Windsor–Tecumseh candidates address your concerns on climate change, reconciliation and collaboration
CBC Windsor set up an informal online survey asking the community about its priorities
In the lead-up to the federal election, CBC Windsor asked about the issues that matter as you consider which candidate to support. Now, we've taken your concerns to those seeking your vote.
In the videos below, participating candidates in Windsor–Tecumseh shared their views on three distinct issues: political collaboration, climate change and Indigenous reconciliation.
The questions are based on what you told us through an informal online survey that was posted on our website earlier this month.
NOTE: For this project, CBC Windsor extended invites to candidates from parties that received five per cent of the vote or more in the last federal election. The Conservative candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh, Kathy Borrelli, declined to participate.
Not a Windsor–Tecumseh resident? Check out our interviews with candidates in Windsor West and Essex.
Here's what the participating candidates had to say in response to the questions:
Ivanka from Windsor says she wishes there was more honesty and less negativity among political officials in this election. If elected, what is your plan to work with other parties, if at all, to ensure the benefit of voters — even those who may not have elected you?
Cheryl Hardcastle said she is committed to working with other parties. She made reference to her work collaborating across the aisle when serving on Parliamentary committees when she was the MP for Windsor–Tecumseh from 2015 to 2019.
"No matter what happens, you when you are elected, you serve everyone. You serve all people. And when you keep that in mind, it truly is easier to work collaboratively," she said.
Incumbent Liberal candidate Irek Kusmierczyk pointed to his past role on Windsor city council, along with his experience as an MP in helping secure federal support for the region.
"When you take out someone's garbage or you fix someone's road, whether you're orange, blue or red has nothing to do with it," he said.
"Residents just expect you to get things done, and so that's been my mindset as a member of Parliament, working with all parties, working together with all residents to get things done for this community."
Voter Barbara says she wants an MP who thinks a climate change plan is important. What's one thing you're doing in your personal life to reduce your carbon footprint?
Hardcastle said she puts an environmental lens on everything she does, and mentioned activities such as recycling, composting and replacing her lawn with native plants.
"I learned about a lot of things to do to reduce my carbon footprint ... when I was on the regional Essex County conservation authority, and when I sat on the Windsor-Essex waste management committee," she said.
Kusmierczyk said he tries as much as possible to take the train as opposed to flying to Ottawa.
"It allows me to do a lot of work and talk to constituents and connect with constituents while I'm on the train but part of it is to reduce the [carbon] footprint as well," he said.
He also said he is advocating to bring battery electric vehicle manufacturing to the region.
Voter Pascal says he's most concerned about Indigenous reconciliation in this election. If elected, how do you plan to improve reconciliation efforts in our area?
One of the ways is to ensure that local Indigenous communities are recognized and included, Hardcastle said. She said that action necessary is outlined in the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
"We have to be able to work in partnership," she said. "And when we say nation-to-nation relationships, that means that you are actually consulting and arriving at and envisioning decisions that can be made locally to make a difference in our communities, not coming to them and saying, 'Here's our plan, is this OK with you?'"
Kusmierczyk pointed to education, and said that the first assignment he gave the Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal Youth Council was to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.
"I think it's very important not only to look to government to help us with the path to reconciliation," he said. "I think we have to look at ourselves here, and all of us have to chip in as individuals in whatever way we can. And so I've really tried to do that through our youth council. More work needs to be done and it's something we're absolutely committed to doing here," he said.
A look at Windsor–Tecumseh
The following candidates are running in Windsor–Tecumseh in the 2021 election:
- Liberal: Irek Kusmierczyk (incumbent).
- NDP: Cheryl Hardcastle.
- Conservative: Kathy Borrelli.
- People's Party of Canada: Victor Green.
- Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada: Laura Chesnik.
- Green Party: Henry Oulevey.
Windsor–Tecumseh has a population of 117,429 as of the 2016 census, and there are 95,668 registered voters.
In the last federal election, Kusmierczyk, who was then a Windsor city councillor, defeated NDP incumbent Hardcastle.
Windsor–Tecumseh was created in 2004 from the riding known as Windsor–St. Clair. At the time the riding was created and up until 2015, it was represented by the NDP's Joe Comartin, who was first elected in 2000.