Each week until the lead up of the federal election, April 28, The Expositor is posing a question to each of the six candidates running to be the next MP of Sudbury East-Manitoulin-Nickel Belt. The Expositor did not hear back from Green Party candidate Himal Hossain in time for this week’s newspaper, but will be including his response moving forward.
The question is as follows:
Nationally as we approach the April 28 election day, party leaders are focusing on several topics they feel will resonate with voters.
Chief among these are the US tariff crisis, the oft-stated threat to Canada’s sovereignty by the current US president, the cost of commodities people need to purchase to have ordinary lives in Canada, immigration concerns and the high cost of/shortage of housing.
Please take some time to rank these concerns from most relevant to least relevant in your campaign to be elected Sudbury East-Manitoulin-Nickel Belt Member of Parliament.
Please take a little more time to elaborate on the topic you ranked highest and how your party, should it form government, will deal with this important issue.
Save the date: The Expositor is hosting an all candidates’ night on Wednesday, April 16 at 6:30 pm, Manitoulin Secondary School.
Jim Bélanger
Due to complications from the ice storm, Mr. Bélanger was unable to respond by press time Monday.
Andréane Chénier
What I’m hearing at the door is how worried people are about the future because of US tariffs, Donald Trump threatening Canada’s sovereignty and the high cost of living and housing. Canada also needs fair and compassionate immigration that strengthens Canada’s economy. I think they are all connected issues. They are important and a priority for me and an NDP government.
We will never be the 51st state. An NDP government would build a more resilient Canadian economy with our Workers For Canada plan.
We would create good-paying unionized jobs. We would find new trade partners for our natural resources and responsibly expand sectors like mining, forestry, and ecotourism. We would build public infrastructure like hospitals and highways, and homes that people can afford. We would buy Canadian-made. Canadians takes care of each other. People will need the social safety net to make it through the tough times ahead and cutting jobs will add to the unemployment line. Cuts will hurt people and communities.
New Democrats would also scrap the GST from essentials like internet and cell phone bills, diapers and baby formula as well as do a working- and middle-class tax cut, saving families over $1,450 a year. The price of essential groceries would be capped to prevent price gouging.
New Democrats’ track record of delivering free dental care for three million Canadians, free birth control and diabetes medication, and protections for workers like paid sick leave and anti-scab legislation shows we fight for Northern families. In tough times, we won’t leave them behind.
Justin Leroux
Thank you so much for reaching out and including me in this process. While I am still seeking the necessary signatures for official nomination, I want to be transparent about my status. I remain confident and committed to earning the support of our community.
Before addressing the specific questions, it’s important to frame the Libertarian perspective. Libertarianism is a philosophy rooted in the belief that individual freedom, personal responsibility, and limited government create the most just and prosperous society. The Libertarian Party of Canada exists to reduce coercive state control and return power to people and communities.
For readers who may be unfamiliar with our party, I want to clarify that we are not the Liberal Party. Despite the similarity in name, our goals and vision for Canada are fundamentally different. Through our positions on key issues, these differences become clear.
Cost and Affordability
The rising cost of living—especially for essentials like food, fuel, and housing—is the most urgent issue I hear about daily. Whether it’s seniors on fixed incomes or young families trying to build a life, the struggle is real. Government-created barriers, trade wars, and outdated systems are driving up prices and punishing everyday Canadians.
As a Libertarian, I believe affordability begins with getting government out of the way. Our platform includes: Eliminating interprovincial trade barriers to allow free movement of goods and services across Canada; ending retaliatory tariffs that raise the cost of imported necessities; phasing out government-controlled supply management systems, like those in dairy and poultry, which artificially inflate prices; reducing excessive regulation that makes it harder for local producers and businesses to compete; and lowering federal taxes so families and entrepreneurs keep more of what they earn.
We have long supported these reforms—well before recent global disruptions made them headlines.
Removing dairy supply management would allow small-scale producers in Northern Ontario to enter the market, increasing supply and lowering prices for families across the North and across the nation.
Housing Affordability and Shortage
The housing crisis is a direct result of government overreach—restrictive zoning, slow permit processes, and high taxation have made housing unaffordable.
Our approach would: Reduce federal influence over housing markets, returning control to local communities; eliminate federal taxes on new construction and home sales; encourage municipalities to embrace innovative housing solutions like tiny homes, modular builds, and multi-generational housing; and make unused federal land available for residential development where it’s needed most. After all it is the people’s land.
In communities like Espanola or across Central Manitoulin, enabling modular or tiny home construction without excessive red tape would allow families and seniors to build affordably on family-owned land.
US Tariffs and Trade
The tariff situation with the United States is a symptom of a deeper issue: trade protectionism. Tariffs hurt families, small businesses and our economy at large. While we cannot control US policy, we can choose a smarter response.
Our platform calls for: Ending all Canadian tariffs on imports, especially from the US; focusing on opening domestic trade between provinces; and rejecting protectionism and embracing open markets that benefit all Canadians.
Ending tariffs on US made tools and equipment would lower costs for contractors and tradespeople as well as industry across the North.
Immigration
Libertarians support the right of peaceful individuals to migrate. However, we oppose government subsidies and programs that distort markets and place undue pressure on communities.
We advocate for: ending taxpayer-funded programs that subsidize temporary foreign worker programs; empowering provinces and municipalities to craft responsible immigration policies that reflect local needs; and ensuring immigration policy respects both newcomers and taxpayers.
By removing federal subsidies, employers would offer fair market wages, benefiting both Canadian and immigrant workers.
Sovereignty and Sovereignty for our First Nations
Canada’s independence should never be compromised by foreign influence or internal overreach. Libertarians believe that by eliminating harmful tariffs, restoring local control and reducing taxes, we can return to a truly self-sufficient nation while creating an open international trade market.
We also recognize that Indigenous sovereignty has been repeatedly undermined by paternalistic and disingenuous policies from Ottawa.
As your representative, I would: Fight to accelerate recognition of valid land claims, such as those from communities like Wiikwemkoong. Empowering communities to be more self-reliant and have more control without Ottawa interfering; support Indigenous self-governance and reduce federal interference; and advocate for meaningful respect and restitution, not just symbolic gestures.
Recognizing and returning crown land where claims are validated empowers Indigenous communities to govern, build and grow freely.
At the time of writing, my nomination is pending final confirmation with Elections Canada. I want to thank the Manitoulin Expositor for inviting me to contribute to this important conversation. I hope voters in our region will consider sending someone to Ottawa who will ask tough questions, champion your needs, and work to put more money back in your pocket—not Ottawa’s.
Our full platform will be published soon at
nickelbeltlibertarians.ca
Claude Rozon,
PPC
No Photo Availble
Chose not to respond
Marc Serré
As your Liberal candidate and long-time advocate for Northern Ontario, I believe that standing up for our region means tackling both the immediate pressures families are feeling and protecting Canada’s long-term economic interests and our sovereignty.
Here’s how I rank the national issues in order of relevance to our campaign in Sudbury East–Manitoulin–Nickel Belt: 1. The US Tariff Crisis and Canada’s Sovereignty;
2. Cost of Living/Affordability; 3. Housing Affordability and Shortage; and
4. Immigration.
Why I placed the US Tariff Crisis and Sovereignty at the top:
Our region’s economy—like so many in Northern Ontario—is directly tied to exports in mining, forestry, agriculture, and manufacturing. When protectionist rhetoric turns into real tariffs, it threatens local jobs, weakens our industries, and puts working families at risk.
Canadians are rightfully angry that despite the support and partnership Canada has consistently shown the United States, Donald Trump is once again threatening our free trading relationship and undermining Canada’s sovereignty. As your Liberal candidate, I’m committed to defending Canada’s economic independence and standing up to any policies that would put Sudbury East–Manitoulin–Nickel Belt and Northern Ontario at a disadvantage. Meeting this moment requires strong, steady leadership in Ottawa; and Mark Carney is the only leader with the experience and economic credibility to deliver it, and I stand with him.
Protecting our sovereignty means more than securing borders. It means safeguarding our economic future. That’s why I’ll always push for fair trade, smart diplomacy and investment in homegrown industries that make our riding stronger.
Looking ahead:
From affordability and housing to immigration policy and inclusive economic growth, the Liberal team has put forward responsible, forward-looking plans that support real people in real communities, especially in rural Canada and Northern Ontario. I’m ready to keep delivering results for you.
