We had a great turnout to our federal candidates meeting last night. DECA would like to thank Lindsay (Swooping Hawk) Kretschmer for her moderation of the debate, as well as the Board volunteers who worked to bring the event together under a very short timeline.
You can watch the recording on our youtube channel. Apologies for the giant timer taking up the screen! (Zoom records what it wants, not what the host has set up on the screen, we have learned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvQjBTTK3c
For a comprehensive comparison of the party platforms, we like this CBC site: https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/federal/2021/party-platforms/#section-pipelines
Our blog writer Tina Novotny has prepared this description of the candidates running:
BEACHES-EAST YORK FEDERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES
In this snap election, there is a full slate of candidates vying for the MP seat of Beaches-East York.
LIBERAL
Two-time incumbent (2015, 2019) Nathaniel Erskine-Smith goes by “Nate” in the community. Erskine-Smith lists ten priorities on his election website, detailing the bills he’s introduced and other ways he’s acted on important issues. Serious Climate Action is priority #1, and other planks in his platform cover poverty reduction, a public health approach to drug use, supporting reconciliation, and strengthening animal protection. Nate holds a Master of Laws from Oxford University. He hosts a popular podcast called “Uncommons”.
NDP
The NDP candidate in Beaches-East York is Alejandra Ruiz Vargas. Ruiz Vargas is a frontline worker at Fred Victor Housing and is Chair of the East York Chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) Canada, leading anti-poverty activism. Originally from Bogotá, Columbia, Ruiz Vargas lives with her daughter in Toronto, and promises bold action on climate change and green jobs, pharma, vision and dental care, and reforming immigration law to protect human rights.
GREEN PARTY
The Green Party candidate in Beaches-East York is Reuben DeBoer. The former Eglinton-Lawrence candidate for the Green Party in the last federal and provincial elections, De Boer has now moved to the Beaches-East York riding. He recently retired after an 11-year military career as a reservist artillery officer and currently works as for a medical laboratory diagnostics company. DeBoer holds a master’s degree in sustainability and took part in a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
COMMUNIST
The Communist Party of Canada candidate in Beaches-East York is Jennifer Moxon, who also goes by “Moxie”. Moxon has worked on the frontlines of social services for two decades and is seeking a “People’s Recovery” this election, with investment in green infrastructure, increased corporate taxation, and a focus on Indigenous rights. Moxon says the inequalities revealed by the COVID19 pandemic need to be addressed. Connecting the social and climate crises, her party’s platform prioritizes people over profit.
PEOPLE’S PARTY
The People’s Party candidate in Beaches-East York is Radu Rautescu. Rautescu was born in Romania and has been a naturalized Canadian since 1993. Rautescu vows to fight relentlessly for minimal government intervention, protecting Canadians from censorship, restoring Indigenous trust, building a strong Canadian identity, sustainable immigration and ensuring the prosperity of Canadians.