Heather Wright/The Independent

The very last speaker of in the very last Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong debate threw away his prepared closing remarks. After listening to the problems Canada is facing, and the historic choices voters will make April 28, Liberal Candidate George Vandenberg said he wanted to speak “from the heart.

“My family came from war torn Europe in 1951, 1952. My mother was a guest of the Nazis for 10 weeks. My grandfather died in a place called Dachau, the concentration camp. We came here to this country. We prospered. We’ve done really well. This is a great country, and I want you to remember that,” he said in the closing moments of the debate hosted by The Independent of Petrolia and Central Lambton and Branch 216 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Petrolia Monday.

The federal election has been all about Canada and its future as its US neighbours threaten economic devastation by tariffs or even annexation. Those concerns were front and centre.

Conservative Marilyn Gladu, Brian Everaert of the People’s Party of Canada and Mark Lamore of the Christian Heritage Party advocated getting to the negotiating table with the US, whom Everaert said was the best trading partner ever. Gladu also said agriculture must be protected and not just from US tariffs.

“What we need to do is diversify and become less reliant on the US. I think in terms of Canadian response to tariffs, we have to keep in mind, there’s been zero response to the 100 per cent tariffs that are coming from China on Canadian canola and on pork and beef. I mean huge tariffs coming from China, and not a word said by the government. So we have to stand up for the agricultural sector,” she said.

Housing, or the lack of it and its cost, was also on the agenda with all three major parties planning to increase the number of homes built. The Conservatives and Liberals both promise to cut the GST on new home sales up to $1.3 million. The Liberals also want to boost housing by using pre-fabricated homes, said Vandenberg.

Lo-Anne Chan of the NDP, said her party would invest in social housing. “One of our first things we’re going to do is use Crown land to build 100,000 rent-controlled homes and use another billion dollars to purchase more Crown land. This will be funded by cutting supports to oil and gas and using those tax breaks to fund the building of these rent-controlled homes.”

Gladu, Everaert, Lamore and Libertarian Candidate Jacques Boudreau said part of the solution to the housing crisis is to reduce immigration, which they believe is making the situation worse.

Everaert also said the People’s Party would cut the Bank of Canada’s interest rate to zero, even though the government does not have control of the central banks actions.

On affordability, Gladu advocated tax cuts to save people money. Gladu was also asked how we make sure people don’t go to bed hungry in Sarnia-Lambton.

“After 10 years of Liberal government record lineups at the food banks and homeless encampments across the nation, and at the heart of it, it’s people that are losing their homes because they can’t afford to live in them anymore, and it’s people that have gotten into addiction and mental health issues. And we have to address all of these root causes…We have to create affordable spaces. I brought a lot of money to Sarnia Lambton to address homelessness here. More is needed in terms of recovery beds to get people out of addiction, mental health supports,” she said.

“The bottom line is, people can’t afford to live, we have the highest personal debt in the world, and it’s at the feet of the Liberal government who has taxed everybody to death in this country.”

Chan said the NDP would remove the GST from essentials like heating and children’s clothing. And it plans to expand dental and pharma care to put more money in people’s pocket.

Everaert had another way to reduce costs, cutting foreign aid. “We don’t have any money. We’re in debt up to our eyeballs that we continue to print money and send to places like the Ukraine or the war, I think we need to start paying attention to our own country,” he said adding supply management programs drive up prices for dairy and eggs and should be eliminated.

Vandenberg touted the Liberals elimination of the consumer carbon tax and $10-a-day day care as the ways his party is making life more affordable for consumers. The Conservatives, Liberals and NDP have all said they would protect Canada’s supply management system in trade talks with the US.

Boudreau said the Bank of Canada is driving up prices. “Why is it that they have an inflation target at two per cent per year? Why are we eager to pay more every single year? It’s nonsense.” The Libertarian says interest rates should be determined by supply and demand.

Lamore suggested people don’t want to invest in Canada any more. “Would you invest in Ontario or would you find Texas or Florida and invest there tomorrow? I’m willing to bet you invest in the red state, because it’s a lot more profitable to do so there. We need to find a way to get people to invest in Canada again, and that’s where we start to fix all the other problems as well,” he said.

During the audience questions, Gladu was asked how the government would fund programs if it axed all the taxes. “We’re going to cut the grift,” she said, including $51 million the Liberals spent in other countries last year.”

In a climate when many small news outlets are folding because of funding issues, many of the candidates said they supported local journalism, but some were quick to add federal funding shouldn’t be part of the solution to ensuring news outlets can operate.

Gladu seemed to agree; “When we are funding all the mainstream media out of the government, I don’t think that’s healthy for democracy.” Gladu pointed to the CBC, which the Conservatives have long said they will defund. More recently the party suggested it will become a not-for-profit.

It’s also suggested some of the current funding programs for journalism in place now would be cut.

Vandenberg’s Liberals have promised to provide another $115 million to strengthen the national broadcaster.

As the candidates made their final pitches, Chan of the NDP talked about choosing the right candidate for the riding, “If we’re willing to sacrifice our integrity and principles for money, we’re not going to end up with either of them.”

The Rhino’s Tony Mitchell added; “everyone should get out and vote for someone. Number two, if you do not think there’s anyone who deserves your vote, vote for me as a protest.”