The following are Conservative Party of Canada candidate Justina McCaffrey’s responses to the West Carleton Online election survey. To read West Carleton Online’s original profile on McCaffrey, click here:

Question 1

In order of importance, list your Top 3 priorities and what your plan is to address each priority (Each priority has a 150-word limit):

Cost of living: The top issue I hear about at the doors is affordability. Canadians are barely getting by, and definitely not getting ahead. We need to ensure this changes, and we`re going to do it by putting more money back into the pockets of Canadians. We have a number of measures in order to achieve this, like scrapping the Carbon Tax, implementing a Universal Tax Cut, taking the tax off of home heating, and taking the tax off of parental benefits. We also have a number of other tax credits that families will be able to utilize when they put their children in a sport, or an art program, or if they decide to upgrade their home to make it more environmentally friendly. Conservatives are the only party focused on putting more money back in your pocket so that you can get ahead.

Small Business: Another issue I am hearing about and have a lot of passion for is setting up small businesses for success. We have seen repeated attacks on small businesses over the past four years, ranging from job killing policies and taxes to legitimate insults like when the Liberals called small business owners wealthy tax cheats. These are people pursuing their dream, people that are willing to pay everyone else first, and take what`s left for themselves. They are also incredibly important job creators and a key part of the Canadian economy. Conservatives are going to exempt spouses from the Liberal tax increases on family businesses, remove the tax increases on small businesses by restoring access to the small business deduction, and cut reduce the regulatory burden by 25 per cent over a four-year mandate. We are also going to review Canada`s tax system to make it more competitive and fair.

Climate Change: Canadians are also concerned about climate change, and Conservatives have a plan to ensure that, major emitters are forced to take this concern seriously and do their part. We are going to repeal the Liberal carbon tax and the sweetheart deals that go along with it, which exempt major emitters up to 90 per cent, and instead focus on green technology. If corporations are unable or unwilling to curb their emissions to our standards, they are going to be compelled to invest in the research and adoption of green technology for their industry. By focusing on green technology, not taxes, we are going to be able to make a real impact on our own greenhouse gas emissions. We are also going to export our technology and expertise, so that we can take the fight against climate change global, because this is an issue that doesn`t recognize geographic borders.

Question 2

Please provide us with a favourite photo from your campaign so far. A photo that sparks a fond memory of the rare experience of being a candidate in a federal election. Share with us in words a bit of info about the photo and the memory (100-word limit and a photo):

One special moment over the course of this campaign was when Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney stopped by my campaign office and then went out door knocking with me in Kanata-Carleton. Jason is a great leader, and I am thankful for his support. He has already done so much to help get Alberta back on track since becoming premier. When we were out in the community it really drove home that soon, with strong Conservative leadership in Ottawa, we are going to be able to start the hard work getting Canada back on track with Prime Minister Andrew Scheer!

Question 3

West Carleton Online will list three local concerns. Please provide your thoughts on current barriers and your plan for the path forward (150-word limit per subject):

• The agriculture industry
• Seniors
• Infrastructure

The agriculture industry: For the past four years rural Canada has been totally neglected by this Liberal government, but that will end with the election of a strong Conservative government. We are going to implement a number of measures to support our farmers. We are going to reduce red tape for farmers and implement and Agriculture and Agri-food Labour Strategy to ensure our farmers have the regulatory environment they need to succeed. We will also continue to support supply management and help farmers and agri-food businesses hit hard by market uncertainty outside of their control, such as the ongoing dispute with China. We will apply to upgrade Canada’s World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) status for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) from Controlled to Negligible Risk in 2020 to help grow our beef farmer’s international market share.

Seniors: A Conservative government is committed to ensuring all Canadians, including seniors have more money in their pockets. Life on a fixed income can be very challenging, especially when life keeps getting more expensive. We are going to make life more affordable by scrapping the carbon tax, introducing the Universal Tax Cut, crapping the tax off of home heating and expanding that Age Credit by $1,000. We are also going to help encourage private pension plans are protected by requiring companies report on the solvency of their pension funds, encourage underfunded pension plans to grow back to fully funded status by allowing the transfer of underfunded plans to more successful pension plans and we will restrict bonuses for the executives of companies who go through bankruptcy to penalize executives who underfund pension funds. These steps will ensure that pensions funds will be accountable and transparent to pensioners.

Infrastructure: For the past four years the Liberals have run massive deficits, claiming the money is going to infrastructure, yet most of it never even made it out the door. Conservatives will honour all existing contracts, however for new projects we are going to focus on infrastructure that will have the maximum benefit to Canadians, and Canada`s economy. We are going to focus on projects that reduce congestion and commute times such as roads, bridges and public transit. We know that long commute times not only hurt the pocketbook, but also take a toll on people’s overall well-being. In order to attract and retain top tier talent to Kanata`s world-class high-tech sector, we need to ensure that our infrastructure keeps up. I will advocate to ensure we get the funding we need for projects that will make a difference in the daily lives of residents of Kanata-Carleton.