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| Candidate Catherine McKenna (Ottawa Centre) with Jewish community representatives and Ottawa Jewish Community School students following the Liberal Party roundtable discussion with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, September 25. |
Candidates were asked to respond to the same five questions of concern
to the Jewish community from CIJA’s 2019 Federal Election Issues Guide. The
meetings were conducted with each party separately to allow clear dialogue and
to provide each a chance to present their platforms.
The Liberal Party was represented by candidate Catherine McKenna (Ottawa
Centre); the Conservative Party by candidates Abdul Abdi (Ottawa West-Nepean)
and Brian St. Louis (Nepean); the New Democratic Party by candidates Angella
MacEwen (Ottawa West-Nepean) and Emilie Taman (Ottawa Centre); and the Green
Party by candidates Jean-Luc Cooke (Nepean), Angela Keller-Herzog (Ottawa
Centre), Oriana Ngabirano (Ottawa-Vanier) and David Stibbe (Ottawa
West-Nepean).
The following replies have been edited for clarity and length.
Will
you support a federal rebate to cover some of the costs of security guards for
places of worship and other sites targeted for hate?
Liberal Party, McKenna: I am happy
to look at this because the ultimate goal is to keep community members safe. We
recognize that there are security risks. While we can’t commit now, I hear you
and understand there have been incidents of grave concern in the international
community and in Ottawa Centre.
Conservative Party, Abdi: We
understand the anxiety, stress and costs to the community. While I cannot
commit to the rebate now, if elected I can bring the issue forward… I would
also like to focus on why security is needed, I would like to put programs in
place that deal with hate, antisemitism and fear, to make sure that young
people can come into a facility like the JCC and not have to worry about safety
and security.
New Democratic Party, MacEwen:
Absolutely. There is no question the NDP supports this – everyone should feel
safe in their place of worship.
Taman: We need to continue to do the work to get us to the
place where those kind of measures aren’t required, but it is the reality and
it shouldn’t be an additional burden the community should have to bear.
Green Party, Stibbe: We are supportive of this
concept and of the existing Security Infrastructure Program… We also need to
push to change our electoral system. A lot of hate is driven by our political
structure. Politics are won by dividing our communities, and electoral reform
is the way to change that.
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Candidates
Abdul Abdi (Ottawa West-Nepean) and Brian St. Louis (Nepean) with Jewish
community representatives and Ottawa Jewish Community School students following
the Conservative Party of Canada roundtable discussion with the Jewish
Federation of Ottawa, September 18.
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Will
you support a government-led strategy to tackle online hate and radicalization?
Liberal Party, McKenna:
Absolutely. We have done a lot of work with our anti-racism strategy on online
hate and with other measures, but we are not there yet… We need to hold social
media companies to account, and I have been vocal about this personally. We
need to do this… and there is data to suggest, that the things people say
online are jumping offline. This is a worrying trend… I do believe strongly in
free speech, but there is a dividing line between free speech and hate speech.
I am not sure if we’ve figured out that line yet and we need to think hard
about it.
Conservative Party, St. Louis: No one
wants to see online hate and in principle I support a strategy to combat it,
but we also need to ensure the details do not infringe on freedom of speech.
Abdi: I will take a strong stand, online or in person,
against those who attack people in terms of their religion, community or race,
and will support any strategy that eradicates hate toward any group.
New Democratic Party, Taman: That is
one of the commitments we’ve explicitly made. The government has not been very
nimble in dealing with the digital sphere and the regulation of social media
platforms… There will always be tensions between freedom of expression and the
suppression of violent speech, but that’s not a reason not to try to strike
that balance… We need to be combatting hate everywhere we find it, and it is
proliferating online where it contributes to getting people on board with
misinformation and hateful rhetoric.
Green Party, Keller-Herzog: The
internet is dividing our communities and fomenting hate. This is an excellent
policy, and I would like to see it broad-based so that it also pushes back on
Islamophobia and other dimensions of racism, discrimination and generations of
hate. This is something Canada should be investing in and leading in.
Stibbe: American media companies are not regulated in Canada
and are not accountable to our government, this is part of the ability for
online hate to spread so rapidly… We need to take control of what crosses our
borders digitally.
Ngabirano: I joined the Green Party because our policies are
based on a preventative approach, and education is part of prevention. We need
to add and fund this component.
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Candidates
Emilie Taman (Ottawa Centre) and Angella MacEwan (Ottawa West-Nepean) with
Jewish community representatives and Ottawa Jewish Community School students
following the New Democratic Party of Canada roundtable discussion with the
Jewish Federation of Ottawa, September 26.
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Will
you urge the government to support Israel unequivocally when Israelis defend
themselves from terrorism?
Liberal Party, McKenna: Our
position hasn’t changed. We’ve been clear that as a government and as a party
we support Israel’s right to security and to defend itself in the context of
the two-state solution. Our foreign minister has been strong on this.
Conservative Party, Abdi: I support
100 per cent a two-state solution. Israel has the right to defend itself. I
understand the threat from Iran and will stand by Israel. Israel also has a
responsibility to develop opportunities for peace. It can take a leadership
role in making sure the two communities are bridged.
St Louis: The UN Human Rights Committee often focuses on Israel
instead of other, serious global threats... As long as Hamas is a player, there
will be threats and Israel is right in defending itself. I have been impressed
with the weighed responses of Israel in many challenging situations… Israel is
a sovereign, democratic states with the same rights as any other – and that
includes defending itself from violence.
New Democratic Party, Taman: Difficult to answer with the use of the term
“unequivocally” without context, but there is 100 per cent solidarity with the
Israeli people. Agree there are efforts to isolate Israel which have to be
pushed back against. There is a concern with the UN structure with the politics
there, and I think Canada has to be really strong in defending Israeli
interests there… When it comes to international human rights obligations,
leaving aside the political motivations in the UN to make certain declarations,
I certainly support international law, the rule of law and fundamental human
rights norms… Yes, absolutely we would unequivocally denounce human rights
violations perpetrated upon the people of Israel, in the same way I hope we
would in respect of any state.
Green Party, Cooke: The Green Party has
previously dealt with the boycott, divestment and sanctions issue. We have
moved on and put processes in place to prevent small groups of people joining
just to push one policy issue. Israel is
an ally of Canada, and Green Party MPs will advocate that Israel has a right to
exist, has a right to defend itself and is an economic ally... The Green Party
does think the settlement process is detrimental to the peace process. However,
we also condemn rocket attacks... Israel does have our unequivocal support, but
there will also be criticism that goes back and forth, which is healthy and
normal as long as it’s focused and constructive.
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Candidates
David Stibbe (Ottawa West-Nepean), Angela Keller-Herzog (Ottawa Centre), Oriana
Ngabirano (Ottawa-Vanier) and Jean-Luc Cooke (Nepean) with Jewish community
representatives and Ottawa Jewish Community School students following the Green
Party of Canada roundtable discussion with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa,
September 19.
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Will
you advocate for reform of the Disabilities Tax Credit (DTC) to make it more
accessible?
Liberal Party, McKenna: Our
government is focused on how to support the most vulnerable, and we know people
with disabilities are more likely to be living in poverty… We are interested in
looking at this and we should continue the conversation about the details of
how best to do that. Clearly we need to be doing better.
Conservative Party, St. Louis: The point
of these programs is to help people who need them, and there is always room for
improvement. I’ve met people who have had problems with the DTC, so to me it is
going backward instead of forward. Making the DTC more accessible seems like an
achievable goal.
Abdi: We will protect the DTC. Andrew Scheer also recently
talked about the new plan for the child tax credit that will be an additional
$500 for young people with disabilities… We will also protect and support the
Disability Savings Plan… Our government will always be a champion, and where we
feel there are gaps to be filled, we will be there to support you.
New Democratic Party, MacEwen: Yes. Our
commitment is we would look at the whole range of tax credits and benefits that
are available. We need to look at the whole suite of programs to make sure
they’re accessible and meet needs… We are also going to do a pilot program in
EI around episodic disabilities to make that work better for people.
Taman: It’s important we work with people with disabilities
and their advocates to look at ways that we can strengthen legislative
frameworks, accessibility legislation. Sometimes it feels to people like
programs are designed to keep them in poverty.
Green Party, Ngabirano: The Green
Party wants to offer a guaranteed livable income to each and every Canadian to
allow them to live in dignity. The social policies in place are outdated, tax
credits come and go with governments and are not stable.
Will
you support a guarantee that five cents of every federal dollar spent on
affordable housing goes to those with developmental disabilities?
Liberal Party, McKenna: It is good
the federal government is finally back into affordable and social housing, and
that we are putting the money behind it… We certainly need to look at what
percentages are required to support those who need it most. People with
developmental disabilities are often in poverty… I can’t commit to that amount
right now, but I will look at it and raise it. This all has to be part of a
strategy to support the most vulnerable, and housing is a critical part of
that.
Conservative Party, Abdi: While I cannot
commit to the five cent number, the Conservative Party has promised a three per
cent increase to social transfers to provinces every year, which will go up
along with the GDP… We will honour all housing commitments already in place,
and where applicable will encourage more. We will also work with the provinces
and municipal governments to make sure there are no stumbling blocks… We will
also lower taxes for small businesses that want to get engaged in this area to
ensure that they can make it easier to get rental units.
New Democratic Party, Taman: The
affordability question is tied to a lack of supply. In Ottawa Centre, we are
proliferating luxury condos when what we really need is rental housing. Our
plan includes building 500,000 new units across Canada, with a clear priority
on non-profit and co-op housing… We are also mindful more is needed for
supportive housing. Five cents on every dollar seems like a very modest ask. It
is something I would certainly support.
Green Party, Cooke: The Canadian Mortgage and
Housing Cooperation was created to buffer the mortgage market from shocks, but
also to produce community housing at the provincial and municipal levels. We
want to reintroduce that mandate... When people have stable places to live,
many other complicating factors of their life get better. The five cent target
is very reasonable, we support it and it may even be too low.
Grade
8 students’ comments
Ottawa Jewish Community School Grade 8 students attended the meetings as
part of their Social Studies curriculum. Here is their feedback:
On the Liberal Party platform: “The party
is dedicated to helping those most vulnerable and making sure kids have access
to sports, have a roof over their head, and parents have the means to support
their children.” –Kiera and Max
“The party showed a commitment for helping tackle online hate and
radicalization. Online hate motivates people to spread hate offline. As the
youth of today, we are the most connected online and feel that this is an issue
that needs to be addressed.” – Grade 8 Class
On the Conservative Party platform: “We like
the tax credits to support students getting involved in arts and sports. There
are many families that need financial support for these important activities
for children today.” –Zoe and Aidan
“The Conservative candidates answered each question in a very clear and
straight forward way and brought in personal connections.” –Jessica and Lior
On the New Democratic Party platform: “When it
comes to affordable housing, we appreciate the fact that the NDP committed
500,000 new units. We hope that a percentage of these will be dedicated to
adults with developmental disabilities to help the Tamir Foundation.” –Zoe
and Jayson
On the Green Party platform: “The
candidates are environmentally aware by thinking about the current generation
as well as future generations. There is no Planet B.” –Talia
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