Despite a crowded seven-person candidates’ table, the battle between incumbent Conservative member of parliament John Weston and Liberal hopeful Dan Veniez was clearly the main event at the latest federal candidates’ forum held in Squamish on Tuesday, April 13.
A tangible anti-Conservative sentiment was evident both in the questions asked and the responses from Weston’s challengers. Some of Weston’s comments drew scattered applause, while Veniez’ digs at Weston and the Harper government evoked by far the largest reaction from the more than 70 attendees.
After Weston’s response to a question about integrity, Veniez scoffed at Weston’s claim that Conservatives had brought accountability to the government.
“Integrity has been key and this is the government that brought in the most sweeping accountability legislation in Canadian history: the Accountability Act,” said Weston, adding that the act forced cronyism out of federal politics.
“My first thought is…Mr. Weston, you’ve got to be kidding me,” said Veniez, causing the audience to burst into applause. “No cronyism? Have you seen the 28 appointments to the Senate? How many of those senators are on fraud charges by Elections Canada as we speak?”
Other candidates didn’t miss opportunities to criticize the Harper government.
“This government wastes a lot of money, all under the guise of, ‘Look at what we’re doing.’ But the reality is a lot of communities are suffering because this government is spending money on things that are not high on the priority list,” said New Democrat (NDP) candidate Terry Platt. “Slap a coat of paint on it and put up a sign: Canada’s Action Plan.”
Again, the crowd burst into applause.
Members of the audience were not easy on Weston, either. One university student was critical of the Harper government’s plan to build “megaprisons.”
“Mr. Weston, your government was putting forward a budget that was tough on crime and proposed building megaprisons while being unable not to violate election policy and being the only government in Canadian history to be found in contempt of Parliament,” the young man said.
Weston said the public’s perception of the jails issue is often obscured. “We’re talking about updating jails, making jails better, not just building new jails.”
He added that safe communities are important to Canadians and reminded the audience about his private member’s bill to fight meth and ecstasy production that was adopted just before the election writ was dropped.
Veniez avoided the question and returned to what he considered the main issue. “We’re here because this government lied to the Canadian people and lied to parliament, and your MP represents this government,” he said. “He has to be held accountable for being a puppet for Stephen Harper.”
Despite Veniez’ numerous references to Weston’s leader, he did not mention Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff once during the forum.
Platt said jailing more criminals isn’t the answer to Canadians’ desire for safer communities. “We need to focus on being smart on crime, not just tough on crime, so we can stop crime before it starts,” she said. “Give the support to families from the very beginning so that kids feel…they’re not invisible to the system until they show up doing a crime.”
To sum up her point, Platt quoted Scrooge from Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. “Are there no prisons, are there no work houses?” she said. “That’s not the way to deal with the poor or the disaffected youth.”
Green Party candidate Brennan Wauters supported Platt’s point and took a dig at Harper and his supporters. Two Conservative senators stand charged with having violated Elections Canada spending rules.
“There are far more egalitarian ways of dealing with crime and if we put some money into prisoner reform and contravention…maybe it can be used in Mr. Harper’s inner circle in the Senate,” Wauters said.
That led into a written question asking candidates whether Canada should keep the senate.
Every candidate said it served a purpose, but agreed it should be elected.
“The senate...is the chamber of sober second thought and does serve a useful function, except when we pack it with cronies, campaign managers and backmen, and except when they’re charged under the Elections Act for fraud,” said Veniez, adding that Canadians spend upwards of $400 million on the senate. “If we’re paying that kind of money, we should have accountable representation.”
Weston said before the election there was a bill to limit senate terms to eight years and move toward an elected senate, without having to amend the constitution.
“The bad news is that such a bill has died because we’re in an unnecessary election,” said Weston. “We need an elected senate, we need an effective senate and if a Conservative majority government is elected, we’re gonna get it.”
Platt said that promise was made before and was “just another example of the broken promises that Mr. Harper has made.”
Despite the constant jabs at his party, Weston’s Squamish knowledge was an asset, particularly when a question was asked about what the candidates considered the most important issue in Squamish.
“I think there’s three key issues--jobs, jobs, jobs,” replied Weston.
“The motto of this place is, ‘Live, work and play’… it’s been so critical for me to listen to the local priorities here, for mayor and council and business leaders and volunteers to say, ‘These are the priorities’ and for me to go and champion those priorities in Ottawa.”
He mentioned the Squamish-Lillooet Sportfish Advisory Group and the Riverstones affordable housing project, whereas Veniez brought the question back to “good government” and named unspecific priorities — “Seniors need help, kids need help,” Veniez said.
“There are many issues that are specific to Squamish but I’m running to be your Member of Parliament, not your mayor,” Veniez said.
Wauters agreed with Weston about jobs being the number one priority but he specified a type of job.
“The jobs that are available, that should be available and that should be stimulated by the higher bodies of government in this country are green jobs,” he said, before plugging the local Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN).
Canadian Action Party candidate Doug Hartt managed to respond to the question and still parade his one issue simultaneously, evoking laughter from the entire room, including Weston.
“If an Aframax supertanker spills in Vancouver harbour, that oil will be here in three days,” he said. “There’ll be lots of clean-up jobs available.”
Because of the forum’s time limit, 10 people who were lined up did not get the opportunity to ask their questions.
During her summation, Platt asked voters to stop playing the ping-pong table of disappointment between Liberals and Conservatives and give the NDP a chance. “We have a leader who’s ready to lead with a practical platform,” she said.
Progressive Canadian Party candidate Roger Lagassé and Libertarian Tunya Audain also spoke at the forum. The Marxist-Leninist and Western Block Party candidates did not attend.
Another candidates’ forum is planned for April 21 in Squamish. As of press time the Green, Liberal and NDP candidates had confirmed their attendance, but Weston has told organizers he cannot attend because of a scheduling conflict.
