The heckling of the audience at the all candidates’ debate was unorthodox and if a person shut their eyes they could picture themselves in the bleachers at the Air Canada Centre with fans booing and chanting, and when they open their eyes the chants became a clear demand for a candidate to 'answer the question' at the Canadian Legion on First Avenue.
With the revamped format candidates tackled issues on everything from arts and culture to two tier health care with no clear winner emerging at the end of the evening.
The first segment of the evening allowed for questions from the media panel with the first question directed to NDP candidate Dianna Allen dealt with how her party would deal with recent cut backs made to the country’s arts and culture industry and the statements made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper regarding the industry.
“Arts and Culture is the heart and soul of the country,” Allen tells the crowd.
“We would immediately roll back the $46 million in cuts.”
Allen also said that the NDP under party leader Jack Layton would look to develop a taxation scheme for artists much like the one in Quebec, as well as grow the CBC.
Rebutting the statement Conservative candidate Joe Sinicrope said there had been no cutbacks to the arts and culture industry under the Harper government.
“Well yes there were some cutbacks but only to some programs,” he states.
“We (Harper government) have put more in arts and culture.”
The second question posed by the media panel to Conservative candidate Joe Sinicrope and addressed the shortages in staffing highly skilled positions, such as doctors, nurses and skilled trades positions.
Sinicrope’s answer placed the issue of attracting doctors squarely at the feet of the province which drew a quick and stern reply from NDP candidate Dianna Allen.
“That is an utter abdication of responsibility,” she tells Sinicrope pointing out that health care is a federal responsibility as well the province relies on transfer payments.
Rota agreed noting that when the Liberals were in power under FedNor they invested in the Northern Medical School to attract doctors to the north. As well Rota noted that the Liberals want to fast track foreign trained doctors and create a fund for nurses and doctors.
Canadian Action Party candidate Dr. Andrew Moulden said that on average a medical student has a debt load of at least $150,000 upon completion of school ... a subject he knows all too well.
“We need to relinquish the stranglehold on students,” he said passionately.
Green Party Candidate Craig Bridges said prevention is far less costly than treating the illness.
“We need to remove the toxic poisons from the air, water and food.”
There were well over 200 people out for the all candidates’ debate, however, at times the event seemed more like a cat fight between Conservative candidate Joe Sinicrope and Liberal Anthony Rota then a debate with each pointing out what the opposing party has not done while in power.
"Don't count on Liberal promises, they never do anything," Sinicrope said.
That statement drew a quick reaction from Green Party candidate Craig Bridges telling Sinicrope that he was no different and couldn’t be painted with a different brush.
Supporting Bridges’ statement Dr. Moulden pointed out to Sinicrope that it was his party the closed the database for freedom of information.
The back and forth 'pettiness' between the two seemed to have little effect as one man was put to sleep and that pettiness is exactly what Rota says he's proud he's not.
"I don't take part in the heckling and pettiness that takes place in Ottawa. We need to think about who we send," Rota said.
The evening and questions flowed with time for sparing between all the candidates with the issue of re-surfacing the runway at North Bay’s Jack Garland Airport and keeping CFB North Bay drawing intense debate for about thirty minutes.
Sinicrope said the Harper government has invested millions of dollars in Canada’s military, and at the same time he promised if elected he would get the runway resurfaced.
“That’s my number one priority.”
Again, the Tory, Liberal argument was rekindled when Rota accused Jim Flaherty of having a 'we'll see' attitude while the Liberals Michael Ignatieff say the runway 'has to be repaved'. NDP candidate Dianna Allen put out the fire after her statement.
"We need to raise this political debate to a higher level," Allen said.
Following the media panel and email questions the floor opened up for audience questions and chants of 'answer the question' rumbled through the crowd.
One man, who identified that he had literacy issues and cannot follow the campaign in the newspapers, asked Conservative candidate Joe Sinicrope if his government had any intention of reinvesting in the literacy programs that had been cut.
“We believe in education,” responded Sinicrope after asking for clarification of the question.
Dr. Moulden sticking to his single issue platform of pharmaceutical companies being in bed with government said that the Canadian Action Party would sue the pharmaceutical companies for failed vaccines and invest that money into literacy programs.
Meanwhile, Liberal incumbent Anthony Rota said it is not enough to say that you believe in the classic education system as people fall through the cracks and life happens. He contends that it takes herculean strength for anyone to admit they cannot read.
“They deserve a second chance,” he said with great force which drew applause from all audience members. “They deserve that help.”
The NDP candidate agreed stating that their party would restore the funds back instantly.
“We would introduce formal recognition for the right to learn.”
The Green Party’s Bridges said they to know the value of literacy to the well being of the country and would legislate the funding back to the programs.
“So people are not left behind.”
The evening drew to a conclusion with closing remarks from all five candidates and as folks filed out of the hall they may not have agreed on whom they were supporting, but the general consensus was that the new format introduced by the chamber was a winner.
