Allyson Beauregard

Shawn Stewart is a retired construction worker and union officer who lives in Bryson. He said his party was only created about six weeks ago and is still ironing out various details.
The Pontiac’s biggest strength is its hard working and accommodating people who need to be better represented, he said.
His top priority is to help his party develop a feasible plan to help Canada prosper, which includes reducing taxes. The Veterans Coalition Party of Canada (VCP) will eliminate federal taxes on Canada Pension Plan (CPP) income and reduce GST by 1.25% per year until it is eliminated.
Decreasing taxes, balancing the budget, and better funding social programs and the Canadian Armed Forces will be done by “cutting wasteful government spending”, reducing the operating budgets of federal agencies, eliminating loop holes for tax evasion, reducing the remuneration for Members of Parliament by 20%, and reviewing Canada’s donations to the United Nations and other countries.
“Other savings will come from controlling immigration numbers and ensuring those who settle will be self-sufficient and not dependent on receiving taxpayer’s funds,” explained Stewart, noting his party will place a two year moratorium on immigration.
His party hasn’t determined a position on Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ Near Surface Disposal Facility proposal, but Stewart said they are “against anything that hurts the environment” and more studies are needed on the project.
The VCP will protect the environment through legislation, while also recognizing
the need to get products to market, said Stewart; they support pipelines as “the safest way to get Canada’s biggest money-maker” to market.
Carbon taxes will be repealed, because the VCP says they only hurt industries
and don’t correct the effects of human-made carbon emissions. “We’ll use technology currently in the testing stage but underfunded by the government to remove a lot of the carbon produced during the fossil fuel refining process; we’ll commit to a 40% reduction below 2015 levels by 2030, and 80% by 2050. We’ll also mandate fossil fuel producers to develop new green energy options,” said Stewart.
While they haven’t committed to electoral reform, the VCP will explore the issue if
citizens express a desire to change the status quo.      
To keep youth in the Pontiac, Stewart said it’s a matter of encouraging development and job creation through increased government support and funding and to explore offering free education to students who commit to working in their rural areas once their studies are complete; this will also address staff shortages in sectors like healthcare, said Stewart.
Getting industries off the ground by cutting red tape, developing resources, and “investing in ourselves” through the creation of co-ops is the key to attracting investors and creating jobs, said Stewart.
The VCP hasn’t discussed plans for improving internet and cell phone coverage yet, but see it as a universal need that must be made cheaper. The party is also against firearm registries and additional restrictions on law-abiding firearm owners.