Although the main theme was the environment, several Abbotsford-South 91原创 candidates took time to criticize one of their opponents for not turning up at all to a debate in Aldergrove on Wednesday, April 16.
Organized by the Bertrand Creek Enhancement Society, the two-hour all-candidates debate hosted five of the six candidates running for the post of MP: PPC candidate Aeriol Alderking, independent Michael de Jong, Liberal Kevin Gillies, Green Party's Melissa Snazell, and NDP's Dharmasena Yakandawela. The event was held in the 91原创 Arts Council facility.
Conservative candidate Sukhman Singh Gill had declined the invitation, and towards the end of the event, several of his contenders used his non-appearance to launch attacks.
Gillies asked voters to consider the parties' stances on tariffs, environment, and the U.S. right now, and which leader is best suited to handle those challenges.
"I believe that [Mark] Carney's the guy," he said of the Liberal leader.
Gillies then noted that the candidate representing the other highest-polling party, the Conservatives, didn't show up. Gillies said he wished he'd had a chance to see the other candidate.
"I'm sure Mike would like to have a few words with him, as well," Gillies said.
De Jong, a former long-serving B.C. Liberal MLA who had his candidacy to be a Conservative in the riding disqualified by party leadership, picked up on that in his own closing remarks.
He noted that members of conservative parties have represented the region since before most people in the hall were born, but Gill had not turned up.
"Folks, that is not democracy," de Jong said.
Everyone else 鈥� including several candidates who were taking part in their first-ever all-candidates meeting 鈥� arrived to answer questions, de Jong said.
"If you're not prepared to do that, you're not going to stand up for people after the election," he said.
The other candidates tried to make a case for voting for a party other than Liberals or Conservatives.
"I dislike the idea that it's become a two-party race, that's not really how Canada works," said the Green Party's Snazell.
The NDP's Yakandawela, who immigrated from Sri Lanka where he had served as a judge and then re-trained as a lawyer again in Canada, asked voters to give his party a chance.
"We will build our nation together," he said.
Alderking used her closing remarks to talk about "mass immigration" and said her party would remove interprovincial trade barriers and negotiate an end to tariffs.
Many of the questions centred around resource protection, agriculture, and climate change.
Snazell noted that if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, one model shows that the number of days with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius will increase by 30 to 35 days a year.
Yakandawela said the NDP's policy included accepting the proposals from the COP 15 biodiversity conference in Montreal in 2022, and addressing the issue on an international level.
"Climate change is undeniable here, between the floods and fires and the heat dome," Gillies said. He said the Liberals are in favour of reducing industrial pollution through incentives.
De Jong said he has always worked for governments to live within their financial means, so that they have the means to look after people due to major issues like climate change.
Early voting begins on Friday, April 18 and runs to Monday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at advance poll locations in each riding. General election day is Monday, April 28 and the polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
