Candidates say how they plan to vote on referendum
By Bill Rea

Another set of questions was put over the last week to the candidates running in Oak Ridges - Markham in the Oct. 10 provincial election.

Their replies are presented here in alphabetical order. How do you plan to vote in

the referendum

on electoral reform?

"I plan to vote for the status quo," remarked Progressive Conservative Phil Bannon, who added it represents the democracy that people want in place in parliament. He added it's not appropriate to appoint MPPs when they will not be obligated to represent constituents.

"For," declared New Democrat Janice Hagan. "I think that it could be better. I'm not totally happy with it, but if we don't vote for it, we're not going to have it again."

One problem she had with the mixed member proportional (MMP) model proposed by the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, was parties will be able to appoint a certain number of MPPs, based on the percentage numbers they obtained at the polls. She thought those members should be drawn from the ranks of existing candidates. Hagan was confident the NDP would draw a diverse slate of appointees, but she wasn't as sure about the other parties.

"I'm going to stick with the current 'first past the post' (system)," replied Liberal Dr. Helena Jaczek. "I find what we currently have means that each MPP we have is clearly and directly accountable to the people who elected them. I wouldn't want to see that deleted or changed in any way."

Would you support

reinstating photo radar?

"Absolutely not," Bannon declared. "Photo radar is a cash cow."

He added there are alternatives, with the time and money being invested in photo radar being used to have uniformed police and marked cars on the street.

"People respond to uniformed presence," he remarked, adding they respect police officers when they see them.

He added photo radar punishes the car owner some time after the offence has been committed "They don't learn their lesson," he said.

"No, because it causes cancer in the police officers who used the guns," Hagan commented.

She also recalled it was very unpopular when it was in place.

"A lot of people called it a 'cash cow,'" she said. "A police officer, as a human being, has discretion."

"I really would like to consult a little bit more with police chiefs and so on," Jaczek commented.

She observed good measures have been put in place for dealing with things like street racing, etc. But before putting something like photo radar in place, she would want to talk to people who know how it works and whether it does prevent injuries and deaths.

Does the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act

work?

"Yes," Bannon said. "I think everybody has respect for it."

He added municipalities and the province are all doing their best to maintain the integrity of the act.

"No, because there is still too much building going on," Hagan replied. "It needs to be strengthened."

"It's a nice start," she added. "It doesn't go far enough. We need to stop all development."

She also said farmland needs to be preserved. "There is no better farmland right now in all of Canada," she declared.

Jaczek pointed out it's been reinforced with the provincial Greenbelt plan, leading to protection of more green areas.

"I'm delighted that we have the 1,000-acre park that the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is managing for the province," she said, pointing out there are other examples. "I think all these work very well."