STUDENTS TOLD GREEN PARTY WOULD LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

The legalization of marijuana, funding for education and the arts
were among the issues raised by Fleming College students at an
all-candidates debate yesterday.

The debate, hosted by the Student Administrative Council at the
college, welcomed Peterborough riding candidates Conservative MP Dean
Del Mastro, Liberal Betsy McGregor, New Democrat Steve Sharpe and the
Green party's Emily Berrigan.

The candidates answered a couple of education questions from
moderator and SAC director Andy Glynn before fielding questions from
some of the 150 students.

Sharpe pledged his party would establish a $1,000 grant for students
who qualify for loans.

"If you are doing a three-year program, there's an extra $3,000 to
reduce your overall tuition," Sharpe said. "So right from the get-go
we are trying to make sure (education) is cheaper."

Del Mastro said more funding needs to be opened up to students
through tax credits.

McGregor promised a $1,000 grant to assist students with housing,
food and books.

"We need to increase access grants to not only cover tuition, but to
cover a large percentage of the total education costs," Berrigan
said, "to cover the cost of rent, books, child care and food."

Travel and tourism student Geoff Logan, 20, asked Del Mastro what his
position is on cuts to arts and culture funding.

"We've actually got a tremendous record on support for the arts," Del
Mastro said. "We have dramatically increased funding for the arts by
more than eight per cent, more than $200 million than the previous
government, and we have almost doubled funding for the Canada Council."

McGregor was quick to ask Glynn for a rebuttal to dispute Del Mastro's claims.

"The eight per cent that is referred to by the current member is
eight per cent to Heritage Canada," McGregor said. "If you drill down
below there you will find there is a serious $42-million cut to the arts.

"It is an absolute outrage," she said. "We depend on the (artistic)
community. In fact 7.5 per cent of the GDP of our nation depends on
arts and culture."

Berrigan said the arts are not just a frill. They bring communities
to life, attract tourists and help communities compete economically
around the world, she said.

"I am not arguing with Dean about whether or not they increased
funding," Sharpe said. "It was a reallocation of funds. He knows that."

Knowing the Green party is in favour of legalizing marijuana, 20-
year-old nursing student Katie Bradley asked Berrigan how her
position will affect the use of harder drugs in Peterborough.

"By legalizing marijuana I am not exactly supporting it," Berrigan
said. "If you are addicted to marijuana or any drug, you should not
be thrown in jail for it. There are deeper issues behind that." Del
Mastro disagreed. The federal government has to address the root
cause of why people turn to drugs in the first place, not legalize
marijuana, he said.

"When I talk about going after the drug problem, I am not talking
about people who are addicted to them," he said, "but the people who
are peddling this stuff. We have to stop treating them with kid gloves."

While she supports the medical use of marijuana, McGregor said
anything beyond that is open for discussion.

Sharpe said marijuana provides a lucrative income for biker gangs and
other organized crime.

NOTES:Toward the end of the debateEmily Berrigansaid "it looks
likeDean (Del Mastro)is going to win and it kills me to say that." ..
All the candidates were sipping water from red stainless steel
Fleming College water bottles given to them from the Fleming Applied
Agency, the college's integrated marketing communications agency. The
bottles are given out free of charge to anyone, SAC director Andy
Glynnsaid.... All the local candidates urged Fleming College students
to vote on Oct. 14, regardless of political affiliation.

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