Candidates agree PSA tests for men should be funded by OHIP
By Bill Rea

The candidates running in Oak Ridges - Markham in the Oct. 10 provincial election were contacted over the last week for their spontaneous responses to some more predetermined questions.

Their replies are presented here in alphabetical order.

Who won the leaders'

debate?

"John Tory," declared Progressive Conservative Phil Bannon. "There was no challenge, no challenge whatsoever."

He added Tory provided vision of what his leadership role would be. "We saw very quickly how the premier cracked under pressure."

"Howard Hampton," New Democrat Janice Hagan quickly replied. "Clearly, the other two were spinning so fast they weren't saying anything."

She added Hampton talked about issues that affect more people, observing his message was sincere and came for the heart."

"I would say the premier certainly held his own," commented Liberal Dr. Helena Jaczek. "As far as I'm concerned, he had the best message, so I'm going to declare him the winner."

She added she only saw part of the debate because she was busy campaigning.

"I'm going to boycott my opinion," replied Green Party candidate Attila Nagy, who said it wasn't a real leaders' debate because Green Leader Frank de Jong was not invited to take part.

Independent candidate Doug Ransom though McGuinty came out slightly on top, observing Hampton and Tory "tended to tag team on McGuinty."

"He held on," he said. "He didn't glow. He wasn't shining. Did he lose enough ground? I don't know."

Family Coalition Party candidate Patrick Redmond said he was campaigning that night, so he didn't see much of the debate. He declined to comment on who won.

Should Prostate-Specific

Antigen (PSA) tests for men be paid for by OHIP?

"Yes, I believe that should be part of the OHIP funding," Bannon said.

He added there needs to be a reassessment to make sure the health services needed by the community are represented accordingly.

"Yes," Hagan said. "Prevention is the number one way to reduce health care costs, and it's the nicest way."

"Yes," Jaczek commented, adding he Liberals have already put that in their platform.

"I believe it should be," Nagy said. "Prostate cancer for men is every bit as serious as breast cancer for women."

He added it would help men be more open about it.

"I have paid in the past," Ransom commented.

He added his doctor has told him PSA tests register a lot of false positive results. He concluded that if the test is deemed viable, then it would be advantageous for OHIP to cover it. "It's not a major amount," he added.

"I think it would be a good idea," Redmond said, pointing out it could lower the incidents of prostate cancer in men. "I think it's worth having included under OHIP."

How safe is Ontario's

drinking water?

Bannon commented that at this point in time, there's no information to think the water is not as safe as it possibly could be.

"We know that drinking water is under the microscope," he observed, adding that as a municipal councillor in Whitchurch - Stouffville, he knows Town employees are trained to the highest degree to make sure the local water meets the standards. He also stressed there's constant monitoring from both the provincial and municipal levels.

"Very unsafe," Hagan declared. She pointed to high levels of lead in pipes, along with toxins, etc., stating they are not being cleaned out in the treatment process. "There's also severe danger of privatization of our water."

"I don't think we have very strong agreements with the United States about who owns the water either," Hagan remarked, adding that needs to be sorted out. "Water will become more important than gold."

"I believe it's safe now," Jaczek said, pointing to various provisions the government has put in place, such as environmental inspections, reports to medical officers of health and the facility in Walkerton that trains operators.

Nagy said he believes the water is safe, pointing to matters like conservation and making sure professionals are involved in the treatment and testing process.

"Ontario has abundant, fresh, clean water," he added, saying we just have to know how to harvest and process it.

"I would say generally it's safe," Ransom commented. He added people have become more vigilant over the last several years. "Nobody wants another Walkerton."

"It's fairly safe, but I think it can certainly be improved," Redmond said, adding there are a lot of components in Lake Ontario water that are not easily removed. He also said flourides in the water are not needed. "I think a lot can be done to clean up Ontario's water supply.

Would you support legislation banning the use

of cell phones by people

while they are driving?

"Yes, I believe it's very important the people pay attention," Bannon replied. "As a motorist, I see how bad drivers are on the road, how inattentive they are, how careless they are just in their daily routine of driving. You see it every day, when people are applying make up, reading the paper, adjusting children's seatbelts, playing with pets in the car, and it takes one second and you cross the line and it results in an accident."

"I believe people have to keep their attention directed on the road," he added. "When people are talking on the phone, they don't have their full attention on what other drivers are doing on the road.'

"Yes," Hagan said, adding there are scientific studies that state talking on the phone while driving is as dangerous as driving while impaired. "They cause different problems, but it's just as bad."

"No, I would not," Jaczek said. She cited a study she read that showed there are a number of distractions that could cause accidents. She didn't think a case had been made that using cell phones cause more of them.

Nagy said he wouldn't support something like that. While there might be issues regarding safety, "I am willing to give people the benefit of the doubt," he remarked.

Nagy added he might go along with setting age restrictions, possibly banning their use for teens who are driving.

"I really don't know," Ransom said, wondering about enforcing something like that. He pointed out there would be a problem for drivers who have to answer the phone while driving, then abruptly pull over to the side of the road. He added he's seen cases where driving habits change once a person gets on the phone, such as slowing down.

Redmond said he could see supporting it under certain conditions, possibly on busy highways, or perhaps encouraging the use of hands-free phones.