2021-09-14

On the election homestretch — Rick Perkins

The candidates in the September 20 federal election are now on the homestretch. LighthouseNOW talked to the four who are vying for the riding of South Shore-St. Margaret's. We wanted to know what they saw as the main issues facing the riding, possible solutions, and what they personally bring to the table. We're reporting these in alphabetical order, by party name.

Here's what Conservative candidate Rick Perkins told us:

The primary issue for residents of South Shore-St. Margaret's in the election "is having a Member of Parliament that represents the views of our community, doesn't represent the views of Ottawa to our community. And that's what people are telling me at the door," said Conservative candidate Rick Perkins, who lives in Ingramport.

"They're fed up with a Member of Parliament that's not speaking on their issues, whether it's the fishery or small business taxes ... and health care of course."

Perkins told LighthouseNOW the solution for the fishery is "quite simple."

"We have over 7,000 people in this riding dependent on fishery for their living. So the job of the MP is to represent their views and the idea is that, as the Supreme Court said, everybody has to play by the same rules."

He maintained that it's up to the minister to be "the arbitrator and the regulator of the fishery." He had strong criticism toward his Liberal competitor, Bernadette Jordan, who is Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. He said she has "mismanaged" tensions between Mi'kmaw and commercial fishers in relation to the Marshall Decision.

The Marshall Decision is a landmark Supreme Court decision in Canada that affirmed First Nations' treaty right to fish, hunt and gather in pursuit of a moderate livelihood.

"The only way you're going to get anybody at the table to negotiate reasonable access for First Nations and protect ... for generations to come, the coastal communities that are fisheries, is enforce the law. If you don't enforce the law, people don't come to the table. And that's what's happening." opined Perkins.

On the health front, he commented that the Trudeau government has been in power for six years, "and they've provided meager increases of health care transfers to the provinces, of two per cent per year. They're not even keeping up with inflation. And one of the biggest challenges for all provinces in health care is that the federal government is not paying its fair share."

"I know what I hear at the door. Whether it's doctors, whether it's the issues that they're not long-term care homes, issues about the emergency rooms in Liverpool are closed and Shelburne County are closed. The issue that if you get into the South Shore Regional Hospital Emergency that you have to wait 14 hours for service. Those are the issues being caused by the fact that the federal government is not paying its fair share of health care costs in order to provide the resources for our health care system." To that end, Perkins noted that the Conservatives have pledged to invest $60 billion in health care over the next 10 years with a new 10-year agreement with the provinces.

Perkins insisted it's he who has greater and more relevant experience to be the MP for South Shore-St. Margaret's than his competitors. He noted that he's spent eight years working for ministers in Brian Mulroney's Conservative government. "I've actually been in more cabinet meetings than Bernadette's been in," he said.

"And I've spent 20-plus years after that working for companies and establishing my own small businesses. And small businesses are what everybody is on the South Shore. Whether you're a fisherman, you're a small business; whether you're working in tourism and operating a tourism operator, those are all small businesses.

"That's the lifeblood of our economy on the South Shore. So I've actually done those things," said Perkins.