Local election debate

All-candidates meeting in Gravenhurst
I had never been to such an event. In such a small community I felt it important to make an informed decision in the election. Torn between taking a pass on the local candidates and simply voting according to my conscience and Federal party policy, I thought I ought to get as much information as possible. As a full-time resident of the Parry Sound - Muskoka riding I thought it opportune to attend such a meeting. After attending the Green party rally, with Elizabeth May in Parry Sound, I wanted to meet the local candidates.

Candidates began with a stand-up in the basement of the Gravenhurst Opera, Oct. 1, 2008, followed by a two-hour session in the main theatre. Alphabetically, they addressed the audience in a series of 5-minute speeches. [See this YouTube channel for these: Jo-Anne Boulding (NDP), Glen Hodgson (Green Party), Tony Clement (Conservative Party), Jamie McGarvey (Liberal Party), David Rowland (Independent)!]

These speeches reflected clearly delineated party policies. Mr. Rowland's speech revolved around his plan as an independent, which mimics the Reform Party's fiscal conservative plan back in the day, to ensure voter referendum on all issues, on a current, ongoing basis.
Mr. Rowland, an independent, agreed with much of what the Greens and NDP candidates proposed.

Following this, the candidates were questioned at one of two microphones. Each question was no more than one minute; each response, addressed by all of the candidates was one-minute. I would have preferred that those at the microphone be allowed to answer the questions, and hearing what they had to say!

While Mr. Harper was being "Targeted on Crime and Economy in French Debate" en français, our local candidates were grilled on Liberal and Conservative party policies: health care, taxation, Bill C51, Dion's carbon tax, the economy, free trade, Conservative's Youth Justice reforms, and economics issues: taxation, the high cost of post-secondary tuition. One person questioned "strategic voting", and Hodgson clarified the Green's position, as did the other candidates.

No mention about Afghanistan, or other major Federal issues that concern our country, First Nations issues, Senate Reform, gun violence, in this local candidate's debate. What was interesting is that the Huntsville debate had a much more raucous tone, with Mr. Clement being queried on his absence during the listeriosis crisis.

It was a bit frustrating, since each candidate spent time responding to each question, whether it was addressed to Mr. Clement, and targeted at Mr. Harper's small $100 per family child tax (a drop in the bucket according to some), or questions aimed at the Liberal's carbon tax (which "works well in Norway"), said Mr. McGarvey several times. There wasn't enough time to entertain all of the questions by the voters at the meeting, nor to cover them here.

Metroland North Media features a video clip of our local candidates. "What would you do if you had $10,000,000 to spend?"

The Orillia Packet has some news about signage wars!

All this took place across the street from Clement's Gravenhurst offices!
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