Free Press Federal Candidate Profile: Ed Crewson : Shelburne Free Press : https://shelburnefreepress.ca

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Free Press Federal Candidate Profile: Ed Crewson

The Shelburne Free Press requested Federal Election Candidates share a little about themselves and their policies, as well as their thoughts on two discussion topics. All candidates were asked the same questions. The following is the response from Ed Crewson former mayor of Shelburne and Federal Liberal candidate.
Background:
“I grew up as an only child in Shelburne. My father, who was a farmer before he went off to war, was diagnosed with cancer when I was 8 and died five years later. This experience shaped me and my family, and is part of the reason that I have been a lifelong supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada. I graduated from Centre Dufferin as head boy, and received the Outstanding Student of the Year award upon graduation. After high school I went to Brock University where I earned a degree in Business Administration. Shortly after graduating, my wife Wendy - whom I was baptized with 55 years ago this weekend at Trinity United Church – and I purchased an insurance brokerage in Shelburne which we still own. Over the past three decades we have grown it from one employee to fourteen, and I am very happy to see my daughter Jennifer capably managing it in my absence. I'm proud to have inspired my second daughter, Brooke, to begin a career in politics. My son William is currently studying microbiology at the University of Guelph.”
Political Life:
“My father's illness taught me the value of public service at a young age. Universal Medicare relieved the burden of my father's medical bills, and the Canada Pension Plan helped me and my mother after his death. I would not be the man I am today had it not been for these social safety nets. I have dedicated a good part of my life to community service and I truly feel that I have made a difference in the lives of the people I've served. I come from a household where duty and responsibility are serious and meaningful words. I believe that the Liberal Party is the party of progress, of compassion and of community. These values are at the core of who I am.”
Your biggest challenge in this election:
“My biggest challenge in this election is fighting the tradition of Tory support in this riding by asking people to focus on the policies and candidates. I know that if given consideration, I am the best candidate with the best plan to build a better Dufferin-Caledon and give voice to our issues in Ottawa.”
Policy:
1) Outline your views on energy and aggregate development on prime farmland
2) Outline your Party's record & policy for Canada's role in slowing climate change
3) Outline how your Party will protect and build Canada's social safety network Policy.
1) “I believe in Food & Water First and commend the local leaders in our community for their vision and hard work to protect our prime agricultural land, not only for their environmental benefits but also for the economic and social contributions that farms bring to our community. Through my business I have worked with farmers for over 30 years and have tremendous respect for the work that they do. I am committed to bring a more transparent legislative process to our Federal government and to being a fierce advocate for farmers, starting with our pledge to support value-add initiatives, agricultural research, and resource conservation strategies.”
2) “I'm known as someone that says what I mean and will do what I say. I acknowledge the severity of the challenges we face and am committed to acting to resolve them. We need national leadership if we are to prevent further climate change, and we need significant support from our federal government if we are to mitigate local effects. We are committed to making the investments needed to help green our economy. We are committed to an evidence-based legislative process; to that end we are going to unmuzzle our scientists, free our researchers, and let our inspectors keep us safe from harm.”
3) “The Canadian Social Safety net is our country's greatest asset. I have found success in life because of the supports that were there when I needed them. Ensuring access to quality healthcare for all people in Canada is a fundamental responsibility of our Federal government, and it is a responsibility that they are abdicating. We are committed to negotiating a new Canada Health Accord with the provinces to ensure the viability of health care in this country. We are committed to spending $3 billion to increase access to home care. We will make compassionate care leave more flexible and increase access to mental health services. Employment services will be strengthened by adding significant funding to job and skills training. We will invest an additional $20 billion over the next 10 years on social infrastructure to support projects such as early years' centres, medical facilities and long-term care homes. We are the only party proposing to invest at this scale – we know that it's necessary.”
Discussion topics:
1) Canada is heading into a recession. Conservative leader Stephen Harper continues to stress a balanced budget in this election as most important to Canada's economy; as well, his government has focused strongly on a one-sector economy driven by the now faltering Oil Sands to steer Canada's economic growth. Please respond to this, and the report below, including your Party's economic recovery policy.
In September 2015, the Globe and Mail ran a report by Economist Jim Stanford, based on statistics, stating the Harper government had the “weakest economic era in Canadian postwar history” casting “major doubt on its economic credibility;” Stanford wrote that “investing” and producing a “full portfolio of excellent goods and services” were “fundamental drivers” of economic progress.
Ed Crewson's response:
“The current weakness of the Canadian economy is well documented: negligible or declining growth, uninspiring job creation and an overemphasis on precarious or low-quality service work, as well as a youth unemployment rate that is twice the national average. We must invest in skills training, in industrial research, in maintaining a tax-competitive business environment, in export development and most of all, in the backbone infrastructure that promotes growth. I was speaking to Former Prime Minister Paul Martin, and he insisted that unless we make these necessary investments, the Canadian economy will not turn around. The Conservatives' ideologically driven refusal to make the necessary investments defies all economic logic. The experts are on our side, these investments are necessary, and I'm proud to be running on a platform to bring economic growth to our communities.”
2) The Conservative Government's disproportionate response to the Syrian refugee crisis is a cause for deep concern for many Canadians. What will your Party do to restore Canada's reputation on the world stage as a principled and humanitarian nation?
Ed Crewson's response:
“We have a moral obligation to aid those fleeing conflict in Syria. We are going to contribute $100 million to the United Nations to provide humanitarian aid. Additionally, we are going to welcome 25,000 refugees and provide the funding that's necessary to process and resettle them. With regard to our place on the world stage, we are going to become leaders in the fight against climate change. We are going to strengthen our armed forces, allowing them to once again be peacekeepers in a world that so desperately needs them. We are going to once again be advocates for the principles of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, both defending them here at home and promoting them abroad. We need to end the Harper years of mean-spirited, fear-mongering, climate-change denying foreign posturing. Canadians have so much more to offer the world. We can, and will, do better.”

By Marni Walsh

Post date: 2015-10-09 20:16:29
Post date GMT: 2015-10-10 00:16:29
Post modified date: 2015-10-15 21:26:48
Post modified date GMT: 2015-10-16 01:26:48