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Q&A with Simcoe–Grey NDP candidate Benten Tinkler

February 20, 2025   ·   0 Comments

Candidate: Benten Tinkler

Party: NDP

What are your, and your party’s thoughts on the fact that this election has been called early rather than completing the mandated term of office?

At this critical moment for Ontario, Doug Ford has quit his job and thrown the province into an unnecessary snap election. The Ontario NDP believes that the government’s focus should have been on protecting jobs and addressing the immediate threats posed by proposed U.S. tariffs, rather than diverting attention to an early provincial election.

What are the most important issues facing the province over the next four years?

After seven years of Doug Ford, life is less affordable than ever and our public services have been starved of funding in favour of privatization. Over the next four years, an NDP government will rebuild Ontario as a place full of opportunities by focusing on:

• Building homes to address the skyrocketing cost of housing and the rapidly growing population of unhoused Ontarians.

• Hiring doctors and ensuring every person in our province has access to primary care and quality emergency services, close to home and when they need it

• Making life affordable again, by bringing down the cost of housing and offering a monthly grocery rebate to bring down household costs that have gotten out of control in recent years

• Tariff-proofing Ontario’s economy by establishing new supply chains and export markets and investing in retraining programs

What will your party do to deal with proposed U.S. tariffs that may greatly affect the province and is the stated reason for the early election?

New Democrats have a comprehensive plan to defend jobs and build a more resilient, tariff-proof economy. We’ll provide direct support for affected industries, collaborating with trade-exposed sectors like steel, automotive, and agriculture to maintain operations and explore new markets. 

We’ll negotiate a joint federal-provincial income assistance for individuals whose livelihoods are impacted by tariffs. 

By investing in infrastructure projects, including transit development, school repairs, and home building, we’ll create thousands of jobs and stimulate economic growth.

The province has experienced a housing shortage with prices rising dramatically leaving many people without the ability to afford a house of their own. What solutions can you provide to get this under control?

To combat the housing crisis, the Ontario NDP’s Homes Ontario Plan aims to build or acquire at least 300,000 permanently affordable rental homes through non-profit and co-op housing initiatives. 

We’re getting the province back in the business of building homes as we push to construct 1.5 million new homes over the next decade. We’ll also implement real rent control by closing loopholes that exempt newer units and attach rent control to the unit during vacancies, to prevent significant rent hikes between tenants.

What do you, as a candidate, offer the citizens of Simcoe-Grey as a choice for their elected representative?

As the Ontario NDP candidate for Simcoe-Grey, I am dedicated to building an Ontario full of opportunities for everyone. After seven years of Doug Ford, life has only gotten harder and more expensive – he’s helped out his wealthy insiders, while the rest of us face rising costs. 

I’ll be a voice to invest in the things that make a difference in our lives – building homes, hiring doctors, fixing schools, and making life affordable again.

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