2022 PROVINCIAL CANDIDATE SURVEY

Waterloo Region

This all-candidates survey is a collaborative effort between YW Kitchener-Waterloo, YWCA Cambridge, Coalition of Muslim Women, Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASCWR), SHORE Centre ( Sexual Health, Options, Resources, Education) ,  Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region, and Feminist Shift.

As a collaborative, we presented all provincial election candidates throughout Waterloo Region with a set of questions that explore important gender-based experiences. This document is a non-partisan tool for voters who wish to seek information, see action, or better understand candidate positions on key issues most affecting cis, trans and two-spirit women, and non-binary individuals. Responses from candidates will continue to be inputed into this site as they are received.  

We encourage voters to follow up with their riding’s candidates with any questions or comments, contact information for each candidate is available at the bottom of the page.

Women's Economic Empowerment

Employment law in Ontario has not kept pace with the changing nature of work and it’s hurting people in low wage, precarious work the most, including women who are concentrated in the chronically undervalued care sector. Given that care jobs are the fastest growing jobs and, as the pandemic clearly showed us all, the backbone of Ontario’s economy, it is time we saw legislation that raised the floor for, and protects, all workers. YWCA Cambridge has joined the calls of social service providers and advocates across the province for 10 permanent paid sick days, livable minimum wages, action to address gender and racial disparities in pay, among other policies. What would a government under your party do to create the conditions for decent work that improves the quality of jobs and the rights of workers across all sectors in Ontario’s economy, including in nonprofit care work, gig work, seasonal and part-time work?

Question submitted by YWCA Cambridge

Safe Supply & Harm Reduction

Ontario is facing a devastating public health crisis of unintentional drug poisoning overdose deaths, which has significantly worsened since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of overdose deaths are proportionately higher among people experiencing homelessness than among those with secure housing. The YW’s shelter for homeless women has seen more than 50 overdoses in the past year, with three being fatal. The federal government has created the opportunity for homeless shelters to legally operate safe consumption sites for the people using their services, called Urgent Public Health Needs sites, however there is no federal funding attached to the exemption, as health and homelessness funding is the responsibility of the Provinces. Without dedicated staff to supervise, and to intervene when overdoses occur, the legal exemption does nothing, and the consumption sites cannot be considered safe. If elected, how will your party work with the YW’s women’s shelter, and other homeless shelters across Ontario, to support their operation of Urgent Public Health Needs sites and save lives?

Question submitted by YW Kitchener-Waterloo

Legal Aid

Access to robust legal aid for VAW victims is very important in general and for racialized women in particular. Legal aid rates have been static for decades. Most recently, the Legal Aid Ontario Budget had a 30% cut by the Government of Ontario. As a result, legal aid certificates now cover fewer hours of legal service than ever before. This has drastically increased the inequities in accessing the justice system for all those who are already marginalized, with racialized women really bearing the burnt of it. If elected, how will your government ensure that the legal aid in Ontario is sufficiently funded?

Question submitted by Coalition of Muslim Women Kitchener-Waterloo

Domestic Violence

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen continuous growth in domestic violence rates and femicide rates. Not only that, but women, non-binary and gender diverse folks are coming to our shelter with more complex trauma and needs than ever before. These folks have also been staying in the shelter for much longer than the typical eight-week stay due to the affordable housing crisis. This limits the number of emergency shelter beds that are available. How will your government address the gender-based violence crisis while providing the needed funding for shelter staffing and programming as well as funding the development and expansion of transitional housing for those experiencing domestic violence?

Question submitted by Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region

Sexual Violence

Five years ago, the #MeToo Movement spread across the globe. This movement reached our community, helping to strengthen survivors’ voices so they could courageously tell their stories. Local survivors reached out to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region in record numbers. Their team responded by showing up for survivors in court, hospital rooms, and police stations – and by holding space in their counselling offices. Our waitlist grew as more survivors reached out. In response to this cultural shift and demand, the Province of Ontario committed to increasing funding to community-based Sexual Assault Centres across the province; locally these funds would have secured two additional counsellors and a court support worker. After the last Provincial election, these promised funds were clawed back. Since that time, the shadow pandemic – an increase in gender-based violence during COVID-19 – has increased the demand even more, resulting in critical under-funding in the sector. Waiting lists for survivors have grown further. Will your government commit to a reinstating clawed back funding to community-based Sexual Assault Centre across the province so that the survivors of sexual violence in our communities get the support they need?

Question submitted by Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region

HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion care and birth control, remains riddled with barriers in Ontario. Community members are often forced to travel out of town, take additional time off work, incur significant personal costs and/or choose between their abortion/birth control and paying their bills. How will your government ensure access to reproductive healthcare for all Ontarians and will you commit to universal birth control coverage in Ontario?

Question Submitted by SHORE

POLICY FOCUS

Is there a specific policy that you plan to champion to improve the lives of women and trans people in our community?

Question submitted by Feminist Shift

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Is there anything further you would like to add?

Candidate Contact Information

woman sitting at her laptop, typing with her left hand and writing in a small notepad with her right, around her hands are icons of envelopes tied together with lines

Still left with unanswered questions? We encourage citizens to follow up with  candidates on gender-based issues of importance to them. Contact information for each candidate can be found below.

Cambridge Candidates

campaign@carlajohnson.ca

marjorie.knight@ontariondp.ca

brianriddellcambridge@rogers.com

votesurekha@gmail.com

Form via website

Waterloo Candidates

catherine.fife@ontariondp.ca

shefazaesmail@gpo.ca

andrew@andrewaitken.ca

votejennifertuck@gmail.com

Form via website

Unlisted

Kitchener South -Hespeler

joanne.weston@ontariondp.ca

davidweber@gpo.ca

Info@jessdixon.ca

info@ismailforksh.ca

Form via website

davidgontarioparty@gmail.com

Kitchener-Conestoga

karen.meissner@ontariondp.ca

mike.harrisco@pc.ola.org

votevanalphen@gmail.com

Form via website

Kitchener Centre 

lauramae.lindo@ontariondp.ca

waynemak@gpo.ca

info@jimschmidt.ca

info@kellysteiss.com

Form via website

Follow the Ontario YWCA Coalitions campaign to urge all candidates in the upcoming provincial election to commit to a five point feminist plan.
Register to vote, find your riding, or learn more about the voting process.