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All candidates’ debate narrows the issues

Seven parties represented at Squamish forum
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Jobs, affordable housing, crime, G20 Summit spending, and trust were the top issues at the corridor's first all candidates meeting in the lead up to the federal election on May 2.

Representatives of Canada's four main political parties joined fringe party candidates at the meeting in Squamish on Wednesday night (April 13).

Around 80 residents of the Sea to Sky corridor showed up for the debate and while many had a chance to ask their questions time ran out before all could be answered.

At the candidates' table were representatives from the Green Party, the NDP, the Liberals, the Conservatives, the Libertarian Party, the Canadian Action Party and the Progressive Canadian Party.

Pieter Dorsman of Lions Bay was the first of the audience to pose a question to the cohort, asking West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky MP John Weston to outline the key issue he saw facing the Squamish region.

"I think there are three key issues," replied Weston, who stayed cool throughout multiple ribbings over his party's conduct throughout the night. "Jobs, jobs, jobs. The motto of this place is live, work and play... and it's a great place to play but we need jobs here in Squamish. We need people who live here and play here but who don't have to commute to get to their jobs. The one thing I've heard over and over again is that people want to be able to work here in Squamish."

Liberal candidate Dan Veniez differentiated his party's goals by outlining the region's need for more affordable housing, progressive economic development, comprehensive seniors care and additional youth programs.

He also addressed Senate reform and other hot button issues saying: "Cronyism? Have you seen the 28 appointments to the senate?

"How many of those senators are on fraud charges by Elections Canada as we speak? Speaking of accountability...the Prime Minister of Canada shut parliament down twice. Why did he do that? To save his political skin.

"Integrity? Remember when the Prime Minister, then the leader of the opposition, said 'I won't touch income trusts?' My portfolio took a hit, how many people here had pension money in income trusts?

"I tell you, when you promise something before you're elected, accountability, integrity are fantastic words.

"We tell our kids that you have to walk the talk. Words are fine. Talk is cheap. Action is everything."
The NDP's Terry Platt addressed seniors' issues, stressing the need for access to affordable prescription medicine and chose to tackle the jobs issue from a decidedly Green point of view.

"Jobs are important, but environmentally intelligent jobs. Jobs are great, but not at the cost of the environment," she said. "This is a beautiful place, it's a beautiful riding but a lot of people are saying about the jobs we are getting, 'what are we doing to our environment? How are we ruining it for tomorrow?'"

Third year Quest University student Michael Luba used his moment at the microphone to take a dig at Weston and the Conservative Party, drawing laughter and applause with his query.

"Speaking to the issue and not around it please," he said. "I'd like you to comment on the irony that your government was willing to put forward a budget that is tough on crime and proposing building mega-prisons while being unable not to violate elections policy and being the only government in Canadian history to be found in contempt of parliament. Are the extra large prisons for violators like Mr. Harper?"

In response, Weston clarified Conservative support for the improvement of jails over the creation of new prisons. Safe communities, he said, are a priority for many Canadians and finding ways to be tough on crime is part of the political process. Referencing a private members bill on crystal meth and ecstasy that he pushed through with support of all parties and senators in the House of Commons, Weston didn't answer directly.

"I know something about democracy, I fought through two nominations in this riding and I lost a general election and I won a general election so I care about democracy and I'm willing to fight for democracy wherever I find it," he said.

Green Party candidate Brennan Wauters said his party's stance on crime was focused on prisoner reform and crime prevention.

"These are far more egalitarian and communal ways of dealing with the issues and if we put some money into prisoner reform and crime prevention maybe it can be used in Mr. Harper's inner circle in the Senate to reform those people," he said.

While this drew more laughter and applause from the crowd Weston remained impassive.

Issues around the senate - whether to keep it, ditch it or make it an elected process - were widely debated, with most speaking in favour of an elected option.

The idea of lowering the voting age to 16 also took a turn, as did the state of the health care system, causing Libertarian party candidate Tunya Audain to wax passionately on the current state of medical care in the country.

"Our Soviet-style, centrally planned health care system is broken," she said, advocating a mixed care, multi-tiered system. "We cannot continue to have a monopoly system delivered by the government at their convenience. People should have a mixture of alternatives and opportunities and be willing to pay and achieve innovative opportunities and experiments with health research. I'm not for central planning."

With 10 members of the public still lined up to pose questions of the candidates, forum moderator John French was forced to end the debate due to time restrictions, though all candidates stayed afterward to speak to the public.

Whistler will host an all candidates meeting on Wednesday April 20 at Whistler Secondary starting at 6 p.m.