Candidate profile: Conservative Party candidate Cathy McLeod

“Working with the government when I thought they were doing things in terms of making legislation better. Child welfare is an example. Indigenous languages,” said McLeod. “But also holding them to account when I think they were heading down a bad path. For me, the Financial Transparency Act [requiring First Nation leaders to publicly disclosure of salaries and expenses] was something that was a disservice to community members.”

McLeod says affordability has been a big issue that she’s hearing about from people in the riding.

“When I hit the doors, whether it’s seniors, moms with young children, whether it’s students. They’re saying life is a challenge, and that’s held up by Stats Canada a number of other polls saying many Canadians are only $200 away from insolvency every month,” said McLeod. “They’re finding everything more expensive, whether it’s the gas pumps, whether it’s their home heating bills. That’s been a real focus of our campaign, is saying we know you’re having challenges and we’re really going to look towards making things more affordable.”

McLeod says eliminating the carbon tax will save people gas money. The Conservatives also plan to implement its Universal Tax Cut.

“That will especially support lower-income, middle-income [earners]. They’re predicting an extra $850 in every person’s pocket, she said.

CANDIDATE Q&A

Ahead of the 2019 federal election vote, CFJC Today reached out to each candidate in the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding for their positions on local issues. Here is Conservative candidate Cathy McLeod’s responses.

In your view, what is an MP’s most important responsibility?

“To listen to, learn from, and serve constituents and communities. Since first elected, nearly half a billion dollars in federal funding has been invested in strengthening each community in our riding. I have fought hard to address the devastating softwood mill closures and reductions, advocated for the cattle industry, protected our law-abiding firearm owners’ rights, and challenged the government on the Chinese government’s ownership of local seniors’ homes. My team and I have helped thousands of constituents solve issues with the government. In Ottawa, I have served as Parliamentary Secretary to various Cabinet Ministers, and, most recently, as the Conservative Party’s Shadow Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. All this is why I look forward to the opportunity to continue to invest in the growth of our communities.”

What are the biggest issues people in our riding have? How would you address those?

“We need a strategy to support the forestry industry itself, workers and communities. For industry, this means a softwood lumber agreement; for workers, a more responsive EI system; and for communities, this support could come in the form of Western diversification, focus from our economic development agency, accessible broadband for all, and by having a minister who actually lives in the West.For the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, the Conservatives have a plan that will get pipeline projects built. This includes cancelling the carbon tax, repealing Bill C-69 (the no-more pipelines bill), ending the ban on shipping traffic in B.C., asserting federal jurisdiction when necessary, establishing clear timelines and getting Indigenous consultations right the first time. Finally, I continue to hear from many who are concerned about increasing costs of living. We will put more money into the pockets of Canadian families, including by:

Taking GST off home-heating bills;
Scrapping the carbon tax;
Making parental benefits tax-free;
Lowering personal taxes;
Providing a Universal Tax Cut to all hard-working taxpayers;
Making transit passes more affordable by implementing the Green Tax Credit for Public Transit;
Implementing a Children’s Fitness Tax Credit;
Implementing a Children’s Arts & Learning Tax Credit;
Cancelling $1.5 billion in corporate welfare and redirect savings to Canadians;
Attracting better, higher-paying jobs. “

If you were to be elected and then appointed as a federal minister, which department do you believe you would excel in and why?

“Whether or not I serve as a Cabinet Minister would be completely the prerogative of the Prime Minister. In the previous government, I had the opportunity to serve as the Parliamentary Secretary to several Cabinet Ministers, including the Minister of Health, Minister of Labour and Western Economic Diversification, and Minister of National Revenue. When Andrew Scheer became the Leader of the Conservative Party in 2017, he appointed me as the Shadow Minister for Indigenous and Northern Affairs.”

How would your party address the family doctor shortage in our region?

“As a former nurse and health care administrator, I am proud that the Conservative Party has a clear and supportive plan to ensure higher levels of care for all Canadians. Andrew Scheer recently announced what is called the Health and Social Programs Guarantee, which is committed to increase funding to healthcare that includes mental health services and home care nursing. This is a vital component, along with a further commitment to address the shortage of doctors and nurses. I understand the challenges of attracting doctors and nurses. When we were in government, Conservatives made some significant changes which included loan forgiveness for those who chose to work in a rural area, and we created extra spaces for those internationally trained doctors who wanted to come home to Canada. The current government hasn’t paid any real attention to these issues. Conservatives would also review the process qualified health care workers must follow when coming to Canada to smooth the way for them to fully understand what academic upgrades they may require, before arriving here. We hear all of those stories about doctors coming to Canada from other countries and they end up driving taxis because their qualifications are not recognized. That situation is not fair to anyone. They need to know what is required to practice in Canada before they arrive here. That’s another area where the federal government can play a role.”

How would your party address the opioid crisis?

“With the ongoing drug addictions crisis, I am very concerned about the lack of services provincially in both rehab and detox for the many who are seeking support. From my experience as a former nurse, I can attest there are not enough medically-supported and publicly-funded detox spaces, and people often fall through the cracks during their recovery if they don’t have the necessary supports for the next stages of their rehabilitation, like second-stage housing and counselling. In addition, a Conservative Government would prioritize reducing the import of opioids from China.”

How would your party address climate change?

“The Conservative Party’s plan to protect Canada’s climate, “A Real Plan to Protect Our Environment”, is built on three guiding principles:

Green technology, not taxes;
A cleaner and greener natural environment; and
Taking the climate change fight global.

While Justin Trudeau’s carbon takes makes virtually no contribution to the global fight against climate change and only makes life more expensive for Canadian families and small businesses, Andrew Scheer’s plan will require emitters who exceed limits to invest in technology that will lower emissions. We will also:

Create a Green Homes Tax Credit, to encourage Canadians to improve their homes with emissions-reducing technologies;
Reinforce the protection against pests and invasive species that are threatening our habitats;
Reinstate constructive consultations on protected areas with stakeholders and Indigenous groups that were cancelled by the Trudeau Liberals;
Reinstate funding for wetland, watershed, and fisheries conservation also revoked by the Liberals;
Reconvene the Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel the Liberals disbanded, so that those with the greatest interest in protecting species and habitats can share their expertise in how it will be done;
Take real action on reducing plastic waste by harmonizing recycling standards across provinces and working with industry to cut down on excessive packaging;
Protect our waterways against wastewater dumping and work with municipalities to end their practice of dumping billions of liters of raw sewage into our waterways.”

How would your party address affordability for young families?

“Andrew Scheer and a Conservative Government would take serious, important steps to put more money in the pocket of Canadian families, including:

Taking GST off home-heating bills;
Scrapping the carbon tax;
Making parental benefits tax-free;
Lowering personal taxes;
Providing a Universal Tax Cut to all hard-working taxpayers;
Making transit passes more affordable by implementing the Green Tax Credit for Public Transit;
Implementing a Children’s Fitness Tax Credit;
Implementing a Children’s Arts & Learning Tax Credit;
Cancelling $1.5 billion in corporate welfare and redirect savings to Canadians;
Balancing the budget;
Attracting better, higher-paying jobs.”

by Ashley Legassic

Candidate profile: Conservative Party candidate Cathy McLeod

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