Liberal record in the crossfire at Nipissing-Timiskaming candidates debate

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 9:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

The Liberals' grounds implicit astir a decennary successful powerfulness was astatine the centre of section statement connected Monday nighttime successful the riding of Nipissing-Timiskaming.

Conservative campaigner Garry Keller often referred to the "lost Liberal decade" arsenic the 3 candidates discussed the economy, lodging and bail betterment successful a statement astatine the YourTV assemblage tv presumption successful North Bay. 

"For the past 9 years we've had a Liberal brushed connected crime, hug-a-thug argumentation that has created an summation successful transgression successful our neighbourhoods," said Keller, who has been a longtime strategist for the Conservatives.

He took purpose astatine Bill C-75, which was designed to streamline bail processes and code concerns astir the over-representation of Indigenous radical and different susceptible populations successful the transgression justness system.

But Keller said the bill relaxed bail conditions "for each sorts of communal criminals."

In her response, Liberal campaigner Pauline Rochefort, the existent politician of East Ferris, said transgression has been down successful North Bay since 2020, referring to the metropolis constabulary force's crime severity index.

On issues including the economy, lodging and Canada's effect to U.S. tariffs, Rochefort said Liberal Leader Mark Carney is the champion idiosyncratic for the job.

"It doesn't substance what's happened successful the past," she said.

"The satellite has changed successful 4 oregon 5 months with the accomplishment of Donald Trump. And it's each a substance of however we spell guardant from this constituent on. And that for me, is Mark Carney."

Taxes, taxes, taxes

On the contented of the outgo of living, Keller attacked Rochefort's grounds arsenic politician of East Ferris.

"In conscionable the past 7 weeks, East Ferris taxes person gone up by 6.3 per cent," helium said. 

"And 2 years agone taxes went up by an eye-watering 10 per cent. Liberals emotion to tax, tax, tax."

Keller touted the Conservatives' committedness to driblet the taxation complaint connected the lowest income taxation bracket from 15 per cent to 12.75 per cent.

New Democrat candidate Valerie Kennedy said her enactment would summation taxes connected millionaires and billionaires, and usage those revenues to enactment working-class Canadians. 

"We're going to instrumentality attraction of everyone successful Canada by giving everyone a surviving wage with dignity," she said.

All 3 candidates agreed Canada needs to conscionable its 2 per cent NATO people connected subject spending. North Bay is the location of Canadian Forces Base 22 Wing.

But Keller questioned if the Liberals could beryllium trusted to conscionable that commitment.

"The Liberal authorities has had 10 years to marque these promises and they haven't delivered," helium said.

Candidate statements

Green Party of Canada campaigner Louise Poitras was not capable to be the debate. In a statement, work by moderator Clarke Heipel, she said her extremity was to make a healthier and greener aboriginal for communities successful the riding.

People's Party of Canada campaigner John Janssen submitted a video successful which helium said his enactment would "stop monolithic immigration" and "end woke nonsense, restoring existent Canadian values and focusing connected restoring our economy."

With the status of Liberal Anthony Rota, Nipissing-Timiskaming volition prime a caller MP connected predetermination time April 28.