five candidates running in the federal election for the Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies electoral district were in attendance at the Art Holding Memorial Arena. NDP candidate Phaedra Idzan was the only candidate not in attendance.

Approximately 25 people attended the event to hear from the candidates.

Addressing U.S. tariffs

Several questions centred on addressing the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.

“If there's no free America, there's no free world,” said PPC candidate Micheal Henry. “And I strongly want a free world for my kids and for everybody.”

Henry told attendees he sees the U.S. as being a "big brother," but one that is now in debt and entangled in other international issues.

“They're doing whatever they can to try and make it right in their own country, and putting their people first and I'd like to see Canada do some things very similar going forward," he said.

However, Liberal party candidate Ken Robertson said the U.S. is not Canada's friend right now.

“We have to truly understand that things have changed,” Robertson said.

“We have to make new trade routes, we have to go back to old alliances, and that's what Mark [Carney] did, making and establishing those old alliances. … Because we knew that we now don't have a true friend to us.”

Conservative candidate Mel Arnold said this election is not about the U.S. but about Canadians.

“I want to remind everybody, the difficulties that we're going through right now, young people trying to buy a home, seniors and working class people lining up at food banks because of inflation and the cost of housing that have gone through the roof under the last nine and a half years with a Liberal government, that is what this election is about," Arnold said.

Green candidate Owen Madden said the current situation in America is the result of voting out of fear and anger.

“What we're seeing in the U.S. is the outcome of hate-driven politics,” Madden said.

He said it's "shock and awe and distraction" from the real issues that people should be talking about, like climate change.

“We either vote out of hope or we vote out of fear, and the United States has been voting out of fear for so long that it's destroying, in my opinion, their democracy."

Climate change strategies

The candidates were asked to talk about how their party would address the economic and environmental effects of climate change.

Robertson said climate change is "one of the highest priorities" for the Liberals.

“We have taken drastic actions in regards to it," he said, adding the industrial carbon tax will continue to make polluters pay.

“We wanted to make sure that people understand those big companies that are polluting have to pay for polluting in our air, our water, our soil,” he said.

“We are having an aggressive target by 2035 for zero emissions, but we are working with big businesses and small businesses as well when it comes to this because overall it is about the future.”

Arnold said he believes the carbon tax will continue to cost consumers more, and instead, the Conservative party will address climate change through technology.

“Putting the carbon tax on at the industrial level, as they're proposing, means that every time a product is produced and then passed on to the next level that carbon tax will get compounded all the way up to where the consumer, you, are eventually paying anyways,” he said.

“We plan on addressing the issue of climate change and pollution through Canadian technology.”

He said Canada produces "the cleanest oil and gas and petroleum products anywhere in the world."

“Take our technology and use it around the world to improve emissions in all of those countries," he said.

Madden struck back against the other parties' approaches to climate change, saying they tackle the issue in three different ways.

“One is called transformational, that’s the Green Party. One is called incremental, and that's the Liberal Party. And then two parties are in denial and that's the Conservative Party and the PPC,” he said.

“I think the only solutions that are on the table from the Conservative Party and the PPC is what the fossil fuel industry will allow them to put there. Incremental change describes the Liberal Party. I don't understand how you can say, 'I'm going to stop climate change, but I'm going to build out lots more LNG and lots more pipelines.

“Listening to Mark Carney recently to me, it's a softer version of drill, baby drill.”

Henry said the People’s Party of Canada acknowledges changes to the climate.

“PPC acknowledges climate change, but rejects what it calls climate alarmism,” he said. “We understand there is climate evolution, and the amount of time that we've been measuring the statistics and stuff really is a short period in history.

“We understand it's changing, and we want to further understand it and find good solutions for that.”

He said the PPC will eliminate subsidies for green technology and end the federal carbon tax.

“We advocate for practical solutions to environmental issues, such as investing in cleaner air, water and soil, while allowing the private sector and provinces to address climate-related challenges,” he added.

Hear more from your candidates

You can hear more about where candidates stand on important issues at upcoming all-candidates events including one in Salmon Arm on Tuesday, April 15, and via livestream on the Castanet website on April 22.