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PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS The issues, the answers and the rhmo By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff The issues and the can- didates were in fighting form last week as a crowd of about 200 people attended the Whitby Jaycee spon- sored all candidates meeting. Al six candidates seeking election to the Ontario Riding seat of the House of Commons were present to present their party's view. Geoff Rison, the NDP candidate told the attentive and sometimes heckling crowd that the issues of this election were leadership, energy and the budget. Rison sang the praises of NDP leader and Oshawa MP Ed Broadbent saying that "we of the NDP have no worries with Ed Broad- bent....he is unchallenged as the leader of the party." The Dunbarton High School geography teacher said that Broadbent was a great Canadian and deser- ved their support for prime minister and said that this election was necessary because the Tories were responsible for bad management. "Any election is necessary when there is bad management," Rison said. He went to great lengths to say the election was necessary, that the Progressive Conservative governiment of Prime Minister Joe Clark had to go and that the NDP had the guts to make them go, although he did give some credit to the liberals for their efforts. "The budget was regressive," Rison said. "The poor and middle in- come earner had to bear the brunt of the budget." The Progressive Conser- vative incumbent MP Scott Fennell told his audience that the election was called because the Liberals and the NDP were afraid that the government might become effective in handling the economy. "The opposition was terrified that if we were to govern any longer we would show the mismanagement of the last 11years," he said. Fennell defended the budget saying that it would provide for senior citizens and poor income earners. Fennell defended the budget saying that it would provide for senior citizens and poor income earners. He said that widows would receive 50 per cent of their deceased spouse's pension in addition to their own half. The increased energy ex- cise tax was something the "country must accept to reach self-sufficiency," he said. "We have a committment to this country to govern responsibly," Fennell said adding that the opposition did not wauit or accept that committment. An apology on behalf of the Progressive Conser- vatives and the Liberals for this election was given by Rolf Posma, the Libertarian Party candidate. Posma said that neither party had not solved the major problems of "run- away government and heavy taxation." He said that the different parties stressed different kinds of taxes for different reasons. "The Progressive Conser- vatives," he said, "say that the consumer should be taxed so business can sur- vive. "The NDP say that business should be taxed so the poor can survive; and, "The Liberals say that everyone should be taxed so Ottawa can survive." Posma said that the elec- tion was unnecessary and wondered whether the people control Ottawa or does Ottawa control the people. He claimed that the other parties had failed as gover- nments because they did not cut either taxes or spending and the "size of government remained unscathed." The problems of Canadian society stem from the "dying system" of capitalism according to Marxist-Leninist Party can- didate Dawn Carrell. Carrell said that both Prime Minister Joe Clark and Liberal leader Pierre Trudeau serve only the rich and claimed the NDP "was notorious as a two faced par- ty." The 32 year old Peter- borough resident claimed that the major parties all had plans to "make the people pay for the crisis of our society." She went on to say that while business profits steadily increased, wages and services (especially health care and education) were down. Liberal party candidate Doug Dickerson started his presentation by congratulating Canada's Ambassador to Iran, Ken- neth Taylor for his efforts on behalf of six American diplomats who had not been captured by Muslim studen- ts. Dickerson said that he was proud to be a Canadian and said that the incident proved Canada's good stature in the international community. For the remainder of his speech he devoted himself to the problems of small business and promised a re- vamping of the Federal BUSINESS Development Bank. He said that this measure is necessary to introduce a "revitalization of small business, especially in the downtown cores of Whitby and Uxbridge." He said that the present interest rates cripple small business and that the Liberals would provide for loans to these companies at four per cent below the prime rate. "If elected, I promise not to serve," was the message of Rhinoceros Party can- didate Jean-Claude Stranart. He said that the Rhinos take the established parties' platforms, exaggerate them, not for fun but to prove to them that they, at times, look ridiculous. "Something is wrong with our politics," Stranart said. "I'm not running for of- fice," he said. "The exercise would kill me." Instead, he plans to jog his way to the House of Com- mons. The Rhinos also have a strong position, on energy self-sufficiency he said. We can achieve energy self-sufficiency by declaring it illegal to move in any direction." Stranart said. The streets are for the people. Exercise your righis. Wak a block a day. Rolf Posma