Clarke vs Houston: Things to Watch at Tonight's Debate in Sydney

Tonight, Cecil Clarke, Tim Houston and three other PC leadership candidates face off in a debate at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion in Sydney (7 to 9 pm). Although reserved tickets are gone, they are letting more people in at the door. Otherwise, you can check out the live stream via Facebook.

Debate - Part I
Debate - Part II


Here are some things to watch out for...


Equalization Discussion or Avoidance?

Tim Houston has pledged to double the provincial Equalization transfer. That means approximately $15 Million more for the CBRM to spend as we choose. Cecil Clarke who has always opposed us getting more in Equalization has pledged to eliminate it all together and give the province back more control over how funds are spent in the CBRM.

However, the big question is whether the debate organizers will address Equalization at all. It's the most politically active topic in the CBRM right now fully on par with our healthcare challenges.

The problem is that the PCs like hammering the Liberals over healthcare. It's easy to do. However, with the exception of Tim Houston, there has been no champion for Equalization or getting much-needed funding to our province's qualifying municipalities. The CBRM is the municipality most adversely affected.

Debate Avoidance
If there isn't a dedicated question from the moderators regarding Equalization, you can take that as a strong signal that the PC party is not listening to local concerns, and you should keep that in mind at the ballot box during the next provincial election. If they don't pledge to give us what we want, we don't give them what they want: our votes.

Clarke Avoidance
Clarke has a particular speaking style of welding together jargon and unfinished sentences. When he does this along with his more animated debate style that channels his inner-Alfie MacLeod, it's easy for people to overlook the fact that they're not getting a clear answer. The big question tonight is whether Clarke will be able to avoid his commitment to getting rid of our Equalization transfer payment (what is he thinking?), or if he'll awkwardly attempt to convince us that the province should have more control over our financial resources and what we get to spend them on. For those who don't understand the challenges of waiting on the province, this is your official reminder that over 6 years as mayor a simple project like the second berth isn't done, is way over schedule after it was announced a done deal, and is at least $4.75 Million over-budget. Clearly, we need the cash in our accounts to take action on our needs. If you don't believe me, take another look at your last tax bill.

Houston Leadership or Avoidance?
Right in Clarke's own municipality, ironically, this debate should be a near slam dunk for Tim Houston. If Equalization isn't a dedicated question, Houston doesn't get the benefit of the doubt on Equalization. He absolutely has to include it as the key component of any answers about economic development and municipal needs. If he doesn't, that is as good as his commitment not existing at all. Though it's yet to have shown up on his website, tonight we'll find out if he's going to be the champion of the best PC offer for Equalization to help the CBRM, or if he's distancing himself from that commitment. If he does, he'll demonstrate he's the best candidate for the CBRM. If he doesn't, Clarke can't be our back up plan, so start getting to know who Julie Chiasson is. My expectation is that Houston will reaffirm his commitment to doubling our Equalization payment.

Not-so-bold ideas proclaimed as bold ideas
There is more to a bold idea than just proclaiming that it is. Politics is a tricky business. Clarke's campaign manager is a guy who loves US politics and was the first to introduce an American-style campaign tactic into the mix. So expect Clarke to be well-practiced on proclaiming anything he thinks you might want to hear. Everything except... for some unimaginable reason... more Equalization funding to the cash-starved CBRM.

Perhaps the only campaign item that classifies as bold is Houston's commitment to eliminate income tax on salaries under $50,000 for those 25 years and under. The goal is to stop the outmigration of our youth as they exit university and begin their careers elsewhere. This can shift the balance and keep our graduates home. While some balk at it being for new graduates and those just starting their career only, if the economic strategy works, we'll all benefit by the boost it gives to our economy. Any tax dollars saved are going to be invested directly back into our provincial economy, and this has the potential to really combat our outmigration challenges.

Healthcare as a hot topic
Healthcare is the hot topic that lets the PCs beat up on the Liberal government. However, the problem is that beating up on the Liberals isn't a solution to healthcare. We all have concerns about healthcare. What we need to hear is what the solutions they present are going to be. We have to hold them to higher standards. Tim Houston has, thus far, offered the most compelling observation. He wants to tackle chronic illness and expand the INSPIRE model. He points out a compelling example of a woman who had to be hospitalized at great expense because her home wasn't equipped for her to return to, and yet the cost of actually upgrading her home to accommodate her would have been just a small fraction of the expense of keeping her unnecessarily in a hospital. He doesn't think our current spending in health care is a wise investment and thinks we have options to fix it without costs growing out of control.


Don't give candidates credit for sharing your outrage about the state of our provincial health care. Most of the province does that. To stand out, they need to offer solutions that you believe will actually help.

Who gets targeted by other candidates?

To date, the candidate most others seem to target is Tim Houston. That gives a strong hint that other candidates believe he is the one to beat. If that target on Houston's back is even more apparent at the debate this evening, it'll be a strong indication that the other candidates still believe he's on the path to securing the leadership. As we get closer to the Fall, candidates will realize that they are lagging behind and they'll either differentiate or die. They'll either ratchet up their offers and knock their rival candidates down a few pegs - or fade into obscurity. It's hard to differentiate by merely sharing the same criticism of the current government. They need to provide tangible plans, set clear expectations about the proposed outcomes, and demonstrate why their plans are better than what the others are suggesting.

NOTE: The views expressed above are my own and do not represent lokol (goCapeBreton.com). Read more

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UPDATE: At the debate, as expected, Tim Houston reaffirmed his commitment to doubling Equalization, which would result in approximately $15 Million in additional cash for the CBRM to spend for their needs. Julia Chiasson also suggested she would do a review of the provincial Equalization transfer. There was no dedicated question to Equalization by the debate moderators. Houston had to take his own opportunity to discuss Equalization. Cecil Clarke yelled very loudly with an angry tone, targeting Tim Houston only. Houston responded by emphasizing Clarke's election platform promises, how many there are, and how few he fulfilled as CBRM mayor. The aggression is likely to continue as the time left to campaign winds up, and Clarke and others seem to persistently recognize Houston as the candidate that jeopardizes their chances of becoming the PC leader.

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