ABOUT THE CANDIDATE
Age: 58
Have you held office in past? If so, please specify: John Aldag was Member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City from the 2015 federal election until his defeat in the 2019 Canadian federal election.
Bio: I’m a proud husband and father of three who grew up on the Prairies.
For 32 years, I led parks and historic sites across Canada. I had the privilege of experiencing Canada’s diverse history, breathtaking geography and rich culture.
In 2005, I chose the place closest to my heart – our community – to call home, and raise a family.
In 2012, the Harper Conservatives’ cuts to public services forced me to lay off scientists and researchers, putting the Canada I knew at risk.
My passion for our environment, history, and public service led me to become your MP in 2015. I secured federal support for families, seniors, local businesses and new Canadians to ensure everyone had an equal chance at success.
Let’s get Cloverdale-Langley City back on track.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnAldagLPC Candidate Langley-Aldergrove
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jwaldag?s=20
Website: https://johnaldag.ca
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzbfDXht2vxt0gYwpS48lOw
Instagram: @johnaldag
Email: info@johnaldag.ca
Telephone : 604-774-3484
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ELECTION QUESTIONS:
Each candidate for the Sept. 20, 2021 federal election has been provided with these five (5) questions, along with the following instructions.
To help voters make their choice on election day, the Langley Advance Times is asking local candidates a series of questions on issues of importance.
Each question MUST be answered: yes (Y), no (N), or (D) Don’t Know. This is not meant to make things difficult. But reality is that if you’re in the House you’d have to vote yes, no, or abstain. The bonus is that each candidate can expand on ANY or ALL of our questions with answers of up to 200 words each that will appear online.
Please note, that due to space limitations, only one of your answers will be included in the print edition of the Langley Advance Times on Sept. 16. You get to pick which one. So, you must CLEARLY indicate which expanded answer you want to see published in print. If you don’t specify, we will choose.
1. Would you support a federal vehicle tax based on CO2 emissions?
Aldag: “No.
Instead of punishing drivers, our Liberal government is already making it easier to own an electric vehicle.
The Liberal government is currently providing a rebate up to $5,000 to Canadians who purchase an electric vehicle while investing in new charging stations across the country.
In 2008, British Columbia instituted a price on carbon pollution and in 2016 the Liberal government brought other provinces such as Alberta in line with British Columbia’s approach.
This price applies equally to all emissions so that the free market will determine the most efficient ways for our economy to reduce emissions.
Furthermore, a re-elected Liberal government will level the playing field for our local industries by applying a border carbon adjustment on imports from countries that aren’t doing their part to reduce carbon pollution.
When it comes to climate change, governments need to work with Canada’s industrial sectors to responsibly transition to a green economy.
The Liberal Plan does exactly that, which is why it is supported by experts including former BC Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver and energy economist Marc Jaccard.
We can’t afford to attack industry like the NDP suggests, nor can we ignore the problem as my Conservative opponent suggests.”
2. Does your party have a plan to fill the many staff vacancies in the RCMP?
Aldag: “Yes.
Liberals support strong public service and will ensure the RCMP has the resources needed to keep our communities secure. It was the Harper Conservative cuts to public services – including the RCMP – that motivated me to run for office in 2015. History shows us that Conservative governments will always cut RCMP funding, cut military budgets, cut support for veterans, and cut the services we all rely on just so that they can lower taxes for the rich.
In addition to our Liberal government’s consistent support for a strong public service, including RCMP staff, the Liberal Party Platform commits to providing the RCMP with needed resources to secure our borders, investigate complex financial crimes and counter foreign activities. Our platform also commits to working with the provinces, territories, and municipalities that choose to contract RCMP services to make the service better connected to community social support workers.”
3. Would you support the federal government cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to fight climate change?
Aldag: “No. The Liberal Party of Canada is the only party with a plan to fight climate change and transition to net zero emissions while growing the economy. Our plan has been endorsed by numerous experts including former BC Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver and energy economist Marc Jaccard. Our plan fully accounts for all potential emissions from the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. We will meet our climate targets and transition to net zero by 2050.
The Liberal government has already invested over $100 billion in infrastructure and new technology to drive our transition to a clean economy. We’ve put a price on pollution, mandated 100% of new vehicle sales to be zero emissions by 2035, and set Canada’s first legally binding 5-year targets to reach net-zero by 2050. With our new plan we will work directly with the oil and gas sector to transition them to net-zero by 2050, protect old growth forests and continue investing in a net zero economy – with clean jobs in all sectors.”
4. Should Ottawa provide cash incentives to parents for fully vaccinating children, including vaccination against COVID, flu, measles, etc.?
Aldag: “No.
Do the right thing and vaccinate your kids.
Vaccination is our best line of defence against COVID-19 and variants of concern. It not only protects those who are vaccinated but protects those who can’t get vaccinated, like young children. That is why the Liberal government worked tirelessly to secure enough doses for every Canadian citizen, securing our supply well in advance of our initial target. And it is why we support provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities in rolling out one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the world.
A re-elected Liberal government would introduce a fund to support provinces and territories that implement a requirement for proof of vaccine credentials in their jurisdiction for non-essential businesses and public spaces. We will also table legislation to ensure that every business and organization that decides to require a proof of vaccination from employees and customers can do so without fear of a legal challenge.”
5. Given our inability to make vaccines at the start of the pandemic, should Ottawa double its investment in research, science, and tech startups?
Aldag: “Yes.
Conservative cuts resulted in the dismantling of Canada’s vaccine research and production capacity.
Earlier this year our Liberal government pledged more than $1 billion in support of a national medical research strategy to fight COVID-19 that includes vaccine development, the production of treatments, and tracking of the virus. This new funding builds on the $275 million investment for coronavirus research and medical countermeasures announced in March.
Further investments earlier this year in domestic bio-manufacturing will increase vaccine production capacity at multiple facilities across Canada including a $175.6 million investment in AbCellera Biologics, a Canadian biotechnology company based in Vancouver.
There’s still more to be done and a re-elected Liberal government will continue to strongly support Canada’s investment in research, science, and tech startups.”
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Is there more to the story? Email: news@langleyadvancetimes.com
