Kitchener South-Hespeler candidates discuss how to handle local opioid crisis

CBC invited candidates from the parties represented in the House of Commons for a panel discussion. Candidates for the Kitchener South-Hespeler riding were asked about climate change, the post-COVID-19 economy and how they'd have their voices heard if elected.

Green candidate Gabe Rose had to cancel his appearance in the panel due to a last-minute personal issue.

Conservative candidate Tyler Calver did not respond to the invitation to the panel.

When it comes to the opioid crisis, Suresh Arangath and Valerie Bradford agree it needs to be addressed but differ on how to do it.

"We must recognize that this is a health problem without judgment," Bradford, the Liberal candidate for Kitchener South-Hespeler, said during a panel discussion with CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

Bradford said her party is pledging $25 million into public education to reduce stigma around addictions as well as $550 million to support provinces and territories to provide more access to treatment. The way drug addiction is dealt with in the courts would also need to change, she says.

"This is a complex issues and we need to work together as a community,"

Arangath, the NDP candidate, said the opioid crisis is not a health issue but a social one.

"It's very sad to see that people are dying of drug overdoses all over Canada and particularly in our region," he said, noting the way the country responded to COVID-19 is how it should be reacting to the opioid crisis.

Different approaches

The riding straddles Kitchener and part of Cambridge and the two cities have handled the opioid crisis differently. The region opened a consumption and treatment site in Kitchener after city council voted in favour of doing so. Cambridge city council has hesitated to open a similar site in that city and has voted to keep the site out of the downtown cores.

Arangath says the consumption and treatment sites help save lives, but it's not the only solution. Creating more spaces for rehabilitation and decriminalizing possession are also important.

Green party candidate Gabe Rose was unable to attend the panel due to a last-minute personal matter, but the party says on its website that drug addiction should be treated "as a public health issue, not a felony."

The party also calls for rules to "regulate the distribution of pharmaceuticals prescribed by doctors to track and prevent dangerous levels of over-medication and prevent opioid addiction."

Conservative candidate Tyler Calver did not respond to a request to be part of the CBC K-W panel.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole announced a plan in August to spend $325 million over three year to add 1,000 residential drug treatment beds and build 50 recovery community centres across the country.

O'Toole said if he becomes prime minister, he would "treat the opioid epidemic as the urgent health crisis that it is."

8 candidates in race

Melissa Baumgaertner, the People's Party of Canada candidate, does not appear to address the opioid crisis on her website or social media, but the party says it would make provinces "fully responsible for health care funding and management."

Elaine Baetz is the candidate for the Marxist-Leninist Party, which does not appear to have a stance on the opioid crisis.

C.A. Morrison is an independent candidate. She has not addressed the opioid crisis directly on her website, but said in an interview that when it comes to health care, "I very much am in favour of self healing, natural healing and faith healing, which is always our ability to heal ourselves and to have control over our bodies."

Stephen Davis is the candidate for the satirical party, the Rhinoceros Party, which jokes all issues are their number one priorities.

"I chose the Rhino Party for a few reasons and one of the reasons, obviously, is it represents the humour in our electoral process," Davis said in an interview with CBC K-W.

"I think sometimes we all get a little too engrossed in what party we support or, you know, who we think should win. So it's refreshing."

He describes himself as the "none of the above" candidate.

The candidates in Kitchener South-Hespeler are (in alphabetical order by last name):

• Suresh Arangath, NDP candidate.
• Elaine Baetz,Marxist-Leninist candidate.
• Melissa Baumgaertner, People's Party of Canada candidate.
• Valerie Bradford, Liberal candidate.
• Tyler Calver, Conservative candidate.
• Stephen Davis,Rhinoceros Party candidate.
• C.A. Morrison, independent candidate.
• Gabe Rose, Green Party of Canada candidate.

Voters go to the polls on Sept. 20.

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