Mud-slinging, comic relief, eye-rolling groans and enthusiastic applause – attendees of the all-candidates’ forum at First United Church got the full spectrum Tuesday.
And they – candidates and constituents alike – didn’t hesitate to speak their minds.
As the nine contenders for the South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale seat shared opinions and promises on issues ranging from support for seniors to banning oil tankers to compassion for women facing an unexpected pregnancy, citizens were quick to voice their thoughts on the candidates’ views.
Christian Heritage Party candidate Mike Schouten spoke about a need to better support women with unanticipated pregnancies.
Schouten’s call, “from the heart,” came in answering a question on whether he supports ensuring health care is available to all people, regardless of their ability to pay.
A lack of support leads women to make difficult decisions, Schouten said.
“The conclusion they come to is to abort the child,” Schouten said.
“Our humanity demands better of us.”
The comment prompted attendee Pummy Kaur, a longtime social activist and former federal NDP candidate – to note a lack of support for women is not the problem.
“Women don’t need counselling, men need to keep it in their pants,” Kaur blurted from the pews, much to the crowd’s amusement.
The forum, hosted by the Surrey-Langley-White Rock chapter of the Council of Canadians, drew about 250 people to First United Church, where individual candidates had two minutes to answer each of four questions posed by the council, as well as one minute on each of four questions drawn from those submitted by attendees. (After more than two hours, attendees voted to forego a fifth question, wrapping up the 7 p.m. meeting at 9:40.)
Opposing candidates repeatedly attacked incumbent Russ Hiebert – who has held the riding for seven years – and his Conservative party’s record.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper “wants us to forget that he squandered a $12-billion surplus… by September 2008,” said Brian Marlatt, the Progressive Canadian candidate. “Who will give Steve the heave? Who will hold Russ accountable?”
Liberal hopeful Hardy Staub – who recently spoke out as a Conservative against Hiebert, before announcing his own candidacy – described Hiebert as “a man who feels entitled to his entitlements, who has divided his own riding establishment.”
Hiebert – who boycotted the Council of Canadians’ 2008 all-candidates meeting, reasoning the group was anti-Conservative – countered the accusations with highlights of the Conservative’s “solid track record,” including leadership that brought Canada’s economy out of the recession quickly and created jobs for 480,000 people. Hiebert cited cuts to the goods and services tax, the creation of income-splitting and increases to health-care funding that have helped reduce wait lists for procedures such as radiation therapy as among positive steps taken.
Hiebert named funds for the Centre for Active Living and restoration of the White Rock Museum as among local benefits he has lobbied for. He promised that if re-elected, the Conservatives would do more for students, tradespeople and seniors.
Cries of “boo” rang out, however, when Hiebert spoke of the “more real” threat of a Liberal/NDP/Bloc Quebecois coalition. If such a coalition took power, it “would put our still fragile economy at risk,” Hiebert said.
Regarding education, independent Aart Looye said he would advocate for mandatory daily fitness in the school curriculum and to abolish interest on student loans.
Independent Kevin Donohoe said he is “very much in favour” of seeing government fund students’ first year of post-secondary education. It’s done in Ireland, he noted, and would encourage young people to consider taking their education further.
Staub said the Liberals would offer a learning passport that would provide students with $1,000 per year of high school.
Donohoe, Hiebert and Schouten drew some negative crowd reaction for their responses to a question from the floor asking Hiebert why he had voted against a Transgender Civil Rights bill.
Hiebert explained the bill was poorly drafted, and that he’d heard from hundreds of constituents concerned that the bill would allow transgendered individuals to use their choice of men’s or ladies’ public washrooms – a possibility that he understood would make many women and girls uncomfortable.
NDP candidate Susan Keeping said she was offended by the comment.
“It doesn’t really explain why you would be prejudiced against a whole group of people,” she said. “I’ve never heard a woman say, ‘I’m afraid of a transgendered person because they might be in the same washroom as me.’”
Schouten agreed the bill was poorly drafted and confirmed he was one of those who had asked Hiebert to vote against it.
Donohoe said he’d “like to think I’d follow the fine example of Russ Hiebert and go with the wishes of the people.” He noted he has been in washrooms with transgendered people and “I don’t find it really worth talking about.”
Other topics put to candidates included whether they would support increasing funding for the CBC; and if they are concerned about privatization of water resources.
Regarding the CBC, and describing coverage of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that “systematically blamed BP” for the damage, independent David Hawkins said he does not support “these kind of people.” Take the news component from CBC’s mandate and have them promote harpsichords and “maybe I’ll appear on it,” he said.
Regarding the right to water, Hawkins disputed it is an issue.
“It’s a totally mythical problem,” he said, of comments Canada’s water supply is limited. “We’ve got more water in Canada than we know what to do with.”
Hawkins said he is more concerned with the lack of information on what is in the water supply.
Green party candidate Larry Colero said necessities of life “must be treated as a right and it should not be privatized.” He said the Greens would give immediate notice they want to renegotiate the NAFTA agreement.
Colero said the Greens would support stabilizing funding for the CBC – despite recent decisions by the broadcaster to exclude party leader Elizabeth May from a debate, and Colero from an April 7 Early Edition broadcast.
“We’re not too happy with the CBC. I think that we would fund them anyway,” Colero said. “There’s really nothing quite like them and I think they would be sorely missed.”
In voicing support for continued funding for the broadcaster, Keeping described the CBC as “something that sets Canada apart from any other country.”
Hiebert disputed that funding to the CBC had been cut. Citing injections in 2009 and 2010, Hiebert said it is “unfortunate” the Council of Canadians would suggest funding had been cut.
“Money alone is not the answer,” he added. “If the CBC is to survive, it will have to work to be relevant to Canadians.”
• A second all-candidates meeting, hosted by the South Surrey/White Rock Chamber of Commerce, was held Wednesday after Peace Arch News’ long-weekend deadline. Read coverage online at peacearchnews.com, and in PAN’s April 27 edition.