LOEHNDORF PROMOTES POT FOR FUN AND PROFIT AT PCSS

Some will get high and many others will profit. That seemed to be the
message Marijuana party candidate Dan Loehndorf took to senior high school
students Tuesday in an all-candidates forum at the Prince Charles Auditorium.

"Marijuana not only gets you high, it's the key to our economy," he said.

Loehndorf claimed the amount of tax revenue that would flow into provincial
coffers from legalizing the drug would be equal to stumpage fees collected
from the forest industry - between $4 billion and $10 billion annually.

Student Gord Heal asked Loehndorf whether a Marijuana government would
legalize the drug for medicinal use or farming.

Loehndorf said the first priority would be to create a provincial police
force to enforce the law, and take that responsibility away from the RCMP.
Removing possession of the substance from the Criminal Code would also be
key, he said.

Liberal candidate Blair Suffredine predicted revenues would dry up if
marijuana was legalized beause the drug would become "as cheap as corn."

All five Nelson-Creston candidates for Wednesday's provincial election
participated in the forum, which included opportunities for prepared
statements and questions from the floor. It was moderated by Gade 11
student Jessie Willicome.

Regarding the rising cost of post-secondary education, Unity candidate
Stephen Cox said his party would like to freeze tuition fees at present
levels and raise the amount paid by foreign students.

Both Colleen McCrory, the Green candidate, and Loehndorf said their parties
were in favour of free tuition.

Suffredine said he supported tuition cuts but that a Liberal government
would give that lost revenue back to universities in post-secondary funding.

When asked how they would respond to labour troubles that have been
plaguing the province recently, candidates varied widely in their answers.
McCrory said the key to restoring health care is to pay nurses adequately.

"Nurses right now are overworked," she said. "We need to pay nurses a
decent wage."

Both McCrory and Suffredine blamed the NDP for the dismal state of the
health care system.

Incumbent MLA Corky Evans said he supports free collective bargaining.
Government doesn't have any place interfering with the process in his view.

"It isn't a question of who you elect. It's who you bargain with," he said.

"Bargaining is the way to answer that question, not politicking."

Evans said the shortage of nurses is worldwide and recruiting nurses from
elsewhere won't solve the problem.

"Simply stealing other people's workers isn't a solution," he said.

Cox said a Unity government would work to eliminate the need for labour
disruptions.

"We have to determine the fair compensation for these professions," he said.

Loehndorf said the solution lies in promoting alternative therapies. He
said for every dollar spent in community prevention through health units,
$7 is saved in the conventional system.

Suffredine said a Liberal government would create 5,000 new training spaces
at universities over the next five years.

Student Shaun Paradis drew a round of applause when he said he loses
respect for the candidates every time they put down each other.

He asked whether the Liberals would ignore the Nelson-Creston riding if the
party gets a massive majority but Suffredine isn't elected.

Suffredine said the Liberals would work hard to make sure the economy of
the entire province gets back in top condition.

Evans and McCrory seized on that question.

"A government is only as good as its opposition," Evans said. "You can't
be punished for exercising a democratic right."

"MLAs in opposition can be absolutely key to your community," McCrory added.