According to a poll cited by moderator Russell Bowers, 60 per cent of the voters in Cariboo-Prince George have indicated they are looking for change following the Oct. 19 federal election and the five candidates on hand for Wednesday's debate jockeyed to show voters that they were the switch people were looking for.
In the absence of Conservative candidate Todd Doherty, the event - co-hosted by the Prince George Public Library and CBC Radio One - became a staging ground for Liberal Tracy Calogheros, Independent Sheldon Clare, Christian Heritage's Adam De Kroon, New Democrat Trent Derrick and Green Richard Jaques to make their pitch to move the riding from its long Conservative history.
Over the course of an hour and a half in front of a standing-room only crowd at the Bob Harkins branch of the library, candidates fielded questions ranging from natural resource development to funds for municipal infrastructure to addressing poverty.
On some issues, candidates were all on the same page. Regarding the long-form census, all five eagerly declared their support for bringing back the questionnaire as a mandatory exercise after it was cancelled by the Conservative government in 2010.
Candidates were also mostly on the same page when faced with making a commitment to remaining a resident of the riding if elected to serve in Ottawa. While everyone expressed their fidelity to the riding, Clare also said he had "a modicum of respect" for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies incumbent Bob Zimmer moving his young family to Ottawa.
"Let's think about another factor for western MPs - the divorce rate," said Clare.
"I think that's something you have to think about. Every person is going to have a different situation based on their family and you have to take that into consideration."
When faced with a question about moving forward in the wake of last summer's Supreme Court of Canada decision granting the Tsilhqot'in First Nation title rights and this year's Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and recommendations, most candidates expressed a desire to see more consultation between affected communities and the federal government as well as a desire to move forward with an inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women.
But Jaques said that wasn't enough.
"The Supreme Court said in nine separate decisions, the word is 'consent' not consultation. You must seek their consent in order to move forward with any resource management," he said.
Asked by Coun. Garth Frizzell about their plans for funding crumbling municipal infrastructure, Derrick cited the NDP's promise to reinvest $0.01 from the federal gas tax and Jaques pointed to the Green plan to convert one point of the GST for $6.4 billion worth of reinvestment.
De Kroon said communication between the federal and municipal levels will be key.
"At the end of the day, who knows better? A politician in Ottawa or the local community?" he said.
"The government needs to open up to communities to find out what it is that is most important to them and I would support increased federal funding for infrastructure projects."
Calogheros tackled the issue of her party's plan to run a deficit to fund the investment.
"(Liberal Party leader)Justin Trudeau has been honest with all of us in saying we're going to run minor deficits. Now I can't believe I'm saying a $10 billion deficit is a minor number because the billion part of that just freaks me out," Calogheros said.
"But when you look at that in comparison to our GDP and total economy, it isn't even material, as my accountant friends will tell me."
One of the night's earliest questions gave candidates a chance to address what role the federal government has in avoiding situations like the tailings pond failure at Mount Polley mine.
Both De Kroon and Clare supported penalties for corporations that aren't up to standard and all five advocated for having more money for scientific and regulatory agencies.
"We do believe in resource development, we do believe in supporting green initiatives, but we need to work together," said Derrick.
"And we need that by investing in research, development and putting our funds back in to Environment Canada and their inspections."
