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Friday, April 18, 2025

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ALL CANDIDATES

HULL—AYLMER

Jill Declare

Conservative Party of Canada (CPC)

The candidate did not respond by press time.

Jean-Jacques Desgranges

People’s Party of Canada (PPC)

The candidate did not respond by press time.

Greg Fergus – Incumbent

Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)

Everyone is concerned about the tariffs and escalating economic tensions with the United States. How do you think this will affect the Outaouais region and the Hull–Aylmer riding, and what could the federal government do to mitigate its impact?

Trade tensions with the United States impact all Canadians, but the repercussions in Hull-Aylmer will be felt most by savers, retirees, and young people planning ahead. We need to protect their future. That's why Mark Carney's Liberal Party is implementing smart, targeted countermeasures: strategic counter-tariffs that limit the impact on Canadians, while putting real pressure on U.S. decision-makers.

We will also be stepping up support for our farmers and the agri-food industry to encourage local purchasing at affordable prices. At the same time, we are diversifying our trade partnerships with allies who share our democratic values. Finally, to support affected workers, we have already increased access to employment insurance, and we will invest in our own resources to build a more resilient economy here at home.

In light of the soaring housing costs, how will you use federal resources and regulatory powers to alleviate this burden on your constituents?

Housing is a fundamental need. Young families need a place to grow, and our seniors need a safe place to age with dignity.

Our solution: Build Canada Homes, an ambitious plan to build 500,000 homes a year using advanced modular construction technologies. This model reduces costs and lead times and will enable a massive supply of affordable housing. In addition, we will offer low-interest loans for affordable housing projects and eliminate the GST on first-time property purchases, saving households up to $50,000. This plan is not just a goal; it's a promise to catch up on Canada's construction backlog and guarantee affordable housing.

The federal government has abolished the carbon tax for consumers, while Quebec has kept its own. What will your government replace this tax with so that we can reach our goal of reducing carbon emissions?

On his first day, Prime Minister Mark Carney abolished the carbon tax for consumers. Citizens should not be penalized for a problem they did not create. But our climate commitment remains unshakable: the big polluters will continue to pay, thanks to a strict federal regime on industrial emissions. This is a powerful incentive for companies to invest in and adopt clean technologies. We will also protect the environment by investing in sustainable transport projects like the Hull-Aylmer tramway. By protecting families' wallets while holding polluters to account, we're building a sustainable, greener future for our children.

Although healthcare is a provincial responsibility, how do you believe the federal government should address the province’s failure to provide this essential service to your constituents in the Outaouais region?

Health is a provincial responsibility, but Ottawa has a crucial role to play. Canadians should not have to pay the price for a healthcare system that is in crisis.

We've already launched the Canadian Dental Care Plan, which has given thousands of Hull–Aylmer residents access to essential care. No one should be able to tell your income from your smile. A Liberal government will continue to provide federal transfers so long as the provinces are accountable to their citizens: more transparency, more access to care, and better coordination are needed, especially in the Outaouais region, where delays are unacceptable.

Considering Quebec’s unique cultural landscape and commitment to bilingualism, how will you strengthen these agreements and defend the rights of minorities to their distinct culture and media within the province?

As the Member of Parliament for Hull-Aylmer, I'm proud to defend the language rights of everyone – Francophones and Anglophones alike. Our diversity is our strength.

We have supported projects that promote Quebec culture and guarantee English-speaking communities’ equitable access to essential services. We will strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada as a pillar of reliable and independent journalism. Furthermore, we are offering greater support to French-language and Aboriginal media to counter misinformation and preserve our cultural identity. While some attack our Canadian and Quebec institutions Trump-style, Liberals will defend them.

Four years later, many constituents, including Indigenous communities, are still concerned about plans for the nuclear mega-waste dump for Chalk River. What will you do to support your constituents downstream?

The proposed nuclear disposal site at Chalk River raises legitimate concerns, particularly for communities downstream from the site. The Liberal government is strictly supervising the nuclear industry in Canada, with standards that are among the most rigorous in the world. We will ensure that any decision respects these standards and is based on solid scientific evidence, in complete transparency with the communities concerned. The energy transition is crucial, but it must never be at the expense of the safety of our fellow citizens and our environment.

Alice Grondin

Bloc Québécois (BQ)

Everyone is concerned about the tariffs and escalating economic tensions with the United States. How do you think this will affect the Outaouais region and the Hull–Aylmer riding, and what could the federal government do to mitigate its impact?

The Bloc Québécois proposes several solutions:

A wage subsidy to prevent job losses;
The priority tabling of a bill to force the federal government to buy locally;
A bill to require the federal government to include a Quebec delegation in the negotiation of free trade treaties and agreements, to obtain Quebec's approval before negotiating anything within its jurisdiction, and to have the preliminary text of free trade agreements voted on in the House before ratification;
Support for seniors' purchasing power, including an increase in Old Age Security benefits for those aged 65-74;
Expedited passage of a supply management protection bill;
Measures to promote local purchasing by supporting small businesses and consumers;
Support for the economic diversification of our businesses;
A structured aerospace policy with guaranteed economic benefits for Quebec;
A vast project to modernize public transit infrastructure with spinoffs for Quebec and Quebec manufacturing;
Loan guarantees for the forestry industry;
Request investments in the second and third processing of resources produced in Quebec;
A federal timber charter: legislation requiring Ottawa to prioritize the use of wood products in the construction and renovation of buildings;
The protection of culture and the continued taxation of Web giants.

In light of the soaring housing costs, how will you use federal resources and regulatory powers to alleviate this burden on your constituents?

The National Assembly unanimously called for the unconditional transfer to Quebec of all sums invested in housing. Land use planning, zoning and urban planning, among other things, are also the exclusive responsibility of Quebec and its municipalities. The BQ will work to simplify the federal programs contained in the National Housing Strategy (NHS) and align them with those of Quebec.

The federal government needs to adapt/modulate its definition of “affordable housing” so that it finally funds the construction of truly affordable housing, according to the markets in the various regions.

The Bloc Québécois will:

Work to increase the proportion of non-market housing to 20% through unconditional federal transfers and program alignment;
Propose increasing and indexing the threshold for allowable renovation costs per door for low-cost housing under agreement to ensure that major renovations can also be carried out along the way and that projects can be self-financing once the agreement ends;
Deter real estate “flips” by increasing to two years the period during which an owner must hold a property to benefit from the capital gains exemption on profits from the sale, with some exceptions.

The federal government has abolished the carbon tax for consumers, while Quebec has kept its own. What will your government replace this tax with so that we can reach our goal of reducing carbon emissions?

The BQ will propose imposing a tax on the excessive profits of oil and gas companies, whose revenues will be directly reinvested in climate change adaptation, to compensate for the damage caused by these companies. If the rest of Canada and the other federal parties agree not to abandon the polluter-pays principle, they should not abandon carbon pricing. The BQ will defend carbon pricing across Canada, while reiterating Quebec's invitation to other provinces to join its cap-and-trade system with California and Washington State.

The Liberals' abandonment of carbon pricing outside Quebec is a threat to Quebec's comparative advantage, at a time when we need to intensify our trade ties with reliable partners that provide a predictable environment. Canada's current abandonment of climate policy is a detriment to Quebec's efforts to diversify its export markets, particularly in Europe, to counter the negative effects of the Trump administration. In the name of climate justice and the success of the fight against climate change, the BQ is willing to stand in solidarity with workers in the West; but not at the cost of financing Canadian oil companies with Quebecers' money.

Although healthcare is a provincial responsibility, how do you believe the federal government should address the province’s failure to provide this essential service to your constituents in the Outaouais region?

We know that the Outaouais is in a difficult situation due to its proximity to Ontario, which exacerbates the shortage of healthcare professionals and access to care. However, we must not forget that as long as the fiscal imbalance between the federal government and Quebec persists, we won’t be able to have a healthcare system that meets patients' expectations and offers desirable conditions for its workers.

The BQ has always advocated for an increase in federal health transfers. While healthcare cost-sharing was originally 50/50, it is now around 23% for the federal government. Quebec and the provinces have requested several times in Parliament that the federal contribution be increased to 35% of system costs.

Considering Quebec’s unique cultural landscape and commitment to bilingualism, how will you strengthen these agreements and defend the rights of minorities to their distinct culture and media within the province?

My party has defended the principle that English-speaking Quebecers have differing needs from those of French-speaking minority communities, due to the predominant use of English in Canada and throughout North America. One of the new objectives of the Official Languages Act is to foster the existence of a French-speaking majority community in a province where the future of French is assured.

The Bloc Québécois is the only political party active on the federal political scene that has endorsed the entirety of Quebec's official positions on official languages at the federal level. The party reiterates that the Quebec government is responsible for language policy throughout the province, and we affirm the precedence of the Quebec Charter of the French Language over the federal Official Languages Act. Furthermore, Quebec's language policy ensures respect for the rights and consideration of the particular situation, issues, and needs of English-speaking Quebecers.

The Bloc Québécois is a defender of culture and supports public funding of the media. We will oppose all attempts to cut public broadcasting budgets. It is clear that significant legislative and regulatory changes will have to be considered to ensure the future of the public broadcaster. This is the only way to protect the CBC and Radio-Canada networks from future governments who would have the intention of dismantling them.

Four years later, many constituents, including Indigenous communities, are still concerned about plans for the nuclear mega-waste dump proposed for Chalk River. What will you do to support your constituents downstream?

In September 2024, the leader of the Bloc Québécois joined forces with Kebaowek First Nation Chief Lance Haymond, Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Chief Ghislain Picard, and other Aboriginal leaders to call on Ottawa to listen to reason.

The BQ has condemned this project, which jeopardizes the health of the St. Lawrence River and, consequently, the drinking water supply of millions of citizens. We tabled a brief with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and stood by the Kebaowek First Nation so that they could have their voice heard, and this senseless project stopped. We will continue to fight to ensure that such a project never sees the light of day.

In our view, the risk is real and significant; we're talking about a huge, million-cubic-metre radioactive waste pit less than a kilometre from a tributary of the St. Lawrence River. Two Federal Court rulings in recent weeks point to a lack of rigor in the development of the Chalk River project. The BQ will continue to fight for an alternative to be put forward by the CNSC.

Pascale Matecki

New Democratic Party (NDP)

Everyone is concerned about the tariffs and escalating economic tensions with the United States. How do you think this will affect the Outaouais region and the Hull–Aylmer riding, and what could the federal government do to mitigate its impact?

Economic tensions will hit families and workers hard, here and elsewhere. In our region, the most obvious effects will come from the behavior of the main employer: the federal government. The Liberals and Conservatives want to downsize the public service and cut services. In times of crisis, however, it’s not the time to make cuts.

The NDP wants to build an economy that prioritizes workers over wealthy CEOs. This is how we will build a stronger, fairer, and more resilient economy, not only to face the trade crisis, but also for the long term. Our plan includes:

A “Buy and Produce in Canada” strategy to encourage local production and support local farmers and businesses by promoting local purchasing in federal tenders;
A massive investment in our public infrastructure—this means investing in our shared wealth, affordable housing, roads, and investing to maintain good jobs in our region;
A strengthening of Employment Insurance to quickly support workers in vulnerable sectors;
A plan to tackle billionaires, with taxes and a ban on tax havens to finance our programs and infrastructure.

In short, we need a courageous plan and a determination to face the threats ahead, while protecting those who will be most affected by the crisis.

In light of the soaring housing costs, how will you use federal resources and regulatory powers to alleviate this burden on your constituents?

Vote for me, Pascale Matecki, in Hull-Aylmer, and I assure you that with the NDP, we will tackle the crisis by building more housing, faster, and at more affordable prices. This is one of the reasons I'm fighting with the NDP. It's the only party that has real solutions to a major problem—I had a discussion with Jagmeet about this last October after my opinion letter was published in Le Devoir.

I am outraged by the plans of the Liberals and the Conservatives, who never oppose the real estate giants. Carney, as the head of Brookfield, has padded the pockets of billionaires by investing in real estate speculation. For his part, Poilièvre has a plan designed to benefit business owners.

The NDP proposes using 100% of available federal land to build social and/or affordable housing and investing in the purchase of new federal land. Moreover, in the region, the land and buildings of McConnell House and the former convent of the Servantes de Jésus-Marie are already targeted by the NDP's plans for 100% affordable housing, on a human scale and respecting the history and needs of the community.

The Canada of our dreams, as New Democrats, provides adequate housing for everyone. We must end renovictions, introduce rent controls, and help first-time buyers achieve their dreams.

The federal government has abolished the carbon tax for consumers, while Quebec has kept its own. What will your government replace this tax with so that we can reach our goal of reducing carbon emissions?

We are already experiencing the climate crisis in the region with forest fires, floods, extreme heat and cold. Our quality of life, and that of future generations, in this country and on this planet, must be a central consideration in all our collective decisions.

The Conservatives, as we know, want to abolish everything: the crisis doesn't exist. The Liberals are no better. Despite recognizing the urgency of the crisis, they don't want to make courageous decisions. The NDP and I want to make the real polluters pay, not ordinary people.

To achieve our emissions reduction goal, the NDP will replace the carbon tax with other, much more effective solutions: abolishing subsidies to oil companies (the Liberals spent $12 billion on them!), taxing excessive profits in the fossil fuel industry, subsidizing energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners, investing in public transit, and investing in green energy and training for these jobs. Good, unionized jobs in a net-zero emissions future are essential to preparing the future of our children and their children.

Our plan is ambitious, but it is up to the current crisis. Our plan is also concrete and achievable, and, above all, it places the burden of the climate crisis back on the polluting giants.

Although healthcare is a provincial responsibility, how do you believe the federal government should address the province’s failure to provide this essential service to your constituents in the Outaouais region?

One of the reasons I decided to run for the NDP in this election is because I've studied social movements across Canada, from the 1950s to the present day. What history tells us is that the NDP has always been on the right side of history. Indeed, universal health insurance began with the NDP's pressure on the Liberals in 1965. In the last two years, Jagmeet Singh's NDP has pressured the Liberals to introduce dental care coverage and improve access to diabetes medications and birth control.

Across Canada, Conservative premiers are introducing a dangerous for-profit healthcare system. The Liberals have praised this “innovation.” Pierre Poilievre applauded this American-style privatization: when he was a minister, his government cut federal health transfers by $43.5 billion and eliminated key Indigenous health programs. What could happen to our already struggling system?

During this campaign, in addition to continuing to fight to expand dental care coverage, the NDP proposed increasing the health transfer as a means of guaranteeing every Canadian access to a family doctor and investing in home and long-term care.

Considering Quebec’s unique cultural landscape and commitment to bilingualism, how will you strengthen these agreements and defend the rights of minorities to their distinct culture and media within the province?

Canada is a magnificent country, and New Democrats want to continue building a country where there is greater equality, justice, and opportunity for all. We celebrate our Canadian diversity, the traditions, and aspirations of all the peoples of our country. We believe in a model of integration based on solidarity and harmonious exchanges between our different cultures.

Pierre Poilievre's stated desire to completely defund the English-language services of CBC/Radio-Canada will be culturally devastating for the official language minority in Quebec. The Liberals are too timid to counter web giants like Meta, which block Canadian media content, threaten their employees, and paralyze their access to their local communities.

A New Democratic government will invest in the vitality of our official language minority communities and will also protect the development of vibrant Indigenous cultures because it is essential to ensure the sustainability of Canadian identity.

Four years later, many constituents, including Indigenous communities, are still concerned about plans for the nuclear mega-waste dump proposed for Chalk River. What will you do to support your constituents downstream?

This project, without exaggeration, is a concern for the life of the river. It's also a concern for all forms of life downstream, including in Gatineau, Ottawa and Montreal. MP Laurel Collins has voiced the NDP's opposition to this project loud and clear. Our party continues to work in coalition with First Nations (neighbors of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories at Chalk River), unions, environmental groups and citizen organizations who are challenging the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility.

The project was initiated following the signing of a contract in 2015 by Stephen Harper's Conservative government. The subsequent Liberal government did not suspend the project despite mounting legal challenges.

The NDP's opposition to the project is valid in law. Last February, the Federal Court ruled in favor of the Kebaowek First Nation, finding that she did not give her “free, prior and informed consent” to the project.