CBC Radio is hosting the first of four all-candidates forums for Prince George mayor and city council tonight at the Bob Harkins branch of the Prince George Public Library.
This will be the first opportunity for many local residents to see and hear the candidates. The reality, however, is that some of the people who go to these events, especially the early ones like tonight, nearly a month before the Oct. 20 voting day, are there to cheer on friends and family members running for office. While there, maybe they'll consider other candidates to help decide who else they will vote for in their eight choices for city council.
Whether you're a totally undecided voter or someone who already knows many of the candidates you're supporting but needs to decide who else is getting your vote, hearing directly from the candidates is always the best option.
But not just hearing. This is an active listening moment. Prepare to be both impressed by candidates you thought didn't have the right stuff but also discouraged by candidates you were well-prepared to put an X beside their name until they opened their mouth.
Give the rookie candidates a bit of a break but not too much. Yes, the newcomers might not be great public speakers and they might not be able to speak to every issue with the same awareness as the incumbents but they should still impress with their knowledge, sophistication and maturity. In other words, they should hold their own. Give them a chance but don't tilt the ground too far in their favour.
Give the incumbents candidates a hard time but don't be too tough. No one would have a perfect record at work if a review of their last four years on the job was conducted so be reasonable. It's fair to call them on their mistakes but what they've learned and how they'll be better if they're reelected is more important. They've had at least four years on the job so they should have a full command of the issues and if they don't, you should question your support.
How they answer the questions is also important. The candidate who delivers the right answer in a dismissive or condescending tone is giving the wrong answer. They are showing that they know enough about the issue to give a good response but actually don't care about the matter, meaning they will invest no time and effort on it once elected. Tone and attitude is important because it shows thoughtfulness, humility and an ability to work well with others, which is essential in local government.
Watch for candidates who don't answer the question at all. It's a common trick and the skilled and experienced politicians are especially adept at taking virtually any question and either dodging it or deflecting it to what they really want to talk about.
Here's an example (with apologies to Lyn Hall but the incumbent mayor is running against only one, longshot challenger so he can take the hit). When asked about the overtime policy for exempt senior city employees at his campaign announcement, Hall said that would be up to the next council to decide. That's a non-answer. Of course it's up to the next council. A proper answer would be that he either supports the current policy and would not change it, would like to review it but won't commit to a change at this time or he supports outright eliminating the policy.
Also, watch and listen to the candidates before and after the forums. Are they working the room, introducing themselves to people they don't know and thanking them for coming out or did they show up two minutes before the event started, only chatted with their friends and supporters and then ran out the door as soon as it wrapped up?
Finally, attendance matters. There will be some candidates who will not be there tonight and that should cost those candidates because now you have to make the further effort to attend one of the other forums to catch up to them.
The other forums are:
Oct. 9 - The Northern Regional Construction Association, in partnership with the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of British Columbia and the Canadian Home Builders' Association, is hosting a forum from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Prince George. Registration is free and seats are limited. Registration is required to attend at nrca.ca.
Oct. 10 - Candidating at the Prince George Public Library from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free and no registration. Attendees can spend up to two minutes of one-on-one time with the candidate of their choice to ask questions and discuss issues before moving on in a "speed dating" format.
Oct. 16 - The Citizen, in partnership with the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and UNBC, presents an all-candidates forum at UNBC from 7 to 9 p.m. Free and no registration required. Exact location and format still to be determined.
So if you can't make it tonight, you've got three other opportunities to meet the candidates and no excuses to not make your own educated vote on election day.
See you out there.
-- Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
