Mark Warawa spent most of an all-candidates town hall meeting at Kwantlen Polytechnic University鈥檚 91原创 campus on Wednesday, April 20 leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed while rival candidates and their supporters did their best to chip away at the incumbent Conservative MP鈥檚 support.

The town hall style meeting drew more than 200 people for a two-and-a-half hour question-and-answer session that focused more on national issues than local concerns.

What they heard, mostly, was candidates sticking to their respective party鈥檚 talking points.

Warawa kept warning about the possibility of an opposition coalition and the need to get tough on crime to lock up pedophiles and other 鈥渄angerous people.鈥�

鈥淩ight now, things are way too lax,鈥� Warawa said.

The Tory MP repeatedly referred to the federal election as 鈥渦nnecessary,鈥� using the word at least eight times, provoking groans and heckling from some in the audience around the fifth time.

Liberal Rebecca Darnell repeatedly accused the Conservatives of disrespecting parliament and wasting money on things like expensive jet fighters with no engines.

鈥淭hey will continue to spend and spend and spend,鈥� Darnell said.

The trial lawyer said trying to prevent crime by locking people up longer doesn鈥檛 work as well as programs that aim to prevent criminal behavior before it happens.

She bases that on her own experience 鈥渋n the belly of the beast鈥� dealing with criminal cases.

NDP candidate Piotr Majkowski accused the Tories of failing to protect the quality of medicine.

His party is best suited to manage universal health care in Canada, Majkowski said, because they created it.

He called the Tories hypocritical for stacking the Senate with Conservatives after complaining about the unelected chamber鈥檚 power to interfere with parliament for years.

鈥淲e need to abolish the Senate,鈥� Majkowski said.

Green candidate Carey Poitras stressed it is more than a one-issue party, outlining detailed positions on non-environmental issues like justice reform.

Greens believe that building more prisons is a 鈥渟uperficial鈥� measure that will not be any more effective in reducing crime, Poitras said.

She was the most personal of the five candidates, departing from a discussion of aboriginal assistance policies at one point to reveal her own Metis heritage.

Pirate party candidate Craig Nobbs maintained his own personal honesty policy of refusing to comment on issues he hasn鈥檛 fully researched, generating applause and laughter when he would simply say that he didn鈥檛 know enough.

Nobbs urged people in the audience to do their own research online about issues and candidates.

鈥淭he Internet is your friend,鈥� Nobbs said.

The most out-in-left-field question of the evening came from an audience member who wanted to know what the candidates would do to increase the birth rate to make sure there will be enough people of employable age when the current generation retires.

It drew a few tongue-in-cheek responses, with Warawa noting that he and his wife have five children 鈥渟o we鈥檙e doing our part鈥� and Darnell getting laughs when she said she has no personal plans to contribute to the birth rate.

Immigration is a better solution, said Majkowski, who came to Canada with his family as a child.

When one high school student expressed alarm about the tone of politics, he was told there is a difference between political disagreements and personal animosity.

鈥淨uite frankly, we get along just fine [on a personal level],鈥� Darnell said.

Warawa said that he has worked with opposition politicians in the past, but added he shares some of the student鈥檚 distress.

鈥淲hen I鈥檓 in Parliament, I鈥檓 kind of shamed the way Parliament acts,鈥� Warawa said.

When the debate wrapped up, Warawa got a hug from Darnell.

Warawa has won all three elections since the federal 91原创 riding was created in 2004, with more votes every time.

In an interview following the Kwantlen forum, Warawa told The Times that he isn鈥檛 taking victory for granted, and that anyone who does should not be representing people in government.

The meeting was hosted by the Greater 91原创 Chamber of Commerce, the university and the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB).

In return, the FVREB got to ask its own question of the candidates, about deferring the capital gains tax on land sales to help encourage development of marginal properties.

None of the candidates dismissed the idea outright, but none would commit to making the change right away.