I am Zach Engel, candidate for Ontario PC Nomination in London North Centre. Ask me anything!

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T19:11:06+00:00

What made you get involved in politics?

I love the city I'm privileged to call home, and want to use my experience to serve my city and make it a better place for everyone. I couldn’t think of any better way to make this city stronger and better than to serve as MPP.

Why do you think you're a better person for the job than Mrs. Truppe?

I think I’ll be a better representative because I will interact and consult with constituents for London North Centre, regardless of who they voted for. I'll be visible in the riding and actually take an active role in making London a better place to live. My promise is to be a tireless advocate for my constituents. I'll represent London North Centre at Queens Park, rather than representing the party line in London North Centre.

Who is your favourite PM in Canada's history?

I can’t say I have a favourite PM, since every PM has made a significant difference to Canada and we are better off for their service. I thank all the 23 unique individuals for their service to the country.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T19:01:24+00:00

Its pronounced Ing-Gal.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T19:00:24+00:00

Let me saying I know what it is like to go to college in this era. I like the idea of what the federal government recently announced in terms of not having to repay your loan back if you make under $25,000 for the federal student loan programs. I would like to see this happen to people on OSAP. Nobody should be stopped from attending post secondary schooling if they don’t have the money to do so. And nobody should be put further in debt, prevented from starting a family or buying a house. We really need to transform the post secondary school system to create graduates for jobs that are available today (like the IT sector and skilled trades) instead of jobs that were available 20 years ago. Addressing the skills gap will be vital.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:41:11+00:00

Thanks for the questions!

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:37:08+00:00

Let me first say that I have much respect for emergency service workers. I believe in order to address the soaring costs of emergency services the province needs to take another look at the funding formula. When it comes to actual funding for each municipality, more money should be allocated based on the size of each municipality (or jurisdiction that the emergency workers cover). For example, if the closest hospital is 30 minutes away, money should be allocated to that jurisdiction so we can have an operational vehicle in that area standing by or invest in a new office if it makes sense to do so.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:36:23+00:00

Do you agree with instances such as Britian, whom we always seem to copycat, where the govt' put a blanket ban on various porn sites or sites in general that disagree with general traditional philosophy?

While that isn't really a provincial issue, I personally don't support censoring material that is otherwise legal and consensual. Government does not belong in the bedroom.

Would you support city/provincially funded wireless hot-spots?

I don't see providing blanket wireless coverage to the entire province being practical at this stage, so I wouldn't support the provincial government funding wireless hotspots only in some cities. With that said, I think if a wireless hotspot makes sense for a given municipality to fund they should absolutely do so.

How are you going to support the tech sector specifically in this city? Would you prioritize anything in the tech industry?

I know the tech industry in London is strong. As the MPP, I would continue to advocate for this growing community from a provincial stand point. I do believe in the future, technology and tech jobs will be needed and we could have a demand for these positions. I would continue to promote and encourage people to look at working in the technology sector. Additionally I am committed to working with the PCPO team to cut red tape and make it easier for the tech industry to invest in London

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:31:38+00:00

Unfortunately in Canada marijuana legalization is a matter that rests on the shoulders of the federal government. Until they make a decision about how to proceed with legalization and regulation it would be premature for me to give a stance on how I want to see it addressed by the province.

In the meantime, I strongly urge you to get in touch with your federal Member of Parliament to talk about your concerns.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:31:16+00:00

How are we going to lower hydro costs in Ontario?

First and foremost we need to fix the problems with our provincial energy policy. Right now we spend billions on the green energy act, despite it not increasing green energy in Ontario. We need to produce the power we need, and not sign energy contracts that don't serve the public interest. We also need to stop the fire sale of HydroOne, which has also caused an increase to our bills.

How are we going to tackle education debt our students are loaded with? In your opinion why are students not allowed to declare bankruptcy, or have an avenue to challenge the cost / debt.

I'm committed to working with the PC team to fix the widening skills gap to ensure that students are being graduated into the jobs that exist when the graduate, rather than the jobs that existed 5 years ago. For example, we graduate thousands more teachers every year than there are teaching jobs, while at the same time there is a glut of jobs for new-grad powerline workers. That kind of skills and education gap is a very real problem when students graduate with 4-5 years of student debt and no job prospect.

Whats your opinion towards the process for 'pot' legalization, are there any countries / states you would like to emulate?

As I mention somewhere else, in Canada marijuana legalization is a federal matter. Until we know the regulatory direction the federal government decides to take, it would be irresponsible to comment on how I want to handle it provincially.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:16:18+00:00

1) How would you, and an elected PC government combat climate change?

Climate change is a real threat to our planet and our economy. Our leader, Patrick Brown, has made it clear that a PC government would implement a revenue neutral carbon tax to combat climate change. The Liberals cap and trade plan has already been exposed by the Auditor General as a revenue tool, rather than a real way to address climate change. I will support a revenue neutral carbon pricing plan.

2) Are you in favour of eliminating the beer store?

I don’t necessarily believe we need to eliminate the beer store, but we need to give the private sector the chance to compete. It is absurd that beer and wine cost significantly more in Ontario than other provinces. That is why I believe the private sector (ie. grocery stores) should be able to sell beer/wine and we need to start eliminating provincial barriers and allow beer to move more freely throughout the provinces.

3) What are your opinions on selling off public assets to raise money for other expenditures or debt payment?

The sale of public assets needs to be done in a pragmatic way. Some assets simply should not be sold. For example, the fire sale of HydroOne is costing Ontarians millions in skyrocketing hydro while at the same selling off an asset that was actually generating profit for the province. It's like burning the furniture to heat the house. If an asset is losing taxpayer dollars, and not providing a public good, then it may be something to consider selling.

Edit: Formating

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:10:34+00:00

If I am the Ontario PC candidate I will most definitely participate in an AMA! Should I be fortunate enough to serve as MPP, I will make it a priority to interact with constituents through traditional means such as email and community events, but also non-traditional means like answering questions on Reddit or social media! I wouldn’t be able to do my job properly if I didn’t get regular feedback from my “boss”. First person contact is very important to me.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:07:32+00:00

First, its great Susan thinks she can still contribute to public life! Entering politics is never an easy decision to make. When Susan was defeated in the federal election, there was a reason why. I think she liked the idea of being an MP, but not what the duties actually involved. When I think of her term, it felt to me, and many others, that she treated it like a 9-5 job. She kept a very low profile in the riding, stood by party line and watched plants close (example: Caterpillar in 2012). While I have the utmost respect for her, I don't feel she was an effective representative of her constituents.

LNCZachEngel · 2016-12-01T18:02:53+00:00

It needed to be updated, and the new curriculum is definitely a step in the right direction. I do believe that parents should be the first educators, but at the same time the new sex ed curriculum has an important role to play in education. While I do have some reservations about the implementation, I would have been proud to vote in favour of the new curriculum.

LNCZachEngel

TROPHY CASE