SYDNEY, N.S. — The Cape Breton Post recently took to the streets and talked to local voters about the Oct. 21 federal election. Visit www.capebretonpost.com to watch a video of their responses. This week we asked: What is a big issue for you in this election?
Carlee Stoyanovich
COMMUNITY: Amherstburg, Ont.
DO YOU VOTE? “No. I have never voted. (Why?) I’m in medical school and don’t have a lot of time and, truthfully, don’t even know where the process starts, unfortunately. Ignorance probably.”
“It probably seems ludicrous to say anything, given I’m not voting, but a big priority, what should be on everyone’s agenda, is the climate change issue. I don’t see why it’s worth it to have a government that’s going to care about health-care policies, or budgeting, or things like that when we have a planet that’s not really sustainable. If there’s not a high emphasis on climate change, the rest of the things fall by the wayside — we might not even have a planet in 20 years to worry about taxes.”
Lloyd MacPherson
COMMUNITY: Alder Point
DO YOU VOTE? “I voted for the first time in an election in 2019. I hadn’t voted prior to that since 1995 when I voted in Quebec’s referendum.”
“Cape Breton’s autonomy. That’s probably our biggest issue that’s at the table right now and how it affects different areas like health care, equalization, constitutional claims and also the environment.”
David Meuse
COMMUNITY: Membertou (originally from Sipekne'katik First Nation)
DO YOU VOTE? “Yes, I do.”
“I would say there’s not enough doctors. They should get more into health care. They have to send people off the island to go get care. You know, I see cancer patients trying to travel. Dialysis people have to travel off the island where they should have that health care set up her on the island.”
Patrick Doyle
COMMUNITY: Sydney
DO YOU VOTE? “I absolutely vote. If we’re going to sit around and complain about anything here in Cape Breton, if you don’t get out and vote, you’re really losing your right to complain, in my opinion.”
“The big issue for me this year is survival the survival of Cape Breton Island. We have had a partisan system every year after year in Cape Breton and in Nova Scotia and Canada, and we are a dying island, and if we don’t do something very soon, and take some risks, we may be around in 10-12 years, and my goal in life is to leave something for my kids to have the opportunity to live in Cape Breton, if they so choose when they get older.”
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