Candidates’ Forum at U-Hall

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So, last night I attended the forum at University Hall, where candidates for the Federal Riding of Kings-Hants spoke. If you’re from the Wolfville area, or know people who attend Acadia University, get your hands on this week’s copy of the Athenaeum, where my article that I wrote for the paper will be displayed.

I guess the purpose of this blog post is to say the things I wanted to say in my article for the Ath, but couldn’t as it wasn’t supposed to be an opinion piece.

I’m not going to give a who said what on certain issues (unless there is some reader requests; I took a LOT of notes), as all the candidates essentially towed the party line.  The issues that were brought up were many and varied, ranging from post-secondary education to justice to child-care to copywrite issues. 

Despite popular expectations, a lot of mud-slinging went on.  True, while the nature of a “forum” rather than a bona fide ”debate,” doesn’t allow for the type of back and forth a lot of people craved, the shots and jabs and mud-slinging was subtle in the candidates’ reponses.

PARTISAN OPINION ALERT!

Dr. Carol Harris, the candidate for the New Democratic Party, however, was the only one who kept her “attacks” on a professional, issues-based level.  While she was by no means submissive in the debate, her shots at the other three candidates were lined with civility and professionalism.

Rosemary Segado displayed a cold, calculating persona one might expect from someone directly-picked by Harper’s cronies in Ottawa, and she made many a fumble throughout the night.  When asked about her opinions on copywrite issues and downloading, she stated, “It’s against the law; I know my kids don’t do it.” Which is an absurd assumption.  Other than that, she had little to say. In a move reminiscent of VP hopeful Sarah Palin, Segado said, “I don’t really know a lot about it. I’ll have to get back to you.”  Rosemary Segado was also attacked very subtly by Mr. Brison, who said, “I don’t trust Harper, and neither do a lot of Canadians.   Some have referred to him as an elected dictatorship.”  Mrs. Segado’s husband, Mr. Roberto Segado, referred to the Harper regime as an elected dictatorship in a comment on a story on the Globe and Mail’s website.  (If Mr. Segado doesn’t like conservatives, why is he reading the Globe and Mail?)

Scott Brison was a great orator on Tuesday, but his demeanor on the stage was somewhat juvenile; for example, while Segado was trying to speak on the Conservative’s environmental policy (a subject Brison had attacked moments before), Mr. Brison grinned, and in a childish (though hilarious) display, handed the Conservative platform to Segado.  Rosemary, needless to say, got pretty irked and demanded the moderator give her “additional time,” to speak. Dr. Wilkes, however, didn’t deliver on that particular request.

Green candidate, Brendan McNeill, held his own against candidates of higher calibre and experience, and was actually surprisingly well-versed on a number of subjects.  I’m no fan of the Greens, who flip and flop from right to left more than a fish out of water, but I can’t help but give kudos to McNeill.  His comments on how 90% of his wardrobe is from Frenchies received raucous applause and laughter.

One Hants county man got POed by Brison’s mere prescence, and after a back and forth with the candidate, stormed out of the room.  I spoke to the man afterward, and he stated that he didn’t trust Mr. Brison.  He said the incumbent lies through his teeth and isn’t fit to be an MP.  ”I could cut the political career out from under him if I told what I know about him,” stated the man.  

So, with all the japes, drama, and debate that went on at U-Hall last night, one would be foolish to describe the night as anything less than lively.

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Tags: Acadia, Brendan McNeill, Canadian Federal Election 2008, Carol Harris, Conservative Party, Debate, Drama, Green Party, Kings-Hants, Liberal Party, New Democratic Party, Roberto Segado, Rosemary Segado, Scott Brison, the Athenaeum