John McKay has represented Scarborough-Guildwood and its predecessor Scarborough East for 18 consecutive years or 5 consecutive terms and he is back running for a 6th term. We met with John McKay to discuss issues facing Scarborough-Guildwood and to ask him your questions!
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We started off once again with our questions from our readers regarding Transit, Daycare, the Rouge Mark and Electoral Reform
The Liberal party has committed 10 billion dollars, in deficit spending, for each of their first 3 years to three areas, the most significant of which is transportation and infrastructure as well as committing to provide 20 billion in additional transit infrastructure funding over the next decade. In Scarborough that would mean recommitting to the Scarborough Subway and electrifying the GO line which would allow for more trains and make Guildwood GO station a hub for transportation in Scarborough. This would require grade separations at Scarborough Golf Club Road, Poplar Road, Morningside Avenue and Galloway Road
When it comes to a National Daycare Policy, John says that the Liberal Party had a child care policy that was signed off on by all the provinces in 2005 but the Government was defeated by both the NDP and Conservatives at the time. The Liberals don’t believe that a National Daycare system is viable anymore as it no longer has the support of the Provinces. McKay says the Liberals new Child Benefit will assist parents in paying for expenses such as child care.
When it comes to Rouge Park John says that the Liberals are highly supportive of creating a National Urban Park for Rouge Park and he says that a Liberal Government would fix flawed Rouge National Urban Park Act “…in a heartbeat.”
John says that when it comes to the most unique issue in Scarborough-Guildwood is that there are two different areas in the riding. The priority in the north end of the riding in his experience is jobs and immigration issues. In the south its environment issues with the lakefront, Highland Creek and the Rouge Park as well as local things such as the loss of tree canopy. Overall though John says that the top issues he has heard most at the doors canvassing is the environment and pensions. Like the NDP, the Liberals are committed to reducing age for pension eligibility to 65 from 67. On the environment issue John says that the liberals will fix the Rouge Park as soon as possible.
When it comes to the Elections Act John says that if elected the Liberals will ensure that this is the last election that is decided with First-Past-the-Post, beyond that there isn’t a plan to go to a specific election method but John says there needs to be a broad consensus as to what that method is.
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Next we asked John some of our own questions.
We asked why Scarborough-Guidwood should re-elect John for yet another term as MP, he says that its all about comparing and contrasting the Liberals plans with the other parties, he uses the example of child care where the Liberals plan is “non-taxable money in your pocket” where as he says that with the NDP it is “an illusion of a daycare plan” as well as the Liberals stance on the Senate and the NDP’s minimum wage plan.
John says his proudest accomplishment over his terms as MP is his constituency office which sees about 20 people a day.
When it comes to the proposed Ontario Pension Plan, John says that a Liberal Government would support the plan and he says that ideally the Federal government could assist in administering the plan as part of an enhanced Canada Pension Plan if they could get the other provinces on board. As for the TFSA, a Liberal Government would cap the contribution limit at $5,000.
When asked about engaging with youth and the community John says that he finds youth challenging to engage, but he says that youth “don’t engage to their own detriment” because they don’t come and have their issues heard whereas the older generation does get involved. This causes an imbalance where the issues that John hears reflect more of a senior generation such as pensions and RRSP’s and he doesn’t get to hear about issues that concern youth such as Tuition and Youth Unemployment. John says “Politicians respond to who engages and if youth don’t engage its difficult to respond.”