Barrie Candidate Debate Highlights Stark Choices Ahead of Federal Election

With just two days left before Canadians head to the polls, Barrie residents packed Grace United Church for a candidate debate in the Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte (BSOM) riding. Moderated by Martin Rochon, a part-time professor at Saint Paul University, the debate drew significant community interest, featuring candidates from the four major parties.

Incumbent Conservative MP Doug Shipley, Liberal candidate Rose Zacharias, Green Party candidate Greg Taylor, and Communist Party representative Michael Speers participated, debating key issues like healthcare, housing, the future of CBC, and U.S. tariffs under Donald Trump.

Seeking re-election, Shipley emphasized his 15 years of public service and the economic pressures facing families. He outlined Conservative plans to increase housing supply by lowering development taxes, incentivizing homebuilders, repealing the consumer carbon tax, and expanding liquefied natural gas exports.

Speers framed the election as a battle between corporate interests and a people’s agenda, calling for nationalized housing development, expanded healthcare (including mental health and dental coverage), and strict environmental regulation. He also advocated for proportional representation and restoring CBC funding to ensure media independence.

Zacharias, a family physician, positioned herself as a candidate of trust and professionalism. She highlighted Liberal plans to defend public healthcare under the Canada Health Act, invest in clean energy transitions, unlock federal lands for housing, eliminate GST on rental construction, and bolster Canada’s economic resilience against U.S. protectionism.

Taylor urged voters to demand systemic change, championing proportional representation and sustainability. He proposed recognizing housing as a human right, implementing guaranteed livable incomes, and accelerating the transition to renewable energy without building new pipelines or expanding oil development. He also warned against increasing political polarization, drawing comparisons to trends in the U.S.

On healthcare, all candidates agreed on the importance of upholding the Canada Health Act but differed in their approaches. Taylor and Speers supported expanded public healthcare services, including pharmacare and mental health. Zacharias emphasized stricter federal accountability measures for provinces, while Shipley proposed reforms to expedite licensing for foreign-trained medical professionals and reaffirmed support for abortion rights.

Discussing national unity and polarization, candidates largely agreed on the need for stronger civic education, media protections, and regional cooperation. Taylor and Speers pushed for a proportional voting system, while Shipley stressed combating disinformation and foreign interference through strong leadership.

On environmental policy, candidates recognized the growing impact of climate disasters. Taylor and Speers advocated for aggressive action to phase out fossil fuels. Zacharias promoted the Liberal plan to achieve net-zero electricity by 2035, while Shipley criticized carbon taxes and emphasized technology-driven solutions without new taxes on consumers.