EDITORIAL – Forum proves need for debate between Lake, McLeod, Currie
Waiting to ask a question at Tuesday night’s forum at TRU. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
FEDERAL ELECTION FORUMS at the local level aren’t of much value when it comes to party policies because we’ve heard it all before from the leaders.
What is worthwhile about them is seeing how candidates handle themselves.
That was the case at Tuesday night’s forum at TRU. The turnout was much lighter than such forums in previous election years but those who did attend got a sense of what the candidates are made of.
The forum was ponderous — which is what happens when you allow too many questioners to make speeches and let all seven candidates respond to almost every question — with only a dozen-plus questions fitting into two hours.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Mel—how does that flipping through a policy book look for you now, (October 17th)—you forgot to mention the integrity and honesty of someone who doesn’t have all the politically expedient answers at their figure tips but has a leader that has an answer for what most folks are looking for.
LikeLike
I have kept a letter to me that was written & signed by Jody Wilson-Raybould when she was a cabinet minister. She gave a personal reply to a concern that I had about a young FN girl whom I saw early one morning right here in our fair city.
She saw herself become an Independent member of Parliament because of a stand she took.
It may seem a bit silly to use that as a factor in how I will vote in this Federal election because she is not a candidate in our riding. Still, a stand is a stand. No Liberal candidate has anything to gain by defending the actions of a party that took two cabinet ministers out of their caucus.
As far as having the “chosen three” at a forum, I would not go if there was no other choice given. It did not work out for me to go to this particular forum but I believe I would not have made a decision strictly from attending one forum.
LikeLike
Here’s a heading: Editorial Proves Elitist, Anti-democratic Position of “Journalist”
LikeLike