BarrieToday is running profiles, in alphabetical order, on each of the five candidates in the Barrie-Innisfil riding. For more campaign coverage, visit our election page.
*****************************
It's time to tighten the government purse strings, says Stephanie Robinson, the People's Party candidate in Barrie-Innisfil.
"People are tired of paying so much tax," she said. "If they're paying taxes, they want to know that it's going to good use and not being misappropriated."
The People's Party, led by Maxime Bernier, would look for ways to limit that spending.
"Maxime has said that we would, first off, cut off foreign spending. We would cut monies that are going to other countries that are for the same kind of issues we need to deal with within our own country," Robinson said. "We're sending (money) for help with water issues in a couple of these African countries.
"I'm not saying the African countries possibly don't need some help, but why is it that we're sending millions there and not seeing any results, yet we have water issues with so many areas within our country, on the reserves and such," she added.
Robinson said it's about cutting down costs.
"We have to re-prioritize. We've got to look at Canadians first," she said. "We have to look at what makes Canada better, first and foremost, and not just spend. I got into this whole race because I'm a grandma now and I see the spending.
"We can't use a borrowed credit card to pay for things that we decide that we want now, that can be on a whim, just because a leader doesn't have the discernible wisdom to know what to do and when to do it," Robinson added.
Despite all the talk in the news about climate change, Robinson says it's not something local voters are bringing up with her.
"I'm not hearing this on mainstream at all, but I'm actually hearing that there's an awful lot of people that really are not as involved in this whole climate debate as we are led to believe," she said, adding people are questioning why a carbon tax is even needed.
"Our source of food thrives on carbon dioxide," Robinson added. "It's how we grow."
While some parties say they want to plant trees, Robinson says government should be urging people to grow their own food.
If elected, Robinson says her top priority would be to help with issues around the nation's drinking water.
"That, to me, is so vital," she said. "In connection with that, why are we basically giving our water to all of these corporations that then sell it and make all these profits on it, and yet we don't have water for our own people? We have the largest freshwater resource in the world, why don't we have fresh water for our own people?"
On the topic of opioids, Robinson said there "are a lot of people" who don't agree with how the municipal government is handling the issue, but she added the federal government should be looking at the drug suppliers and people who bring the product into Canada.
For more information on Robinson's campaign, click here.
The federal election is Monday, Oct. 21.
