Editor's note: Ahead of the Sept. 20 Federal Election, BradfordToday has contacted all of the candidates in the York-Simcoe riding with five questions related to the local opioid crisis, COVID-19 vaccine passports, Truth and Reconcilliation Commission recommendations, climate change, and affordable housing. The following answers were received from Liberal candidate Daniella Johnson. More candidate Q-and-A's can be found on our Canada Votes 2021 page.
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1. For the past several years, the region has had a devastating drug crisis, one of the worst in the province. How do you think the opioid problem should be addressed and what is your stance on the proposed supervised consumption site (SCS) here in the city?
I think that the opioid crisis needs to be addressed with compassionate measures such as Naloxone kit distribution, needle exchange programs, and supervised consumption sites. Such measures help save lives, reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis, and improve the overall health of members of our community who may be struggling with opioid addiction.
While I support the creation of safe consumption sites as a general principle, I also believe that we need to balance meeting the needs of people who use opioids with protecting the health and safety of the wider community. Any proposed supervised consumption site must account for both of these sets of interests.
2. As we brace for a fourth wave of COVID-19 and a more aggressive delta variant, many are suggesting Canada should embrace a vaccine passport. What is your view on this?
I support the federal government's current efforts to create a national proof of vaccination system - what some are referring to as a vaccine passport. An internationally-recognized proof of vaccination document will allow Canadians to travel safely both at home and abroad. This measure will allow Canadians to return to normal faster, and will speed up our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
A federally-run proof of vaccination system will also help provinces implement their own proof of vaccination systems tailored to their needs if they choose to do so.
3. We are a rich country in many ways, but many Indigenous reserves still don't have clean drinking water. The tragedy of residential schools has ripped open the hurt and trauma many of our Indigenous families have felt for generations. Many of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations remain unheeded. How would you address these issues and help heal these wounds?
It is absolutely necessary that we move forward with the remaining recommendations put forward by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As your Member of Parliament, I would be proud to continue working towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities in Canada.
The Liberal Party is committed to continuing to work with Indigenous communities to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations, including by making additional investments in providing clean drinking water to all Indigenous communities, continuing to move forward on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and accelerating our response to the recent National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
We'll also continue to collaborate with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities on the government's 10-year plan to deliver social infrastructure to Indigenous communities.
4. Recently, a major scientific report warned of increasingly extreme heat waves, droughts and flooding, and a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade. Scientists say it’s a "code red for humanity." What tangible ways will your party address climate change in both the short- and long-term?
The Liberal Party recognizes the importance of addressing climate change both in the immediate future and in the years to come. In the short-term, we'll continue putting a price on pollution for major polluters, and direct more money into the pockets of the majority of Canadians.
We'll assist Canadians seeking to invest in energy-efficient retrofits for their homes and businesses, helping you save money while cutting down on waste and protecting our environment. We'll also support 1200 public transit projects across the country and make zero-emission vehicles more affordable and accessible, making your commute both cleaner and cheaper.
In the long-term, we'll continue building Canada's clean industrial advantage so that we can protect the climate while creating new well-paying jobs for Canadians in the clean tech sector, and enhancing our country's competitiveness on the global market. By 2030, we will have reduced our emissions to 40-45% below 2005 levels.
5. Housing is a human right, but many people in the area are not able to afford a roof over their heads. The cost of living continues to rise while the price of housing and rent skyrockets well beyond affordability for the average person. What would your party do to address this?
The Liberal Party is committed to creating affordable housing options for Canadians at all stages of their lives, whether they wish to rent or own. Since the Liberal government introduced the National Housing Strategy in 2015, over 1 million Canadians have been able to secure quality affordable housing. Nonetheless, we know there is still more work to be done.
That’s why a re-elected Liberal government will introduce a rent-to-own program, double the Home Buyers Tax Credit, and create a tax-free First Home Savings Account so more Canadians can afford a place to call home. We’ll also build and repair an additional 1.4 million homes in four years to address market shortages, and introduce a Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights to tackle speculation in the housing market by putting an end to blind bidding & pausing new foreign ownership.
For more information on Daniella Johnson's campaign, visit: www.daniellajohnson.ca
