A number of questions from the floor of the Musquodoboit Harbour candidate’s forum did not get asked due to time constraints. The Cooperator sent five questions to candidates and offered to post the responses online. We will post responses as we receive them. We have received responses from the Liberall's Sean Fraser, the Green Party's Gerald Romsa, and the Peoples Party of Canada's Charlie MacEachern.
Responses from the Liberal Party's Sean Fraser
How will you address the issues around funding the CBC?
The CBC plays a vital role in connecting Canadians—especially in rural and remote communities—with trusted news, diverse voices, and Canadian stories. As a Liberal candidate, I’m committed to supporting strong, stable, and independent public broadcasting.
We will invest in the CBC, with a specific focus on expanding local news coverage in small towns and rural communities. We believe Canadian communities are served well when independent public broadcasters have the resources to cover the events that matter most in Canada, and not just those that take place in the nation’s largest cities.
Other countries, including the United States, have failed to adequately fund their public broadcaster, and we have seen results I believe Canada would do well to avoid. A properly-funded CBC is essential to telling our stories, protecting our democracy, and building a stronger, more informed Canada.
What does Net Zero mean to you and what will you support if elected?
To me, net zero means taking real, responsible action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, and offsetting any remaining emissions through a combination of nature-based solutions and technologic advances that remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. It’s about building a sustainable future for our kids and grandkids—while also creating good, green jobs today.
If elected, I will support continued investments in clean energy, energy-efficient infrastructure, and the innovation needed to meet our climate targets. That includes working with industry, Indigenous communities, and local governments to ensure we’re transitioning in a way that’s fair, ambitious, and achievable.
We can fight climate change and grow the economy—and as a Liberal, I’m committed to doing both.
What is your plan to balance farm production of food with the need for housing development?
Feeding and housing Canadian families are both goals of the utmost importance. We certainly do not need to compromise on our ability to grow food in order to build the homes we need, especially if we develop our communities in a thoughtful manner that protects our ability to grow food on fertile agricultural lands, and houses people in a manner that allows families to access the services and opportunities available to them.
If elected, I’ll support policies that prioritize building on already-developed or underused land, especially near transit and urban centres, to reduce pressure on prime agricultural land. I’ll also work to strengthen protections for farmland and support farmers with the tools they need to thrive—because food security is just as critical as housing.
We need a thoughtful approach that brings municipalities, provinces, farmers, and builders to the table. It’s not one or the other—we can and must deliver both.
Will you promise to work with the Province and HRM to deliver support for the Eastern Shore as a rural, not urban area, accessing the supports for rural infrastructure development?
Yes, absolutely. The Eastern Shore is a proud, rural region with unique needs that must be recognized in how we deliver federal support. If elected, I will advocate strongly to ensure that rural communities within HRM are treated as a rural area when it comes to accessing infrastructure programs—whether it’s for roads, transit, broadband, community facilities, or clean water projects.
As the incumbent Member of Parliament, I’ve already been advocating for the Eastern Shore to be recognized and supported as the rural region it truly is. One example of that success is the extension of student loan forgiveness to doctors and nurses who serve rural communities like ours—something I fought for and helped deliver. But I know that’s just one piece of the puzzle. There is still much more to do, especially when it comes to infrastructure, housing, and economic development. I remain committed to working with all levels of government to ensure the Eastern Shore gets the fair treatment and rural-specific support it deserves.
What will you do to promote income equality and are you in favour of: a wealth tax, a cap on CEO compensation, tax fairness, a living wage adjustment and/or what are your own proposals to address income inequality, particularly for seniors and families?
Income equality is a core value for me, and it’s central to building a fair, inclusive economy. As a Liberal, I support practical, progressive measures that create good paying jobs, lift up working families, support seniors, and ensure the wealthiest are paying their fair share.
Our government has already made key steps in the right direction—raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% and cutting them for the middle class, introducing the Canada Child Benefit, and increasing supports for low-income seniors. But I know there’s more to do. If elected, I will continue to push for:
- Tax fairness to ensure large corporations and the ultra-wealthy contribute proportionately—no loopholes or special treatment.
- Income supports and an EI system that supports workers through targeted federal programs and fair minimum wage standards tied to affordability.
- Investments in seniors through increases to programs like the Guaranteed Income Supplement and continued work to strengthen CPP and OAS.
- Support for families through the Canada Child Benefit, child care, housing affordability, and direct benefits that reduce poverty and level the playing field.
- Support for students through a more generous Canada Student Grant and Canada Student Loan program, including loan forgiveness for doctors, nurses, teachers, early childhood educators, dentists, and other professionals who work in small towns and rural communities.
Responses from the Green Party’s Gerald Romsa
How will you address the issues around funding the CBC?
CBC and Radio Canada should be properly funded as addressed in the Green Party Platform. A possibility is that on the income tax form, an automatic amount is added to support the CBC. Perhaps starting at a household level of $7500
What does Net Zero mean to you and what will you support if elected?
Net zero is a goal one can strive for. However as the science on climate change becomes even more definitive we will know what are the parameters that our planet can function in.
What is your plan to balance farm production of food with the need for housing development?
We need the best arable land put into a land reserve. If it is no longer farmed a tax credit can be given to maintain it for future generations. Where possible housing should be encouraged to be put into villages. This makes the provision of transportation and utilities cheaper and easier.
Will you promise to work with the Province and HRM to deliver support for the Eastern Shore as a rural, not urban area, accessing the supports for rural infrastructure development?
Could the HRM adopt a two tier government system. Some areas would identify as rural municipalities and they would be responsible for certain services. It is important to maintain rural areas and contain urban sprawl.
What will you do to promote income equality and are you in favour of: a wealth tax, a cap on CEO compensation, tax fairness, a living wage adjustment and/or what are your own proposals to address income inequality, particularly for seniors and families?
We should aim for a prosperous economy with full employment , good wages and benefits. A prosperous economy will generate funds needed to provide social benefits when required. The structure of our income tax act should not discourage people from working. Those earning $50,000 or less would not pay income taxes. Those on social assistance should be encouraged to work and their earnings not clawed back until they have a good income. Some may not be able to work full time and they should be encouraged to participate as much as possible and their efforts supplemented with financial assistance. OAS supplements can be used to help seniors. We need to find a way that wealth is not harboured in tax free havens but that is stays willingly in Canada to provide investment income and some tax revenue. Higher disposable income and lower taxes combined with child benefits and reasonable housing costs would help to address affordability.
Responses from the Peoples Party of Canada's Charlie MacEachern
How will you address the issues around funding the CBC?
Many Canadians believe the CBC is a propaganda arm for the Liberal Party. There is no doubt the CBC has important programming that reaches a wide audience; and in some regions of Canada, it provides a source of regional, and even local news where other media are not present. However, if the political narrative from the CBC is biased - even remotely, is this really news, or is it viewer "programming"? Many of you know the reasons why the People's Party of Canada should and would defund the CBC; it is because of years of Liberal political bias. It's not only the CBC. Many media outlets are guilty of promoting political bias. You can see this in the scripts used by news anchors echoing the same, exact lines when reporting the "news". The news is parroted in many cases "word-for-word" from the teleprompter. That is not independent journalism and reporting. That is the narrative used to program viewers to an opinion - especially when the same messaging comes from multiple "news" outlets.
Many Canadians, including myself, enjoy some CBC programs. Just not the programming. The PPC will defund the CBC; but, this does not mean the CBC would cease to exist. The CBC have advertising and other funding in which to rely. And if the advertisers and other supporting organizations are profitable and can justify continuing to spend in order to fund the CBC, then the CBC has the funding it needs to exist, to promote whatever political narrative it chooses, as an independent news outlet, as well as meaningful television programs, for those interested, to enjoy.
Let's also consider the prospect of the void in unbiased political news and TV entertainment, being filled with media and program outlets that are dependent upon ratings and advertisements in order to survive and thrive, establishing themselves in Canada. Defunding the CBC is an opportunity for the CBC to take this as a "teachable moment".
What does Net Zero mean to you and what will you support if elected?
Net Zero means Canada’s bank account runs dry.
No one should argue the climate is changing. Just ask a dinosaur. But, to blame mankind for the ever-evolving effects of the Earth's natural cycle, which instills fear and anxiety - especially in our youth, contributing to eco-anxiety and eco-paralysis, needs to stop. Nearly 1 in 9 Canadian children suffer from some form of emotional, societal, and/or neurological condition. These conditions are sometimes exacerbated by the fear perpetuated by our government that the Earth is going to end if we drink from a plastic straw.
Well, here are the facts: the world has gone through 5 extinction-level events in the past 4 Billion years. CO2 levels when there was a Km high glacier right where you are now sitting, was 300 parts per million, and during the era when dinosaur roamed the earth - when lettuce was the size of your truck, the levels of CO2 was 500 ppm. Today, the levels are little more than 400 ppm. We are right where we are supposed to be. And consider this, even if our governments could move the needle towards lowering CO2, and they can't, no matter how much money they take from our future to "fight" Climate Change, when that needle gets back to near 200 ppm (in about 700,000 years), life on Earth will once again be unsustainable.
Heat causes CO2. CO2 does not cause heat. We are warming-up because we are near the end of the ice age we are currently in. The Earth is "greening" while the polar ice caps are receding, and this is good thing. This also produces more oxygen, and water. You need all of these things to survive.
The man-made Climate Change hoax is losing traction. The government fear campaign is losing momentum. The only climate crisis we have been in, is the political climate.
The People's Party is the only party that will leave the climate scam, that is the Paris Climate Accord (UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) - which is the main propellant of these "Environmental, Sustainability, Governance" (ESG) behavior and tax-implementing strategies being forced across the globe, paid for by rich countries in order to enrich the benefactors of the policy-makers, who themselves, invest in oil production and pipelines in countries outside of the algorithms of your domestically-controlled news feeds.
Carney is a main orchestrator of this man-made Climate hoax, and has been instrumental in developing and implementing ESG goals on worldwide banks and corporations, which are forced to adopt these ESG goals in order to participate in government subsidy and investment resource. Thankfully, most of Canada's banks left the Global Net-Zero Banking Alliance in early 2025, that Carney, himself, co-founded in 2021. BMO was the first to ditch the restrictive policies and regulations imposed on them, when they realized Canadian corporations and investors were no longer interested in this policy scam. The rest of Canada's big banks followed suit.
Carney is back on stage pushing these ESG regulations on Canadian businesses, but, they will push back - just like the banks. Right now, Carney is waiting for a Liberal win in order to roll out the "Border Adjustment Tax" - a tax on Canadians consumers applied at the border on products received from companies and countries that Canada doesn't feel are doing enough to fight climate change; or more aptly stated, taxing it's citizens and penalize their industries for not adoption ESG policies and regulations - like the US, our largest trading partner. This is the "hidden" CO2 tax that will be implemented if Carney becomes Prime Minister.
Carney didn't end the Carbon Tax - he explained it!
Your browser's algorithms are not catching most of these important sound bites and publications, and the captured media certainly don't report on it. This is the censorship the Liberals have placed on Canadians. Carney doesn't want to try to appeal to your intellect. His argument would surely lose. Instead, he instills fear, and the hopes your fear will drive your emotions to vote for Canada's savior, WEF policy-contributor and banker-elite, Mark Carney, the orator of climate truth and global salvation through compliance taxation.
All is not what it seems...
What is your plan to balance farm production of food with the need for housing development?
This is a Municipal and Provincial matter. That said, towns and cities are under pressure to be developed, and with a growing population that wants affordable homes, urban spread is encroaching on the periphery of its city/town boundaries. The preservation of not only farmland for food security, but other important land to be preserved for its natural ecology, will require policymakers to find the right balance between housing and land use?
We are in a housing crisis caused by the Liberal Government, though enabled by the Conservative party. Neither party have a plan to stem the flow of millions more immigrants into Canada, and this is going to further strain our cities and towns. The People’s Party of Canada will put a moratorium on immigration. The Liberals and Conservatives will only slightly reduce the numbers of migrants entering Canada, and this does not go far enough towards solving the current problems; including, but not limited to housing, and rezoning arable land for housing developments. The immigration policies of the Liberal government, supported by the Conservatives, have been disastrous.
The Conservatives plan to build 2.3 million homes, and the Carney Liberals intend to invest in the “Build Canada Homes” strategy. What he doesn’t tell us is this program will cost Canadians $300B per year for the next 5 years ($1.5 Trillion) and the government will need to find 50% savings (source Fraser Institute, February 2025). Where do you suppose that savings will come from? If I know Mr. Carney, and I have certainly seen what he has done both in the UK (with 11% run-away inflation) and here in Canada advising the Liberal government on fiscal policy since at least 2020; that is Central Bankers will do what Central Bankers do, print money.
Canada cannot take much more of the high debt with no plan to ever balance the budget, let alone pay down our debt.
Today’s immigrants are not the farmers who arrived following WWII; who both enriched Canadian culture and integrated into Canada’s society; becoming part of the Canada’s social fabric. The millions of immigrants who arrived – especially since 2021, with millions more arriving with either of these two governments, are consumers, and they need a place to live. Your arable farmland is the cheapest land to develop and while there is food in the store, why do we need farmers. Now, more than ever, your rural communities need firm policy, if you want to protect your farmland and natural settings.
Will you promise to work with the Province and HRM to deliver support for the Eastern Shore as a rural, not urban area, accessing the supports for rural infrastructure development?
This is Municipal and a Provincial matter. Though revert to question 3. The Liberals and Conservatives have big plans for your rural development. How else can they accommodate the number of newcomers to Musquodoboit Harbour. That area is a prime bedroom community to serve Halifax.
You may not have heard of the Century Initiative, yet; though, I will give you the Cole’s Notes version. Imagine for a moment Canada’s population at 100 million. This is the target of Mark Wiseman, co-founder of the Century Initiative, who is now an advisor to Mr. Carney. Mr. Carney and his hand-selected inner circle of former Liberal Cabinet Ministers has al lot in store for Canadians, and rural infrastructure developments in Musquodoboit is not his priority. Urban sprawl is inevitable with the size of their immigration plan. 2021 to present was just the warm-up. And, if this is what you wanted, and you’ve already voted for the Carney Liberals or the Conservatives, who voted in lockstep on most immigration policies under the last Liberal government, then you will get your fair share of these 60 million newcomers.
What will you do to promote income equality and are you in favour of: a wealth tax, a cap on CEO compensation, tax fairness, a living wage adjustment and/or what are your own proposals to address income inequality, particularly for seniors and families?
Mr. Carney sent his money offshore so tax on his money for Canadians, is off the table. In fact, as Chair, he moved his company, the $900 Billion Brookfield Asset Management company from Canada to New York when President Trump announced tariffs last November. It took a couple months for Mr. Carney to convince all the shareholders; but he got the job done two weeks after he announced his leadership bid, if I recall correctly.
As Mr. Carney already showed Canadians, threats of tax move money. Canada has been bleeding investments for 10 years. We are a hostile environment to invest in. Don’t get me wrong, companies will set-up here and take the subsidy dough, they will do a little R&D, then move their money to a country where they pay less tax, and eventually, move their business.
Under the last Liberal government income inequality has never been more apparent. But many of you will vote for the same party with the same policies – even worse policies and risk your life savings invested in the Canadian indices, as well as the purchasing power of your hard-earned money, in order to elect a government that is going to save you from the Trump Tariffs.
I asked an audience in Pictou last week, if you are better off today, following nearly 10 years of disastrous Liberal policies, and several attendees said no. I’ll ask you the same. Are you better off now than you were when the Liberals took power nearly 10 years ago? For many of you, the answer will be no. Canada’s economy grew a mere 1.5% during the last 10 years. Some of you may remember me telling you this at the panel discussion. Most of the other OECD countries grew by double digit percentages during this same period. Why? The answer is simple, you’ve elected lawyers and lobbyists to steer your economy. They are very articulate and seemingly, genuinely caring and informative; but the reality is, you’ve elected lawyers and lobbyists who are vested in the party – not you. And, for those who don’t tow the party line, well, the party “whip” deals with these individuals up to and including, throwing their member from the caucus. Think Jody Wilson-Raybould, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
We are all headed towards income equality with either a Liberal or Conservative government. We know Mr. Carney is oiling-up the printing press, and Mr. Poilievre’s campaign promises will take a decade to achieve, if at all; and the cost to get there will also require running an enormous deficit. A deficit is the difference between the budget and the actual cost of government spending commitments. Both party leaders are promising you Heaven and Earth for your vote, with no costed budget, and many of you are buying into what will inevitably become an economic catastrophe. Neither are going to tackle the debt, because that would be too painful for you, and why would they, if they can use Mr. Carney’s well-oiled printing press.
Your economic future will be further strained with either leading party. What you can hope for is a few hand-outs to help ease the ever-increasing inflation and erosion of the value of your money. Or, you can vote for someone who would put the circus that Ottawa is on the national stage for all to see. And, believe me, I have about as much interest in going to Ottawa as I do being drug by a horse through a freshly cut cornfield. Lawyers and lobbyists are not really my preferred circle; but I can tolerate them in small doses. My aim would be to highlight to you, the ridiculous Bills they are passing in the House, like Bill C-4, which would imprison a parent or therapist who tried to prevent the mutilation of their minor child/patient who seeks gender affirmative care, which was passed in the House by both Liberals and Conservatives. This is the kind of stuff your MP voted for.
There is only one way to stop this nonsense in Ottawa, and that is to elect members who are not beholden to a party line, who understands economics, who understands the implications of policies set by the WEF, the UN, the WHO, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and the regulations that are adopted by participant countries, that impact you. Ask your former MP what is “Bail-in”, where did it arise from (hint = WEF), why does Canada have this legislated into Canada’s banking regulations, and how would it impact you should Canada’s banks begin to fail?
Ask your former MP about his own involvement with the WEF Young Global Leaders, and then ask yourself why would Mr. Carney, banker-elite, climate saviour, and WEF policy contributor, want to surround himself with WEF Young Global Leaders? Both sides of the isle have bought into the agendas of these NGO’s that control your government. This is what needs to end in Ottawa.
