Endorsing NDP and Stephen Maynard
After watching the all-candidates forum in Forwell Hall two weeks ago, and asking questions, I was extremely disappointed in my local hopefuls. The Conservative clown, Jim Chapman, insulted students, claiming we don't vote unless bribed with alcohol, while never answering any questions with a straight answer. Khalil Ramal, an obvious talking head for the lying Liberal Party, never answered questions either, only threw around vague dollar statistics to confuse students on the Liberal Party's record.
It was only Stephen Maynard, a recent graduate from Western, now running as our NDP candidate that seemed anything near genuine in the way he addressed students concerns. I had a sit-down interview with Stephen in order to decide whether or not to lend him my support this election.
D.M.: Why should students vote for you?
SM: I'm a young representative, someone that can identify with the student community...[I'm] fresh out of a University campus...I deal with student debt...I bring a social justice perspective to politics, but also I can identify closely to the challenges that I think most students face.
D.M.: What are your big issues?
SM: Affordability...it's a $10 minimum wage, so that no one who works full-time in this province has to live in poverty. Making the cost of living affordable by addressing rent, property taxes, utility bills, and tuition...access to Health Care, Education and a clean environment, which means not going down the nuclear road.
D.M.: Many people think politicians are a bunch of slime-balls, what separates you from other politicians?
SM: Just a couple years ago I was saying the exact same thing; they're all slime-balls. And I was active in civil society trying to make change, and through those activities I started to realize that there can be real change at the political level. I think I can do politics very differently than the way it's been done.
SM: Of course. Not just because of the environmental impacts, but also because of the cost. What we need to be doing instead is...making ourselves more energy-efficient as a province.
D.M.: The Liberals say that we have to either choose more nuclear or more coal, what is your take on that?
SM: We can eliminate the need for coal altogether [without adding more nuclear], if we move aggressively into solar hot water heating.
D.M.: The Liberals promised to shut down Ontario's coal power plants; have they shut down any?
SM: They haven't shut down any.
D.M.: Nanticoke Coal Power Plant, the biggest polluter in Canada is located very close to London. How quickly under an NDP government would we see it close?
SM: As quickly as possible. According to our retrofit plan it can be closed by 2011, but I'd like to see it close sooner.
D.M.: On a provincial level, how will we contribute to reducing global warming and fight climate change?
SM: It's mass transit...getting our freight back onto rail...but the biggest chunk of meeting our objectives is [switching to green] hydro.
D.M.: Are you for a total ban on plastic bags?
SM: Let's go beyond just plastic bags. Let's ban anything that can't be recycled.
D.M.: Should there be night buses on Fridays and Saturdays in London?
SM: The money is there. Let's hire the drivers, let's buy the buses and get them on those routes.
D.M.: How do we free students from this debt-trap that our student loans put us in?
SM: We stop charging interest on that debt...and roll back tuition to pre-McGuinty levels.
D.M.: What is your opinion of T.I.L.M.A (Trade Investment Labour Mobility Act)?
SM: It's crap. It's bad for education, it's bad for health care, it's bad for the environment, it's bad for labour...It's good for big business, it's good for multinationals.
D.M.: What do you think of the MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) system?
SM: I think it would make the system more proportional, more democratic in that sense.
D.M.: Will you be voting for MMP?
SM: My ballot is secret...but yes.
D.M.: Should we lower the drinking age to 18?
SM: Yes, the age of majority. You should also be able to smoke a joint at 18.
D.M.: Do you smoke weed?
SM: Yeah
D.M.: How do we get crack out of the hood?
SM: By eliminating poverty.
D.M.: What should we do about prostitution?
SM: Legalize it, get them to unionize and give them labour rights, workplace safety...protect these women.
D.M.: Do you agree with the statement “Graffiti is art”?
SM: Yeah.
Since Stephen is recent student with a lot of common sense and sincere in his desire to change the system from within, I am supporting him in this campaign and urging other students to do the same.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.