Oxford CHP candidate concerned about housing affordability
Article content
Founded in 1987, the Christian Heritage Party of Canada advocates for the country to be governed according to Christian principles.
“That is absolutely fundamental, everything has to spin off from that,” said Allen Scovil, Christian Heritage Party candidate in Oxford County for the 2021 federal election.
For example, if there are conversations at the federal level about abortion or medically assisted dying (euthanasia), Scovil said the CHP would stand firmly on Christian positions in opposition.
“We would give vigorous voice to basically Christian positions on whatever comes up.”
The official CHP platform is available on their website at chp.ca/about/platform/ and it includes items such as aboriginal affairs, health care, and welfare.
“I’ve got it in front of me – six pages with 44 points of CHP policy. It spells it all out and it even has a link so you can download a PDF that you can print.”
Housing affordability is No. 21 on the list. CHP would reduce foreign purchases of homes, businesses and farmland; strengthen the family unit, reduce divorce and the necessity of one couple maintaining two homes; and make stay-at-home parenting more affordable.
“Due to my experience helping out at the local food bank (Helping Hand Food Bank in Tillsonburg) and the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, who help people in need, one thing I am very much concerned about, and troubled that nobody’s reacting to it, is this crazy inflation of housing prices and rents. Where does that leave people who are economically challenged? Because with the cost of houses now, basically you have to be in the high middle class range to even have a chance of them.
“We at the St. Vincent de Paul Society are dealing regularly with people who are finding it a challenge to meet rent, or meet utilities, or whichever expense they’ve had to put on hold because they are short on money. The original concept of minimum wage was that such a wage would allow a person at least a basic living, being able to support rent or a small house. And now it’s just turned into a political football where you could be getting and you have to move in with several other people to share the rent in order to be able to afford to live.
“It’s like (Justin) Trudeau’s up there fiddling while this crisis is going on and they’re not doing anything.
“We’ve heard rumours that people from overseas would buy up real estate here at inflated prices because they are laundering their illegal money. And they are not doing anything about it. Or they are just starting to do a little token thing like charging an extra tax for unoccupied homes. As if that would stop anybody.
“And then there’s the other thing. What happens when interest rates start climbing again, which they will.”
Scovil, who has lived in Tillsonburg for more than 30 years, has been retired for the last 6-7 years. As a hobby he writes novels.
Campaigning during COVID-19 has been a challenge for the first-time Oxford candidate, not just because of the pandemic, but because it was a snap election. Scovil said he was looking forward to the Unifor Local 636 candidate debate Sept. 7 (to be aired by Rogers Sept. 11 at 8 p.m.).
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.