NDP leadership candidates faced off in Thursday night debate

A guaranteed income, affordable housing and what to do about the Fort Amherst name were big issues at the NDP P.E.I. leadership debate Thursday night.

SusanMacVittie, the mostrecent candidate to join the race, had not yet announced she was running when the first debate took place weeks ago inO'Leary.

MacVittieand fellow candidatesMargaretAndradeand Joe Byrne saw eye-to-eye on most points during the friendly debate.

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They answered questions aboutinequality, lack of affordablehousing, and how to combat poverty across the province,with all candidates agreeing that those issues were of great importance. They also agreed that the province needs a basic income guarantee.

"I thinkthat the three of us although we are within the same party we still have some very different approaches," saidAndrade.

Different takes on housing issue

When it cametoaddressing the challenges of findingaffordable housing on the Island, all candidates agreed it's a problem that needs to be solved.

"I would actually put a moratorium on issuing any more new building permits unless affordable housing is a part of that developer's plan," saidAndrade.

Byrne agreed withAndradeon having a building code, but he emphasized the need for public housing dollars.

"We need moreco-ops," he said."We need more apartment buildings, multi-use apartment buildings so that the communities are diversified andthey need to be scattered across the province."

MacVittieagreed this is a problem that reaches beyond Charlottetown.

"We know that we need affordable housing, not just in the urban centres, but in the rural areas as well."

She said that affordable housing is a planning issue, and suggested that the province needs policies in place to identify areas as designated farmland, land for business development, and land for affordable housing.

Thoughtson Amherst

The candidates were also asked fortheir opinions on the naming of SkmaqnPort-la-JoyeFort Amherst National Historic Site of Canada.

Last month, aMi'kmaqname was added to the national historic site, but some have been advocating for Amherst's name to be removed altogether.Scholars had debated Gen. Jeffery Amherst's actions during his servicein the1700suntil evidence was found that he advocated the use of biological warfare through smallpox blankets to kill Indigenous peoples.

• Mi'kmaqnameSkmaqnadded to P.E.I. national historic site

MacVittiesaid she didn't have a firm stance on the issue and thatshe would have to know more about itto actually speak on it.

"I think that we have a lot of work to do with First Nations and reconciliation, and I don't know if unnaming statues of our history is going to meet all of the requirements for that kind of reconciliation," she said.

"I'm actually undecided about this one to tell you the truth because I see it as an important step, but at the same time, it's part of our history. The most important issue is to be teaching people about what did happen so we don't repeat our mistakes with First Nations in Canada."

For Andrade, there was no question: "There's no doubt in my mind that we remove any link to Amherst," she said.

"You cannot in one hand say to the First Nations and Indigenous people in this country that we believe in truth and reconciliation without actually recognizing the truth. There's no question."

Byrne said it's important to recognize the history of Amherst as "horrendous."

"I have a personal preference just to remove it. But we have a nation to nation relationship with the Mi'kmaq, and that means engaging the confederacy, the chiefs ... the native council. So, I can say that that's my personal preference, but I wouldn't impose that because I'd just be repeating the same pattern that I think would be patronizing, frankly."

Convention countdown

The candidates still have two more debates before the convention:

• March 22,7 p.m.atthe Loyalist Country Inn inSummerside.
• March 23,7 p.m.at the Montague Rotary Library in Montague.

The leadership contest comes after former NDP leader MikeRedmond resigned following afourth place finish in November's Charlottetown-Parkdale byelection.

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The leadership convention is scheduled for Saturday, April 7 in Charlottetown.

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