FORT FRANCES — Health care, pipelines and the state of the economy were just a few of the topics discussed in a recent Thunder Bay–Rainy River candidates forum moderated by Fort Frances Mayor Andrew Hallikas.
The event, April 12 at the Fort Frances Senior Centre, was well attended, Hallikas told Newswatch.
“The audience asked some really good questions,” he added. “And I give all of the candidates a great deal of credit, because they gave some really good answers.”
Liberal incumbent Marcus Powlowski participated along with Conservative candidate Brendan Hyatt, Sabrina Ree of the People’s Party of Canada and New Democrat Yuk-Sem Won. The Green Party’s Eric Arner did not attend.
One audience member asked candidates how their parties would support health care in the region and whether they would work to protect the health-care system from privatization.
“We believe that it’s important to actually get (health-care workers) into rural areas, to areas that are under-serviced, and that’s how our Blue Seal program will work to meet that need,” said Hyatt.
“We have to actually fast-track people in health care, because I believe everybody wherever they are should have access to health care irrespective of their income,” said Powlowski.
“We do want to give the provinces options to have privatized care,” said Ree.
Won said “health care is not something that should be parsed out with OHIP and your credit card.”
The event was put on by Retired Teachers of Ontario (RTO) District 1 and the senior centre.
Cynthia Woodhouse of the RTO said she hopes the forum encouraged people to vote.
Advance polls opened April 18-21. Election day is April 28.
