North Okanagan-Shuswap residents got their first side-by-side look at their riding害羞草研究所檚 federal candidates at the first All Candidates Forum of 2019.
The Armstrong Centennial Theatre was at near capacity Wednesday night as questions were thrown to the five candidates following their two-minute opening statements.
The event, hosted by the Armstrong Chamber of Commerce, saw a wide range of topics, with candidates spending time on some topics that were predictable (taxation, climate change) and lingering on some that were perhaps less so (gun control, immigration and the efficacy of the justice system).
B.C害羞草研究所檚 forestry industry was an early-mentioned concern, and candidates were eager to convey their support of the industry to a community that saw reductions announced at the Armstrong Tolko mill earlier that day.
NDP candidate Harwinder Sandhu is from Mackenzie, a town that害羞草研究所檚 been , and she spoke to her connection to this community.
害羞草研究所淢y family relied on sawmills, and forestry was the backbone of many towns like Mackenzie and Terrace.害羞草研究所�
Sandhu pointed to a put out by the B.C. Council of Forest Industries on Tuesday. 害羞草研究所淭hey align very well with the NDP platform,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 will be committed to working with (the council) because I know that for a lot of people forestry is bread and butter.害羞草研究所�
Green candidate Marc Reinarz likewise sympathized with mill workers, and blamed poor industry management as having created the current situation.
害羞草研究所淲e have mismanaged forestry in the sense that we害羞草研究所檝e been exporting raw logs to the extent that we were dumping them down to the States, and today mills are crying for product which they can害羞草研究所檛 afford anymore.害羞草研究所�
A resident害羞草研究所檚 question on the candidates害羞草研究所� plans to protect future generations by mitigating climate change drew an applause from the crowd. Sandhu and Reinarz were joined by Liberal candidate Cindy Derkaz in calling for significant attention to the climate change file, each propping up their respective party害羞草研究所檚 platforms.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 running as an advocate for the environment,害羞草研究所� said Derkarz, 害羞草研究所渁nd I think in situations of farms in this area we are going to have tremendous changes in climate and weather that害羞草研究所檚 going to affect your crops.害羞草研究所� Derkaz spoke to the need to, 害羞草研究所渟tay with the program,害羞草研究所� in other words to stick with the Liberals害羞草研究所� environmental plan, and with commitments like the Kyoto and Paris accords.
For Conservative candidate Mel Arnold who害羞草研究所檚 held the seat for the last four years, the night was about proving that he and his party are serious about environmental policy. After fending off accusations from a few public questioners that he害羞草研究所檇 suggested climate change wasn害羞草研究所檛 human-caused back in 2015, Arnold took multiple opportunities to advocate for the climate plan his party unveiled in June.
害羞草研究所淎ndrew Scheer, our leader, has rolled out our real plan for climate change and the environment. It deals with incentives and innovation in Canada that we can market across the world.害羞草研究所�
The issue of gun control - too much of it - was put to the panel. People害羞草研究所檚 Party of Canada candidate Kyle H. Delfing was the most strongly in favour of firearm sovereignty and repealing Bill C-67. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 no good for farmers,害羞草研究所� he said.
Derkaz was adamant that the bill is not an unreasonable restriction on guns. 害羞草研究所淚 want to bust the myth that (we害羞草研究所檙e) going into people害羞草研究所檚 homes and taking away firearms,害羞草研究所� she said.
Delfing - a political first-timer - was quick to clarify his position: 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e legislating the guns out of your hands, they害羞草研究所檙e not taking them.害羞草研究所�
As with most electoral forums, taxes were a major divider, with the Greens and Liberals generally supporting more government spending than their Conservatives and PPC counterparts.
Candidates will meet again at the Environmental All-Candidates Forum on Thursday, Sept. 26 at the Schubert Centre in Vernon. The free event is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. but people are invited to come early to read answers to 害羞草研究所済reen害羞草研究所� questions provided to the candidates in August. The candidates answers are also planned to be made available just before the forum at .
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
