QUESTION: If elected, what will you do to help the business community in the Barrie Innisfil riding?

ANSWER: In my current role as Chair of Economic Development and as a City Councillor in the City for 9 years, I have built many relationships with the business community and I’m building further on that by establishing new relationships in Innisfil. Business Owners both large and small know that I am accessible and will listen. I’ve attended many business events in the City and will continue to do so in Barrie-Innisfil to lend an ear and listen to what I can bring back to Ottawa to help businesses in this area. I believe that Government should not stand in front of businesses but must stand behind them to give hard working business owners every chance they can to succeed and so does the Conservative Government. When businesses succeed, they grow, they invest, and they hire and that’s why the Conservative Government under Prime Minister Harper has lowered the Federal Tax Burden to its lowest level in over 50 years. It’s why business has seen a reduction in the General Corporate Tax rate from 22 % to 15 % and why the small business tax rate has been reduced from 12 to 11% with a further cut coming in 2017 to 9%. It’s also why businesses will see a reduction in EI payroll taxes by 21% in 2017. All of this is meant to keep the economy strong and create the right environment for job growth and job creation and for businesses to succeed. I will be a strong advocate as M.P. for businesses in Barrie-Innsifil.

QUESTION: There are distinct characteristics for each municipality in the Barrie Innisfil riding; as a resident, what are your top three priorities for each of these municipalities and why?

ANSWER: This is a great question and I’m glad the Chamber recognizes that there is a distinction between Barrie and Innisfil. This is not just the Barrie riding anymore, it’s Barrie-Innisfil and it’s something I’ve worked hard to recognize and develop an understanding of just what are each of the municipalities needs during this process of wanting to be the Member of Parliament for Barrie-Innisfil. In saying that however, the issues between the two municipalities are not dissimilar and after talking with Mayor Wauchope on several occasions and of course Mayor Lehman as I do regularly, both talk to me about jobs and job growth by attracting employers, and supporting existing businesses in the riding, including the Agriculture Business that is a large part of the riding. Both Mayors also speak of the need for Federal Infrastructure Investments that this growing area requires. There is a terrific opportunity to create a 400 employment corridor with jobs that can start in Innisfil and lead into Barrie but it will need Infrastructure and I want to help see that become a reality by having the Federal Government invest in it as a partner. We’re all strong in our Commitment to continue Federal investments toward the protection and preservation of Lake Simcoe. Further to my point on the Agriculture Business, this is one area that is unique to Innisfil and its contribution to our local and Canadian economy is significant so I’ve been spending a lot of time meeting with farmers to see how I can help them in Ottawa.

QUESTION: How do you plan to balance these priorities and serve each municipality with their different needs?

ANSWER: I’ve been extremely fortunate serving the City for 9 years as a City Councillor. Because of that, I’ve built relationships with many Members of Council, and with both the Mayor of Barrie and of Innisfil as well as Business and Community leaders. I will always listen to what they are telling me or asking of me. There are Federal Funds and Programs budgeted in the Government’s Economic Action Plans that can help the specific needs of both municipalities and it will be my job as a Member of Parliament to help facilitate that. The $53 Billion Dollar Build Canada program is a great example of how the Federal Government can help Barrie and Innisfil with their specific Infrastructure needs. I will continue to work with both Mayors and Councils to attract new employers to the area with an understanding that most important is not where they locate but the fact that they’re here. To me, the bottom line is about jobs. Whether a business locates in Barrie or Innisfil is not as important as just having them here. There are many examples of regional employers like Honda, Napoleon, and Munro concrete where there is a direct benefit to Barrie-Innisfil residents who work there even though the businesses are not in this riding. Those jobs are local, they pay well, and they’re sustainable jobs and I will work with both Mayors and Councils to have that happen here. The Federal Government and local M.P. can play a huge role in attracting business to this area like we saw with IBM and others in Barrie-Innisfil.

QUESTION: What is the most important piece of your party platform for the Barrie Innisfil riding and why?

ANSWER: It’s clearly the Economy and the many people I’ve spoken to so far see it as that. This is a time for a steady hand and not the time for increasing taxes, running deficits or making promises that can’t be kept. The low tax, balanced budget approach is working in lessening the head winds of global economic instability. It’s why Canada has been the best economic performer with less net debt in all of the G-7 and why we rebounded so well after the 2008 Economic Crisis. Because of this low tax balanced budget approach, we are able invest in long-term sustainable programs like Infrastructure and the Build Canada Fund and it’s also the reason why we can work to support programs like Tax Credits for single and widowed pensioners, a new program that will save them $600 per year. The Economy is a priority for the Conservative Government and from what I’m hearing at the door, it’s a priority for Barrie-Innisfil Residents and Businesses as well.

QUESTION: If elected, what will you do to help the business community in the Barrie Innisfil riding?

ANSWER: Tom Mulcair will invest in small business and manufacturing to create good-quality, well-paying jobs. The NDP have proposed to cut the small business tax rate from 11 per cent to 9 percent to better support a sector of our economy that creates 78% of all new private sector jobs in Canada. The NDP will start with an immediate reduction from 11 to 10 percent, injecting some $600 million into Canada's small businesses - followed by an additional reduction to 9 percent in the second year of our mandate. Once fully implemented this will cut small business taxes by nearly 20 percent. We will kick-start manufacturing with a new Innovation Tax Credit. The NDP will restore the federal minimum wage that the Liberals axed in 1996 and raise it to $15. And we will work with towns and cities to build new roads, bridges and community infrastructure.

QUESTION: There are distinct characteristics for each municipality in the Barrie Innisfil riding; as a resident, what are your top three priorities for each of these municipalities and why?

ANSWER: There are several priorities that I see as being top of mind for this riding. However, if I need to state them without having consulted with the people of the riding, which incidentally should always be the underpinnings of any planning, the top 3 priorities for me in Barrie-Innisfil would be: 

• the need for jobs closer to home 
  
• a Community Health Centre as per the model in Barrie's south end. It is an integrated model of primary care including family physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, a dietician, and a health promotion team 
  
• daycare- the NDP plan to create a national child care programme would not only put more people into the workforce but it is the right thing to do for families and give children a leg up in education
  

QUESTION: How do you plan to balance these priorities and serve each municipality with their different needs?

ANSWER: Tom Mulcair has outlined plans to build a new relationship with municipalities to build the infrastructure Canadian families and businesses need. The NDP plan to help build stronger communities is bold, measured, and fully costed. We will respect provincial and local decision-making, simplify application processes and remove funding barriers through direct, stable and transparent transfers to municipalities and provinces for their priorities. It will ensure the long-term success of Ontario municipalities.

QUESTION: What is the most important piece of your party platform for the Barrie Innisfil riding and why?

ANSWER: The most important piece of the NDP platform for Barrie-Innisfil would have to be our National Child Care Plan. As mentioned above, this plan when fully implemented will put 240,000 people back into the work force. More people in the work force drives economies and builds for the future with more children receiving an early start to a good education for future job prospects. Most progressive countries in the G7 have this programme in place and they have experienced growing economies as a result.

QUESTION: If elected, what will you do to help the business community in the Barrie Innisfil riding?

ANSWER: Small businesses, and the Canadians who own them, employ 70% of Canada’s private sector workforce, and are the central drivers of our economy. They create more jobs than any other part of the economy, providing stable, local employment. 

As an added bonus, their flexible nature allows them to respond to changing conditions and market demands, well before large corporations can take action. Putting small businesses first, means reducing red tape for small businesses, and enacting our “Think Small First” legislation, will ensure that new federal laws and regulations enhance, rather than hinder, economic conditions where local businesses and entrepreneurs can thrive. 

We will create federally funded, $1 billion dollar/year Green Technology Commercialization Grants, to accelerate emerging technologies and give Canadian entrepreneurs a head start. By facilitating increased access to early-stage financing, the Green Technology Commercialization Grant will help our entrepreneurs compete internationally. It will also enable good ideas to get to market, growing our sustainable economy and creating good jobs and opportunities in our communities. 

Furthermore, Greens believe that all policies which are good for Canadians should be adopted by us. Canada’s small businesses deserve fiscal growth and development incentives. The Green Party supports the proposal, in Budget 2015, to reduce the federal small business tax rate to 9%, by 2019.

QUESTION: There are distinct characteristics for each municipality in the Barrie Innisfil riding; as a resident, what are your top three priorities for each of these municipalities and why?

ANSWER: As your Green Party candidate, my three priorities are: 

1. Mass Transit - Our mass transit requirements are severely underserved, inevitably necessitating that nearly every household owns one or more cars for daily commutes. We need accessible, reliable and affordable transportation between and within our communities, as well as between Barrie-Innisfil and the GTA. The current GoTransit limitations often force us to choose Highway 400 as our main transportation corridor. Efficient light rail, with coordinated buses, will break the cycle of exhausting gridlock and make our communities more livable.
2. Employment - Currently, we have limited opportunities to choose local employment over the GTA, but we can improve this situation. I realize the critical importance of small business and the green economy to provide local employment choices. We will all benefit from green economy employers in Barrie-Innisfil, and I will work to encourage and incentivize the establishment of green economy employers in our area. I will also facilitate the establishment of small business incubators, partnering with our successful entrepreneurs and all government levels to do so. 
3. Sustainable Agriculture - Much of Barrie-Innisfil is agricultural, and we must enable our farmers to enjoy continued success, grow healthy crops and sustain our rich agricultural heritage. I’ll work to expand our local food movement, and enable small and large scale agribusiness to feed our communities. We all benefit when we encourage the establishment of more community gardens, among other food growing innovations, and I will work to provide urban/suburban farming opportunities and incentives.
   

QUESTION: How do you plan to balance these priorities and serve each municipality with their different needs?

ANSWER: Balancing priorities can only be accomplished through direct engagement and communication. As the MP for Barrie-Innisfil, I will ensure that I participate in open dialogues, community meetings, and other forums, to hear directly from the leaderships of the municipalities, as well as the people themselves. Addressing these three priorities are appropriate for, and apply to, the entire riding, and each municipality has as much to gain from them as the others. This holistic approach empowers us to work together to solve our challenges, understand our unique characteristics, and identify all shared benefits. Addressing these priorities will also ensure that each person, as well as each municipality across the riding, functions comfortably, has desirable, gainful employment, and is presented with a sustainable, secure future.

QUESTION: What is the most important piece of your party platform for the Barrie Innisfil riding and why?

ANSWER: The most important Green Party platform for our Barrie-Innisfil riding, is our National Transportation Strategy. Presently, our riding is tied to one transportation corridor - Highway 400. This represents a critical limiting factor for successful growth and economic transformation in our riding. The Green Party is committed to the revitalization of our rail systems. While historically, we had benefitted from rail through Barrie-Innisfil, these days little more than a trickle of benefit exists. Our goal is simple: Re-invest in the infrastructure, safely increase train speeds, and create green transportation corridors, where the economic value of transportation is clearly evident. Barrie-Innisfil is primed to become a green transportation corridor, and by improving the existing rail and mass transit services, and shifting transportation away from Highway 400, our employment opportunities will increase, local employment diversity will grow and be supported, and our overall quality of life will improve, both for our commuters and for those of us who are locally employed in Barrie-Innisfil.

No response received at time of publication.

QUESTION: If elected, what will you do to help the business community in the Barrie Innisfil riding?

ANSWER: As your Member of Parliament, I look forward to working with community and corporate business owners to listen, document, and follow up on real concerns so that I can help create ever-evolving business-friendly conditions. As a small business owner myself (colinwilsonconsulting), I know the value of a supportive government that serves to ensure businesses can thrive. I look forward to engaging with local businesses on an individual basis, and participating in broader business organizations’ meetings and events – all in an effort to promote growth and foster networking. Throughout my term as your MP, I will also be dedicated to ensuring that infrastructure dollars are funneled to key areas within the region to facilitate our growth agenda. I have spent 14 years working for the federal government, ensuring that already.

QUESTION: There are distinct characteristics for each municipality in the Barrie Innisfil riding; as a resident, what are your top three priorities for each of these municipalities and why?

ANSWER: I want to ensure tourism promotion is the top priority in all municipalities. This needs to be done in a way that recognizes and underscores the unique strengths and characteristics of each of the municipalities. Be it, Big Bay Point’s distinguished marina destination, Barrie’s Old Allandale Railroad history, the shops and world-class community centres in Barrie or Innisfil Heights, the charming storefronts of Cookstown, and the rolling landscaped communities of central and south-east Innisfil. Preserving heritage, while promoting growth are two essential components to continued vibrancy and prosperity

QUESTION: How do you plan to balance these priorities and serve each municipality with their different needs?

ANSWER: Balancing these priorities can only be done by continuing to work with communities directly. As your MP, I want to ensure that I am a ‘regular’ participant, and not a ‘guest’. Opportunities are discovered when people talk about common goals and issues, and I want to be able to facilitate those opportunities through relationship-building. Connecting people with ideas to people with resources. I plan to institute an annual event that unites the people of Barrie-Innisfil around People, Growth, and Prosperity.

QUESTION: What is the most important piece of your party platform for the Barrie Innisfil riding and why?

ANSWER: Better is always possible. Interest rates for new investment are at historic lows, our current infrastructure is aging and Canada is in immediate need of an economic boost. The most important piece of our party platform is the Liberal’s historic and unprecedented infrastructure plan. This plan will ensure that fast-growing regions like Barrie-Innisfil will see a steady increase in infrastructure investment up to $9.5B annually. Along with this plan, comes steady and collaborative relationships with local municipalities to ensure projects are managed in a way that continues to meet the intended need. In addition, all of the infrastructure programming will require bidding companies to ensure there is ‘local’ skills training and apprenticeship programming included – that way, we continue to build a skilled workforce throughout the project life-cycle. The infrastructure programing will fall under the following three areas: Public Transit Infrastructure, Social Infrastructure (affordable housing, seniors facilities, early learning and child care, cultural and recreational), and Green Infrastructure.