Each candidate was asked to submit a biography and answer three questions. Below is the response from the Ontario Liberals' candidate for Kitchener-Waterloo, Eric Davis.
Biography
Eric has grown up in Kitchener-Waterloo and is an active member of the local community. He practices Municipal and Planning Law at a national law firm here in Waterloo. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area. Eric is also a member of the Federal & Provincial Affairs Committee for the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.
He has recently been the President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Grand River Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, a member of The Record's Community Editorial Board, a Senator at Wilfrid Laurier University, an Ambassador for Sustainable Waterloo Region and a volunteer with the Canadian Diabetes Association.
In February 2012 Eric was honoured by the Waterloo Region Record as one of the Region's Top 40 Under 40. The award highlights residents under the age of 40 who have excelled in their careers and demonstrated commitment to community leadership.
Eric is married to his lovely wife, Cynthia, and they have a young daughter, Isabella.
Why should the constituents of Kitchener-Waterloo vote for you?
I will be a strong, local representative for Kitchener-Waterloo and am committed to protecting the investments we’ve made in health care and education while ensuring that we balance the budget by 2017-2018.
Kitchener-Waterloo has a history of strong, local representatives and I plan to carry on that tradition. We have a strong plan to grow our economy and create jobs, protect our health care and environment, invest in education, and continue to provide strong and efficient social programs on which our families rely.
If you are elected as an MPP, what will your top two priorities be?
I will support investing in students at every step. I have a 2 year old daughter and stability in our classrooms hits home for me. I believe that nothing is more important to our economic future than education. That is why I will continue to advocate for full-day kindergarten (FDK), lower class sizes, increased accessibility to a postsecondary education and stability in our classrooms as we balance the budget by 2017-2018.
I also believe that every Ontarian should have access to good quality health care when they need it. If elected, I will work to increase access to quality health care. This includes decreasing surgical wait times, hiring nurses, and increasing access to family doctors. Under the Ontario Liberal government, we have also created 200 Family Health Teams, serving almost 3 million Ontarians, achieved the lowest wait times in Canada, increased investments in home care and community services, and cut the prices for generic drugs in half. 96 % of Ontarians now have a family doctor.
Kitchener-Waterloo needs a strong voice in the government caucus to push through opposition games to balance the budget and protect the gains we’ve made in health care and education.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Ontarians?
The biggest challenge facing Ontarians right now is stability in our classrooms. When I go door-to-door, this is what parents are asking me about. If elected MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo I will protect the classroom experience for students as well as the gains we’ve made in education.
I will continue to advocate for full-day kindergarten (FDK), reducing class sizes and increasing graduation rates.
I disagree with those who wish to recklessly fire teachers, cut full day kindergarten and roll back the gains we’ve made in education. I also disagree with those that make irresponsible promises without any plan on how to pay for them. The Liberal plan is a balanced, responsible approach, which ensures stability for our kids while being fiscally responsible.
