Elections
Hamilton has a lot of available office space in the downtown. Will you move any departments to Hamilton to boost the local economy and save on rent costs? Why or why not?
Responses to the question: "Hamilton has a lot of available office space in the downtown. Will you move any departments to Hamilton to boost the local economy and save on rent costs? Why or why not?"
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5 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Erik Coverdale | Maybe | The Green Party believes in encouraging the development of a green economy. We can only achieve this future by unleashing and nurturing the creativity and innovation of our entrepreneurs and workers to build strong local economies. The Green Party believes that the best way to boost the local economy is to:
a) Lower income taxes on families and local businesses to stimulate job creation b) Reward efficient use of resources and responsibly balance our finances with a revenue neutral tax on waste, pollution and carbon emissions c) Balance the budget by 2015, saving billions in debt and ensuring our tax dollars are spent on public services instead of interest payments d) Support entrepreneurs, innovation and strong local economies e) Reduce red tape for small and medium-sized businesses so they continue to create jobs that support our communities f) Support research and development in jobs that will power our economy in the coming decades, including clean technology and knowledge-based services g) Improve high-speed internet access for all areas of Ontario |
| Glenn Langton | No | Libertarians believe in smaller government therefore there would be lees government office space required, so no we would not move any provincial offices to Hamilton. It's entirely up to the city and politicians of Hamilton to create the market environment for private business to move in to these office spaces and boost the local economy, government jobs / stimulus are simply more obligations the taxpayers and businesses are forced to fulfill through taxation, this does not create a better economy, it creates an unfavourable business and living environment which chases the real wealth creators away. |
| Robert Maton | Maybe | I think the issue here is only in part moving government departments - some of these could certainly be considered for movement to Hamilton if their location in Toronto is not important. But government departments do not generate much economic activity. Economic growth comes from a dynamic and entrepreneurial private sector, and primarily the small and medium business sector. We need a dynamic entrepreneurial network in Hamilton which develops ideas and inter-business linkages. We especially need to encourage the movement of manufacturing, technological, financial and educational industries to Hamilton.
Toronto cannot manage its current growth and is gridlocked for most of the day. Development and improvement of transportation corridors between Toronto, Hamilton, and the US border - and including the Hamilton airport - are critical to the future development of Hamilton's economy. A great opportunity exists to take the pressure off Toronto by developing new industrial sites and transportation corridors in the Hamilton region. Industry needs access to transportation linkages, and will develop where these are available. |
| Ted McMeekin | Maybe | We have worked in partnership with the City of Hamilton since 2003 to ensure Hamilton's continued economic growth and prosperity. Since 2003 we have provided recurring, special one-time operating grants and have supported Hamilton-based projects such as Hamilton Health Sciences Centre, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University's new Wilson Building for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences.
More recently, we have partnered with Hamilton to provide funding in support of the Pan/Parapan American Games sporting infrastructure including for the Pan Am Hamilton Soccer Stadium (Ivor Wynne Stadium) and the Hamilton Velodrome. Ontario Liberals recently announced that we will be providing two-way full-day GO train service to a new Hamilton GO train station at James Street North in time for the Pan Am Games. We will also construct a second new GO train station in Stoney Creek at Confederation/Centennial Parkway by 2016-17. At this time, we have no plans to relocate any Government of Ontario offices to Hamilton. However, Ontario Liberals are always open to hearing ideas that will support Hamilton and help save taxpayer dollars. |
| Trevor Westerhoff | Maybe | If elected, we would review department locations and how we can help boost Hamilton's local economy. New Democrats recognize that the current tax system is stacked against small business, which employs thousands of Ontarians and makes a significant contribution to our economy. Ontario's NDP will reduce the small business tax rate to 4 per cent in order to support these vital businesses. We'll also take the HST off essentials like heating and hydro to ease the squeeze on small business operations. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 0 | 0.0% |
| No | 1 | 20.0% |
| Maybe | 4 | 80.0% |
3 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale | ||
|---|---|---|
| Donna Skelly | ||
| Peter Melanson | ||
| Rick Gundermann | ||
