An increased demand for a program run by local government is usually hailed as a good thing, but when the District of Muskoka begins to see a rising need for its emergency assistance program — which helps families do things like make a rent payment to avoid eviction, or make a partial payment toward a hydro bill to avoid service being disconnected — that’s a sign that Muskokans are not doing so well.

“We’re seeing a lot of increased applications for our emergency assistance program, and that’s showing us that people are having a harder time paying their bills,” district commissioner of community services Rick Williams told this newspaper Monday.

Williams says that young families in this riding are increasingly affected by what he calls “the circumstances in Muskoka,” which are rising rental, utility and fuel rates.

“We are noting that utility companies and landlords are becoming much more active in giving people notices or evictions . . . which is understandable, but it’s also therefore putting a lot of pressure on families . . . at a time when a lot of families, particularly young families’, incomes have been flat or declining,” he said.

Parry Sound-Muskoka NDP candidate Jo-Anne Boulding says the recent manufacturing job losses this riding mean that some families are having to move away from the riding, or one spouse has to leave during the week in order to make a living elsewhere.

“It’s hard to see families split apart for economic reasons,” she said. “Clearly we have to deal with the standard of living, raising minimum wages, making sure jobs are sustainable (and) that they have benefits.”

Boulding said the NDP platform has plans to develop the “green” sector in Canada, and that those types of technical jobs would fit well into Muskoka.

Incumbent Conservative MP Tony Clement said this riding is in need of “continued access to year-round jobs” and says continuing with programs like FedNor helps bring in grants that support apprenticeships, training and tourism.

“I want this community to be a community of seniors, but also of young families. We want the whole range of incomes represented here, and part of my job as an MP is attract new business here and make that case,” he said.

Green candidate Glen Hodgson says that his party’s platform includes plans to expand current rebate opportunities for making homes energy efficient and would make the program more accessible, which would help keep utility costs down and put young families in a better financial position.

“(Today) so much of the up-front cost has to be born by the consumer and the incentives take so long to realize that most people can’t afford to go there, so it’s cheaper to remain on conventional sources,” he said.

Liberal candidate Jamie McGarvey says his time on the Parry Sound social services board has given him a clear view of the housing, childcare and social assistance issues facing young families in this riding. He said his party’s platform includes a promise to build 30,000 new affordable housing units across the country.

“I realize it’s probably a drop in the bucket to what we really need, but so far this present Conservative government that we have has not put any new money into housing,” he said.

When it comes to childcare in this riding, Williams said that, unlike other areas, there is no waiting list for the childcare subsidy offered through the district.

The subsidy covers 100 per cent of childcare costs for families with incomes below $20,000 a year, and a covers a declining portion of the costs for incomes up to around $50,000 per year.

“The problem is, of course, that there aren’t enough childcare spots, so you can be eligible for a subsidy if you get a spot, but there’s probably not enough licensed spaces and therefore people are being forced to use the unlicensed, or informal system and we don’t provide subsidies (for that),” he said.

While Clement praised his party’s $100-per-month child benefit plan as helping families and giving parents a choice about childcare, Boulding, Hodgson and McGarvey all blasted the program as inefficient.

“It costs between $800 and $900 a month for your child to be in full-time daycare, so $100 doesn’t do anything, and in fact, it doesn’t do anything even if you’re not in a licensed centre,” said Boudling. “We need high quality, licensed day care . . . . Of course it has to be affordable and in order to do that we have to have funding and there has to be subsidized spots.”

McGarvey said that, depending on a family’s income, the $1,200 child benefit can push you into a higher tax bracket, therefore harming the family’s bottom line rather than helping. He added that provinces and local governments need a strong federal partner to offer funding support for things like childcare to support young families in this riding and across the country.

Hodgson said his party would support a national childcare program and offer things like tax incentives to companies who created childcare programs at their work site.

But Clement said he hears from families that the child benefit gives them freedom of choice to do with the money how they please. He added that the Conservatives plan on giving further benefits to help make lives easier for families, such as the proposed income splitting for families who have disabled kids.

He explained the program would allow two parents to split their incomes equally, effectively putting the top earner in a lower tax bracket.

Independent candidate David Rowland said that the way he would vote on issues affecting young families would be determined by the voters in this riding.

“I’m in favour of whatever the community wants. If the people want to have subsidized daycare, if they want to have income tax concessions for young families, whatever it is. On my website I’ll post issues as they come through parliament and say, ‘Here’s the issue, here’s what my research on it shows, how do you want me to vote on it?’”