Conservative Party of Canada candidate Scott Aitchison, Canada’s New Democratic Party candidate Heather Hay, and Liberal Party of Canada candidate Geordie Sabbagh, all running for the Riding of Parry Sound—Muskoka, met at YourTV studio today (April 16) to exchange ideas and tell voters why their leader and party’s approach is best for the riding and this country. (See the video below.)
What they said during closing remarks
“Thank you for your time and attention. It’s not easy to sit though a debate and actually do our civic duty and be a part of the electoral process. We’re all representing our various sides and I challenge you to… not get sucked into the right versus left debate and aim for punching up. Let’s go after the oligarchs and make them pay their share so that there are the resources that all of us need to have a better life moving forward.” – Heather Hay (NDP).
“This is a consequential election that we’re facing. After nine years of a Liberal government, housing costs have doubled, rent has doubled, mortgage prices have doubled, people can’t afford to buy a home.
Groceries, inflation in groceries is higher in Canada than any other G7 nation. Carbon taxes, increasing the capital gains inclusion rate, all kinds of tax increases. This is a government that’s never met a tax they don’t like. They try to raise taxes and they promise you they’re going to make life better and yet it gets worse.
We have to remember that Donald Trump and his insane rhetoric and his policies and his threats of tariffs – they make us weaker because we are already weak. We as a society need to stand up for ourselves, we need to trade with each other, and we need to reduce the burden of government on everyday life while still supporting those who are most vulnerable in our society, and I’ll tell ya, the Liberals like to talk about supporting those most vulnerable, but things like carbon taxes have only made those most vulnerable in our communities more vulnerable.
We need to support people where they need support and then get out of the way. We need to get out of the way of the Canadian entrepreneur, the businesses that we like to talk about, they’re so important in our community. You ask any business owner about the burden of government regulation and red tape and taxes and fees and charges and reporting — it’s crippling.
All the while, the federal government has added 30% more employees and spent 20 billion dollars on consultants at the same time. We need to reduce the burden of government. We need to reduce taxes, we need to reduce the burden on individuals and businesses alike. We can continue on with the same nine years of failed Liberal policies, or we can elect a new Conservative government that will actually be there for small businesses and individuals. I ask for your support. I want to continue being your Member of Parliament and I humbly ask you: vote Scott Aitchison.” – Scott Aitchison (PC).
“I don’t think you’re weak. I think you’re incredible. I think you’ve always been incredible, and I think now we’re just reminding ourselves of how amazing we are. Canadians just don’t brag enough but for those of you I’ve met and spoken to, I know you’re doing amazing things and that I know you’re willing to step up and make a difference, just like I’m stepping up right now for our families, for our neighbours and for our kids and I believe in all of you.
I think we’ll get through this together. I’m here before you because I believe Mark Carney is the right person to lead us through the next four years and they’re gonna be a tough four years but I am hopefully and very optimistic that when we come out of it we are going to be an incredible nation and back on the world stage showing just what we can do. And my worry is that I don’t want Parry Sound-Muskoka left behind. I want to be on a seat right next to him and I want to be getting our voice out, out, out, out there and showing the world how amazing we are and so I hope that you will join me and I recognize for some of you that is a very tough decision and I want you to know that you are all neighbours and friends and I will equally represent every single one of you because at the end of the day we are one community and I don’t want to be divided anymore. And I don’t want any more hate. I want us to work together and step up and get back to where we belong, which is an incredible, incredible place to be right here in Parry Sound-Muskoka.” – Geordie Sabbagh (Liberal).
Isabel Pereira, the People’s Party of Canada candidate for Parry Sound—Muskoka, was not at the table but provided a recorded message.
See video below, courtesy of YourTV. (If you are watching from a cell phone, click on the lower YouTube bar.)
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Geordie Sabbagh (Liberal)
Thank you for your words of both encouragement and of community/Country showing us all we have a real opportunity to work together and face the Threats brought onto us all today locally as well as Nationally from others.
Being a business owner, family man and involved in our communities your showing us a true commitment to supporting this beautiful area of Canada and bringing a real sense of Trust to us to work for change and not be decided ignorant to believing change is needed if you find a plan needs adjusting along the way!
Canada needs a change and needs to defend itself from the US war of Tariffs brought upon us.
The Strong Business and Global Leadership & Financial Expertise from the New Liberal Team gives every Canadian Hope in dealing with the adversaries as well to deliver a new path forward.
It’ll be a very very tough fight. Thank you for your courage!
I don’t know the Liberal candidate Geordie Sabbagh personally, but I really don’t find his comments credible. He’s right, the next four years will be tough, but they will be tough because we’ve had a Liberal government for 10 years and they have mismanaged this country. They’ve created the mess we’re in. They have not worked for Canadians at all and Canada has not been their priority. Carney has the same government and the same agenda that Trudeau had, so little will change if Liberals are re-elected.
Mr. Sabbagh says he wants to work for the people of Parry Sound-Muskoka, but this is hard to believe. We’ve seen consistently with the Liberal government, that once an MP is elected, and takes a seat in Ottawa, they no longer represent the people that elected them. Their job will be to raise their hand when the leader tells them to. When that happens, they stop representing us. We witnessed this in the Liberal Party – if anyone challenged Trudeau they were fired from the Party. That’s the way the Liberal Party woks. That’s not democracy.
Mr. Sabbagh says he doesn’t want more division, he doesn’t want hate and he wants us to work together. Perhaps that’s true, but realistically it will not be up to Mr. Sabbagh. As I said earlier, if he wants a career with the Liberal Party he will do what the Liberal leader tells him to do. And after 10 years of Liberal government, this country has never been more divided than we are today, there’s never been more hate and we don’t work together. The Liberal Party created that. That’s been the result of the Liberal government policies, and they have been deliberate. A Carney government will give us more of the same. For them, a divided country is easier for them to manipulate.
When I look at what the Liberals have done to this great country of ours, it makes me furious. Add to that the fact that they’ve allowed Chinese interference in our elections, they’ve made it hard to buy Canadian products – most are imported with the majority it seems coming from China, and they’ve flooded our country with immigrants. What have these actions contributed to making our country great? A vote for Sabbagh is a vote for Carney and more of the same disastrous policies that don’t work for Canadians.
Wow! Mr. Aitchison.
You stating that Canadians are “weak”, you,sir,have now lost one vote.
We Canadians are not weak,yes we have become quite vulnerable in the past 60 years, thanks to mostly Liberal government, however, Canadians are certainly not weak.
You have an opportunity to clarify and reverse your insult to ALL Canadians, I hope you do so.
Similar comments to that is exactly why, unfortunately, Conservatives will not form government.
See Geordie’s comments above.
I will never vote Liberal again, however, Georgie would be a better representative for Muskoka.
I so much prefer a positive, inclusive message such as Mr. Sabbagh presented.