Debate about the economy dominated an early morning breakfast forum between federal candidates on Wednesday (Oct. 16).
Eleven of the 13 local candidates from Kelowna-Lake Country and Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola were present at the event.
READ MORE: Meet your Kelowna-Lake Country candidates
READ MORE: Meet your Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola candidates
A question regarding the mortgage stress test, a financial bar home buyers must pass to be approved for a mortgage, had two candidates in a back-and-forth argument.
Liberal candidate for Kelowna-Lake Country Stephen Fuhr said his party has no plans to eliminate the test.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e trying to help people get into homes; we乌鸦传媒檙e not trying to get Canadians access to homes they can乌鸦传媒檛 afford,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒淲e have done a number of things to help Canadians get into houses 乌鸦传媒� more than I have time to explain. The bottom line is: these policies are to help people keep more of their own money.乌鸦传媒�
Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola乌鸦传媒檚 Conservative candidate Dan Albas countered, saying the stress test is causing snags in the system that hinder the real estate market as a whole.
乌鸦传媒淲hen you have a family that乌鸦传媒檚 stuck in a rental in an apartment, where they乌鸦传媒檙e paying more in rent than they would in a starter home, there乌鸦传媒檚 a problem,乌鸦传媒� said Albas.
Albas continued, saying this results in an issue that causes the 乌鸦传媒渨hole market to freeze,乌鸦传媒� where families that should be in starter homes can乌鸦传媒檛 afford to move up due to the stress test and those homes remain unsold.
Fuhr retorted, calling the economy the most significant component affecting the real estate market in the Okanagan. He said under Conservative governments, the economy was 乌鸦传媒渇latter than a pancake乌鸦传媒� from 2008 through 2015 乌鸦传媒� years after the recession ended.
乌鸦传媒淭hese guys couldn乌鸦传媒檛 grow the economy,乌鸦传媒� he said, motioning towards Albas.
乌鸦传媒淭hey can乌鸦传媒檛. And now, they are going to pull $53 billion out of the economy. Who can grow the economy? Who can乌鸦传媒檛? That乌鸦传媒檚 the biggest single factor that will affect this problem.乌鸦传媒�
Candidates for the two front-running parties again found themselves at odds against while discussing their respective platforms about the budget.
乌鸦传媒淲e can乌鸦传媒檛 spend more than what we have,乌鸦传媒� said Kelowna-Lake Country Conservative candidate Tracy Gray, adding that her party will get back to balanced budgets within five years.
Gray said that involves cuts, not around core services, but instead cutting frivolous spending on unnecessary projects. As an example, Gray said a Conservative government wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 send money to China to help them build roads.
Fuhr was quick to discredit the Conservative Party乌鸦传媒檚 fiscal efforts saying 16 of the last 18 Conservative budgets were deficits.
Deficit spending is required, according to Fuhr, due to the ever-progressing technologies that bring new challenges to the economy.
乌鸦传媒淒igital economy, artificial intelligence, automation 乌鸦传媒� we乌鸦传媒檝e got to make sure we乌鸦传媒檙e prepared for that. That requires investment. I would say we can乌鸦传媒檛 afford not to invest in those things,乌鸦传媒� he said.
Fuhr said to look at Ontario乌鸦传媒檚 spending cuts under its provincial Conservative government, as much of the same should be expected under the federal Conservatives.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 exactly what you乌鸦传媒檒l get from a Scheer government if they get hold of Canada,乌鸦传媒� Fuhr said.
Gray said Ontario乌鸦传媒檚 situation was caused by irresponsible Liberal governments, saying that Conservatives needed to 乌鸦传媒渇ix the house.乌鸦传媒�
michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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