Education, child care and support for special needs students were among the topics covered during an all-candidates meeting, hosted by the 91原创 Teachers Association on Wednesday night.

Candidates who gathered at the 91原创 Seniors Resources Centre to make their case to voters included Green Kevin Eastwood (Abbotsford West), NDP Gail Chaddock-Costello (91原创), Conservative Justin Greenwood (91原创), Libertarian Rob Pobran (91原创), Libertarian Alex Joehl (91原创), and Green Bill Masse (91原创 East).

Incumbent Liberal MLAs Rich Coleman and Mary Polak did not attend.

Kwantlen First Nation member Brandon Gabriel opened the meeting by stating that he was not going to play traditional Kwantlen songs in protest of the candidates who didn鈥檛 attend the meeting, and who have 鈥渘ot conducted themselves in an honourable way on Kwantlen territory.鈥�

During the meeting, candidates fielded questions about childcare, education and support for students with special needs or mental health issues. They also offered their stance on corporate donations to political parties, and the controversial Kinder Morgan Pipeline expansion.

Sharon Gregson from the Coalition of Childcare advocates of B.C. told the candidates there is 鈥渁 childcare crisis in every community across B.C.鈥�

She added that childcare fees have increased every year and that those who work in childcare earn 鈥減overty wages.鈥�

Gregson said the coalition鈥檚 plan for $10 a day childcare has been endorsed by many sectors and individuals across the province.

Then she asked what will the candidates and their parties will do to implement the $10 a day childcare plan?

Chaddock-Costello said the NDP backs the $10 a day plan.

鈥淲e support it, and we鈥檙e happy to see it finally happening,鈥� she said.

Greenwood said the NDP is using $10 a day childcare as a 鈥渄angled carrot of bringing you towards their vote.鈥�

One of the issues Joehl has with the plan is that it 鈥渢alks about tax dollars being returned to the program by these parents who are going to return to work.

鈥淚t begs the question: if this person is returning to the workforce, are they or are they not displacing somebody else from a position?

鈥淭he numbers don鈥檛 add up. The real Libertarian idea is, 鈥榃hy can鈥檛 people afford daycare and why can鈥檛 mothers choose to stay home if they would like? These are economic issues more than they are space issues.鈥�

PIPE UP Network member Susan Davidson said she and her group strongly opposes the Kinder Morgan Pipeline expansion and asked the candidates about their opinion on the proposed pipeline going through the Hope Redwoods natural area.

Masse said the Green Party is clear in its opposition of the pipeline, adding that the risks far outweigh the benefits.

Joehl said a key issues for him and his part is the expropriation of land. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue a Libertarian can get behind: We are very on the side of property rights. If a private company like Kinder Morgan can鈥檛 negotiate easement rights with the landowners, than they have no business being able to build any pipeline on that land.鈥�

Chaddock-Costello said, 鈥淏reaches do happen, and a phrase that I read recently said, 鈥業f you build it, it will leak.鈥欌��

Two more meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Kwantlen Polytechnic University鈥檚 91原创 campus for the 91原创 riding, and April 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the west gymnasium at the 91原创 Events Centre for the 91原创 East riding.

These are hosted by the and the .