ELECTION RIVALS GRILLED BY KIDS ON GAY MARRIAGES, MARIJUANA

The setting may have been a crowded classroom but there was no kidding
around as the candidates seeking election in the riding of Charlottetown
faced a group of students at the Full Circle Co-operative private school
Thursday.

One hot button issue after another from abortion to same-sex marriage to
the legalization of marijuana were on the agenda as Liberal Shawn Murphy
and the Green Party's Will McFadden fielded questions from the students who
are in Grade 5-12.

Conservative Darren Peters didn't attend the formal debate but spent an
hour with the students earlier in the day.

NDP candidate Dody Crane missed the debate but spent some time with the
students later in the afternoon.

Scott Davidson, principal of the 16-student strong Full Circle school, said
students were armed and ready for the candidates.

"The reason I organized the debate is to get the politicians in, front and
centre, and get them to talk about what it is to be a politician," Davidson
said in an interview with The Guardian.

"We spent the past three-and-a-half weeks studying the federal election and
the issues in the campaign. The kids were very prepared."

Amid a backdrop of maps, artwork and a bubbling fish tank, Murphy and
McFadden fielded questions for about an hour in the hot, stuffy classroom.

The school, located in a house in downtown Charlottetown, describes itself
as ". . . a space for students who are not experiencing a positive, safe,
fulfilling and individualized learning space."

On the issue of abortion, McFadden said his stand is that it should be
legal and rare.

The Green Party supports a woman's right to choose.

"I agree that it should be a woman's choice," said McFadden.

"But I don't want a world where everyone looks at abortion as an
alternative to condoms, as an example. That would be very, very unfortunate
for all of us."

Going against his own party's stand, Murphy said he is against abortion
unless the life of the woman is in danger.

But he contradicted himself when he said: "Right now, I don't see any
consensus in Canadian society to make any changes in the legislation."

That legislation Murphy is making reference to legalizes abortion and his
leader, Prime Minister Paul Martin, has said he will fight for a woman's
right to choose.

Abortion is not performed at any Prince Edward Island hospital.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, once again Murphy went against his
party' s line.

He said he supports the traditional definition of marriage as being between
a man and a woman, but the Liberal party has chosen not to challenge a
court ruling that says banning gays and lesbians from marrying is against
the Charter.

Martin has also said he believes same-sex marriage is a fundamental right.

McFadden said he and his party support gay marriage as long as traditional
churches are not forced to perform ceremonies between two men or two women.

Neither Murphy nor McFadden saw eye-to-eye on the other hot button issue
raised Thursday afternoon, legalization of marijuana.

The Liberal government suggested it would decriminalize pot but not
legalize it. That means while it won't be legal to smoke pot, those caught
doing it would face a fine rather than a criminal record.

On this subject, Murphy supports his party's stand — to a degree.

He said he supports decriminalization but he believes its use will fall.

"We would be urging young people not to smoke marijuana," said Murphy.

"In a perfect world, you wouldn't be smoking anything, you wouldn't be
smoking anything and that's where society is heading."

McFadden said the laws surrounding marijuana use are seriously outdated.

"We support the legalization and the taxation of marijuana," said McFadden,
who attended the forum wearing a hemp baseball cap on backwards, jeans and
a T-shirt.

"We don't see why people are going to jail for something that is no more
harmful than alcohol and cigarettes."