Winnipeg South Centre candidates point to biggest issues

Local business owners will meet with federal election candidates from Winnipeg South Centre on Wednesday.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce set up the meetings as part of a plan to have election hopefuls meet with business leaders from across the city before the Oct. 19federal election. They're calling it "Candi-dating."

On Wednesday, it was all about Winnipeg South Centre.

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CBC caught up with the four politicians running in the riding beforetheir "speed dates" with business owners and asked, "What is the single greatest hyper-localissue you are hearing as you attempt to woo the voters?"

Joyce Bateman (Conservatives) Waverley Underpass

"The hyper-local issue I've heard of constantly is the Waverley underpass, and we've got that job done now because that mattered incredibly. Because it was taking a lot of family time away, and it was taking real money away from businesses in the community ... So, I am very thrilled to bepart of making that happen."

Jim Carr (Liberals) Desire for change

"I think the hyper-local issue is the same one that is in every constituency across the country, and that's a real desire for change. And we have to convince the voters of Winnipeg South Centre, as we do across the country, that this is the best vote and here's why it's the best vote, and then to try and engage the voter around those issues that matter to them. And if we are on the same page, and we can be persuasive, it's a terrific vote. If not, that's what democracy is all aboutwe are not going to get them all."

Matt Henderson (NDP) Muzzling scientists

"The big one is evidence. Bring back the long-form census. Stop muzzling scientists. Stop muzzling social scientists. Stop closing down archives and museums. That's the biggest one where I've gone 'Whoa.'But then when I thought about it, I thought, that's the one that permeates every single silo of issue whether it's health care, whether it's the environment, we need to use sound evidence and use scientists and use experts to be able to make good legislation and good decisions. So that, I would say seven out of 10 houses I meet, that's the number 1 issue."

Andrew Park (Green Party) No number 1 issue

"You know, there is no number 1 issue. If I knock on the door of a mom, inevitably child care comes up and early childhood education, because that is obviously top-of-mind in that moment. Health care comes up quite a bit, and inevitably, when they hear I am a Green candidate, environment and climate change come up. But most of the issues[are] the sort of day-to-day issues that Canadians have to deal with in their working lives or in their private lives."