Sarah Williams
Beaver Staff
Derek Sloan will represent the Conservative Party of Canada in the Hastings-Lennox and Addington riding for the Oct. 21 federal election.
“Being born and raised in a rural setting, I understand the unique challenges our riding faces with regard to rural infrastructure, and the need for basic cell phone and internet services. I understand the importance of our farmers to the future of this country and the need to support them with the right policies,” stated Sloan.
His rural upbringing, along with his professional career as a small business owner and lawyer, are all things that the Conservative candidate believes will help him with a job in office, should he be elected.
“As a former small business owner, I understand the hard work and sacrifice required to get ahead, along with the frustration of dealing with high taxes, and the endless and needless red tape imposed on many small and struggling businesses,” stated Sloan. “As a lawyer, I understand how laws are made, and the way our constitution and governmental branches relate. If elected, I can help this riding and government bring in the policies needed to allow our labourers, our small business owners and our families get ahead.”
Sloan further states that since being elected as a conservative candidate in December 2018, he has crisscrossed the riding numerous times, meeting and talking with people, including farmers, small business owners and community leaders.
“They are all saying the same thing: they are struggling to get by but they do not want handouts from the government. They want policies and investments that will help them get ahead,” he stated. “I believe my background and experiences can help deliver what voters need.”
Sloan got into politics with an eye to reform, believing that Liberal handouts of the past have hurt more than helped Canadians.
“I believe that hard work, motivation and the right government policies can create a better life and more secure future for the people and communities of Hastings-Lennox and Addington. I decided to enter this federal election race as a candidate because, like many, I feel that somewhere along the line we have lost our focus on a better future-we took our eye off the prize,” said Sloan. “Under the Liberal tax-and-spend policies government is no longer a facilitator of success, but rather a giver of handouts to friends and special interest groups-handouts that have raised costs for all hard-working Canadians through successive tax increases. This has diminished our long-term potential for success; as a result, our country has mortgaged the future of our children and grandchildren, leaving them a quagmire of debt repayment.”
Sloan also noted that, as far as he’s concerned, investment in public infrastructure that would help guarantee the future of rural communities is bogged down in federal bureaucracy and red tape.
When asked what he believes some of the biggest issues for the riding are, Sloan replied that those are federal bureaucracy/red-tape, rural high-speed internet and cell phone service, and climate change.
“For years, Liberal government inaction in this riding has had a negative impact. Investment in public infrastructure that would help guarantee the future of rural communities is bogged down in the federal bureaucracy and red tape,” stated Sloan, adding, “One person cannot make change or get results alone. If elected I would look at forming an informal advisory panel consisting of key stakeholders within the riding. We will set priorities and work with the provincial and federal governments to ensure we get things done for the riding. I think that working together we can find a lot of common ground towards creating a better future for the riding.
He further stated the advisory council would consist of representatives from municipalities, farming, business, education, health and other sectors.
“A new Conservative government’s plan for the environment is based on this legacy of protecting Canada’s natural environment and improving its environmental practices,” stated Sloan. “We also know that the rest of the world needs more Canadian green technology. If elected, a Conservative government will further lower Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen environmental protections-without taking money out of Canadians’ pockets.”
The core of the conservative government’s environmental platform is based on three policies, Sloan stated. They are: green technology, not taxes, a cleaner and greener natural environment and taking our fight against climate change globally.
Sloan also stated that making rural high-speed internet and cell service available is a priority.
The Conservative candidate commented that the concern heard most often from his constituents is that of affordability.
“The most important issue facing people in the riding is affordability. All across the riding, I am hearing from people who are struggling to get by, never mind get ahead,” he stated.
To address the lack of affordability expressed by constituents, Sloan noted that Conservatives would aim to lighten the tax burden for Canadians. That includes: scrapping the carbon tax, introducing the universal tax cut, taking GST off home heating costs, making maternity benefits tax-free, the children’s fitness tax credit, the children’s arts and learning tax credit, expanding the age credit, boosting the RESP by matching 50 per cent, removing admission fees for national museums, introducing the green homes tax credit and lowering taxes for farms and businesses.
Sloan also notes the importance that focusing on training the future workforce is an important tool to improve economic sustainability.
“A problem with the riding is that we currently do not have the ability to train the future workforce. To do that we need to get more college campuses established so that workers do not have to go off to Belleville or Kingston to get trained, retained or refreshed,” stated Sloan. “I would also like to see high schools in the riding bring back technical training programs leading to apprentice positions with local companies.”
When asked which key party platforms were most important to him, Sloan replied, “affordability, the environment, rural high-speed internet and cell service, as well as federal bureaucracy and red tape.”
Sloan asserts that, should he be elected, his first order of would be setting up an advisory council.
He explained that “forming the advisory council and setting up the initial meeting to get that started,” would be his first order of business.
“The next step is to set up the conditions for rural high-speed internet and cell phone services,” added Sloan.