Q-and-A with Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa candidate Dan Mazier

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This article was published 18/09/2021 (1504 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the residents of Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa go to the polls for the federal election on Sept. 20, they’ll have six candidates spanning the political spectrum to choose from.

Incumbent Conservative candidate Dan Mazier will look to keep his job while Green candidate Shirley Lambrecht, Liberal candidate Kevin Carlson, Maverick candidate Lori Falloon-Austin, NDP candidate Arthur Holroyd, and PPC candidate Donnan McKenna try to unseat him.

To help voters in the riding gain a better idea of each candidate and their party’s policies, the Sun sent them six questions, for which they provided written responses.

Answers were received from all candidates except for the NDP and have been edited for length, clarity and style. Please note that The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse or agree with the opinions expressed by participating candidates.

A Q-and-A with Brandon-Souris candidates was published Friday.

Looking to convince voters in Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa to send him back to Ottawa is Conservative Party of Canada incumbent Dan Mazier. First elected to the House of Commons in 2019, Mazier’s career prior to entering politics focused heavily on farming and agriculture, serving several years as the president of Keystone Agricultural Producers.

1. Agricultural producers are being hit hard by dry conditions this year. What would you and your party do to assist struggling farmers?

As a farmer and former president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers, I understand the needs of farmers in this region. Canada’s Conservatives have a comprehensive plan to improve business risk management programs, enhance our supply chains, grow our export market and introduce a much-anticipated labour strategy. This includes supporting farmers and producers impacted by the drought by expediting access to business risk management programs and making up for any provincial funding shortfalls.

A Conservative government would also work towards greater harmonization of farm product regulations with our trading partners and work towards reforming and improving business risk management programs, particularly AgriInvest and AgriRecovery. 

Additionally, we would modernize the Canada Grain Act and Canadian Grain Commission to align with modern agricultural practices, global market requirements, and the needs of our farmers.

2. Canada has seen a lot of extreme weather this year, causing drought, flooding, wildfires and massive storms. What would you and your party do to tackle climate change and its effects on Canadians?

The risks of climate change are a threat to our nation’s security and prosperity. Any plan to address climate change must not be an Ottawa-knows-best approach and instead, one that works for all Canadians, particularly rural Canadians.

Protecting the environment has always been a core Conservative value. Our party was built by farmers, ranchers, hunters, and anglers — people who respect and live off the very lands and waters we need to conserve.

Canada’s Recovery Plan includes our plan to restore funding for the National Wetland Conservation Fund and the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program, which Justin Trudeau cancelled; creating a new financial incentive for farmers and landowners to protect the environment and sequester carbon by allowing for greater creation of land-based offset credits. Additionally, we will introduce new personal low-carbon savings accounts; end the dumping of raw sewage and ban the export of plastic waste. Canada’s Conservatives will also invest in small modular reactors and invest in forest health and wildfire prevention and early detection.

It is important to note that we’ll scrap the consumer carbon tax backstop because wherever carbon taxes have been tried, governments have been unable to resist the billions of dollars they bring in. This is true in Canada today, where the Trudeau government is only returning to Canadians some of the revenue the carbon tax brings in — and where some Canadians, particularly farmers and those living in rural areas, are unfairly penalized. 

3. What will you and your party do to meaningfully address reconciliation and racism?

A Conservative government will recognize safe drinking water as a fundamental human right and end long-term drinking water advisories and target high-risk water systems; develop a comprehensive plan to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations for missing children, unmarked graves, and residential school cemeteries; and fund the investigation at all former residential schools where unmarked graves may exist.

Canada’s Conservatives will also work with Indigenous groups and trade organizations to identify opportunities to increase access for Indigenous workers and youth to apprenticeship programs; further invest in trades training programs designed in partnership with the private sector and Indigenous organizations to maximize opportunities for employment; and develop, in collaboration with Indigenous groups, a national action plan that addresses violence against Indigenous women and girls.

4. How do you think the idea of vaccine mandates and immunization cards should be handled?

Let me be clear; I am fully vaccinated, and I encourage every Canadian who is eligible to get vaccinated. It is the most important tool available in fighting this pandemic. I also respect that every Canadian has the right to their own health choices and I understand that some Canadians still feel uncomfortable with getting vaccinated for various reasons.

The government has a responsibility to promote the safety and science behind vaccines, so Canadians are comfortable taking them; it must be an approach based on information and encouragement. Canada’s Conservatives put forth a reasonable plan to counter the concerns expressed by Canadians who are opposed to the mandatory vaccine policy that Justin Trudeau announced. We believe there should be an alternative for those Canadians who are still on the fence about getting vaccinated to respect their health choices that are based on continuous testing.

Vaccinations should continue to be encouraged and promoted by all levels of government and the government must continue to support an effective rollout to ensure we can put this pandemic behind us.

5. There have been instances of political candidates getting threatened or having things thrown at them on the campaign trail. What do you believe should be done in response to these incidents?

Peaceful protest is a fundamental right in Canada, but when protests block access to critical services and endanger lives, the rule of law must be upheld.

Protests outside hospitals are disrespectful to the health-care workers who have worked so hard to protect us. These protests are also unfair to patients and their family members. When someone has lost a loved one or is dealing with health issues, the last thing they need is to be greeted by an angry mob. I understand that some Canadians are frustrated by vaccine mandates and other COVID-19-related public health measures, but this is not the way to reach common ground or build solutions. 

6. Gun control has been a hot topic during the campaign. What are you and your party’s stances on how the government regulates firearms?

Firearms are an important part of the rural way of life so many Canadians share. I am a proud, law-abiding, firearm owner myself, as are thousands of others in our constituency. Whether it is for hunting or sport-shooting, rural Canadians take pride in safely, legally, and responsibly owning and operating firearms.

Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau fails to understand that law-abiding firearm owners are not the problem. The problem is gangs and criminals. Our focus will be on keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals. This contrasts with the Liberals, who have refused to take action against gangs while harassing hunters and sport shooters. 

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