Meet the candidates: Huron-Bruce – Dave Joslin

Dave Joslin, Christian Heritage
Hometown: RR 2 Brussels-Grey Ward, Huron East
Occupation: Pressure Welder
Political experience: ran 5 times federally (Christian Heritage Party), this is the 2nd time for the Family Coalition Party
Community involvement: active church member, member of Grey Ward Deamalgamation Committee

What is the best way to stimulate the economy in your riding?
The best way to stimulate the economy in any riding is to keep taxes of all kinds as low as possible, to eliminate unnecessary regulations, permits, user fees, etc. Also, one must make sure the transportation and services (hydro, water, sewer, phone) are all present and in good shape. In short make the area as attractive for business as possible. One should also encourage consumers to shop locally when possible.

What is the biggest environmental issue facing your riding and what can be done to solve it?
Water is always a concern, especially since Walkerton. Low interest loans to upgrade septic systems, tax breaks to farmers who plant erosion/buffer strips and fencing to keep livestock out of watercourses are some of the ways this concern can be dealt with. Cities should prioritize their spending to ensure that infrastructure-roads, bridges, sewers, and proper capacity sewage treatment plants come well before other expenditures, i.e., arts or sports.

What is your solution for Ontario’s energy needs?
Diversity is the best solution. We have been given water, uranium, oil, natural gas and coal, wind and sun, and in some areas, geothermal. We should use them all. We have the technology to use them all safely: we ought to use it. We are very much in favour of small, independent power generators selling their surplus to the grid for a fair market price. We should deregulate the energy industry to allow for maximum competition. This will ensure a market based, rather than politically determined energy price

Should we favour consumption taxes over income and corporate taxes?
We are very much in favour of eliminating both corporate and income taxes; the former causes job losses as companies flee our high tax jurisdiction, and the latter discourages saving and investment. Consumption taxes (like the GST) are avoidable if you keep your spending down. They encourage frugality-a good thing, especially if combined with saving/investment. However, the only way this could be done at present would be to have a very high GST-say 20%, or shrink the size of government substantially. We would favour a modest consumption tax and a gradual but considerable downsizing of the government.

Do you think the minimum wage should be raised to $10 per hour?
No. Studies have shown repeatedly that minimum wage laws actually hurt the very people they are supposed to help. Only the ideological utopia of the socialist can you make a job worth ‘x’ number of dollars. Forcing employers to pay unskilled labourers wages higher than the market value will force them to stop hiring entry-level positions-or move to another jurisdiction.

Do you support public funding for all faith-based schools?
We support a voucher system in which the educational tax dollars would follow the child. In other words, force private and public schools to compete with each other for the academic dollar. Schools that excel in morals, academics and discipline would prosper, those that are substandard would go out of business-as they should.

Which electoral system will you be voting for: MMP or first past the post?
MMP.