The first all-candidates forum for Cariboo-Prince George was largely a polite affair on Monday night, with only a few flashes of political
fireworks.
The event was actually more notable for the levity provided by the Rhinoceros candidate.
The forum, organized by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and other organizations, offered each candidate an opening statement. They then answered questions in areas like the economy, health care and immigration; and were given an opportunity for rebuttal.
Conservative incumbent Dick Harris, who is in his eighteenth year as an MP, said his party would provide a strong, stable government that would help Canada, and the region, continue to emerge from the recession.
In answering questions, Harris several times pushed the argument the Liberals and NDP caused an unnecessary election - and one the public didn't want - because they defeated the Conservative budget.
On a question on how to address long waiting lists and quality of health care in northern B.C., Harris said the Conservatives had included a loan forgiveness program for doctors and nurses who practiced in rural areas in its budget. "Unfortunately the NDP and Liberals voted the budget down," he told the audience of about 150 at the College of New Caledonia.
Later, Green Party candidate Heidi Redl, a Williams Lake rancher, told Harris he was wrong, and that his government was brought down on a non-confidence motion on contempt of Parliament.
That brought the largest response from the audience, a round of heavy applause, but it was a rare moment of emotion.
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The non-confidence motion followed from a House affairs committee report that said the government was in contempt of parliament for refusing to supply enough information on the cost of the F-35 fighter jets, their justice system reforms and their projections for corporate profits and tax rates.
However, the NDP, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois had already indicated they would not support the Conservative budget.
NDP candidate Jon Van Barneveld, a UNBC student, said rural health care is in a crisis. He said the NDP would increase the number of doctors and nurses trained in Canada, increase funding for home care to keep people out of more expensive hospitals and put a focus on prevention.
In answering a question on immigration, Van Barneveld said a key is to increase the economic prosperity of northern B.C. "Nobody is going to come here if we have not jobs," he said.
Liberal candidate Sangeeta Lalli, a University of B.C. parachute candidate from Vancouver, was a no-show.
Harris is considered the favourite. He won the last election in 2008 with 55 per cent of the vote, 12,000 more than his nearest opponent from the NDP with 26 per cent of the vote. The Liberals ran a distant third with 10.5 per cent of the vote.
A number of fringe party candidates also participated in the forum.
Christian Heritage Party candidate Henry Thiessen, a helicopter pilot from Vanderhoof, introduced himself with a plea to stop abortions, saying millions of people are missing from this generation that would help the economy.
Independent Jon Ronan, a renovator from Prince George, introduced himself, saying, "I'm here because I'm angry," largely with what he called unethical spending.
Rhinoceros Party candidate Jordan Turner, a UNBC student, received the most reaction from the crowd -- largely laughter -- with his answers.
He said the Rhinoceros was a perfect vehicle for a political party -- thick skinned, slow moving and dim-witted. In response to a question on municipal infrastructure, he said he would put the $123 billion in debt on Visa and redeem the points for two-slice toasters.
