The Q&A responses to your question (Western News, Sept. 23) about increasing opportunities for better paying jobs in the South Okanagan-West Kootenay provide an interesting contrast in the approaches taken by three of the candidates who responded.
Richard Cannings answered the question directly laying out a number of plans by the NDP for improved economic development.
Connie Denesiuk listed some helpful suggestions, but then fell into the all too frequent Liberal practice of belittling another party’s efforts to improve the lot of Canadians. She states, “And don’t be fooled by Mulcair’s minimum wage scheme – 99 per cent of minimum wage earners won’t qualify.”
First of all, nobody is trying to fool anybody here unless it’s Mrs. Denesiuk. Second, does the fact that only some workers will qualify negate the fact that the federal government should be setting a good example and doing something to help minimum wage workers?
Marshall Neufeld did mention the deal with China for B.C. cherries which certainly potentially benefits our region ,but then he wanders off the mark spending most of his column touting the Conservative Party line and talking about trade deals that have little or no benefit to our region. Then he drags out the typical Conservative misrepresentations about tax hikes and job losses. He must be starting to believe his own deceptions.
In this riding if you want to get rid of the Harper Conservatives and stop the flip-flopping back and forth at the federal level between the “sponsorship-scandal” Liberals and the “Senate-scandal” Conservatives, then on Oct. 19 vote for Richard Cannings and bring about real change in Ottawa.
Peter Benson
Naramata