Trinity-Spadina byelection candidates debate on Rogers TV

Voters in the riding of Trinity-Spadina got a good look at the candidates vying to represent them in the House of Commons during a televised debate on Rogers TV on Wednesday night.

Joe Cressy (NDP); Camille Labchuk (Green Party); and Adam Vaughan (Liberal) participated in the debate.

Three other candidates — Benjamin Sharma (Conservative Party of Canada); Linda Groce-Gibbons (Christian Heritage Party of Canada); and John Turmel (Independent) — were not scheduled to appear.

Cressy, Vaughan and Labchuk went head-to-head on a number of issues, including proposed jets at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport, which they all want to prevent.

Cressy thinks the way to stop planes is to get rid of the Toronto Port Authority. He also doesn’t think the TPA should have a role in deciding what happens around the island airport.

“The [Toronto Port Authority] was created against the wishes of the City of Toronto in 1999. We need to dissolve [it] and give control of the port and the airport back to the City of Toronto,” he said.

“That is the most irresponsible statement you can possibly make,” Vaughan said.

“You used to be opposed to the TPA and now you support it,” Cressy interjected.

“I was opposed to its creation, and the reason you need it is because I’ve been working at council and if you surrender the airport and the waterfront to the will of council, there are not the votes there to protect the waterfront,” Vaughan replied.

Journalist Dale Goldhawk moderated.

The byelection will be held on June 30. The turnout will be watched very closely because the vote is taking place in the middle of the first long holiday weekend of the summer.

The Scarborough-Agincourt riding will also have a byelection that day. For details on replay airtimes for the Rogers TV debate for that riding visit: rogerstv.com/LocalCampaign

Go to the Elections Canada website for more details on the byelection.

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