CANDIDATES WEIGH IN ON ISSUES BEFORE MAY 2 VOTE

Candidates for the Liberal, Conservative, New Democrat and Green
parties were on hand in Canmore, Wednesday (April 27) night to answer
questions from the public on the issues of this election.

One question that has been brought up several times already in the
riding was on how candidates felt about the gun registry.

Liberal Party candidate John Reilly admitted he has changed his
position on the registry.

"I have waffled on that," Reilly said. "The Liberal Party will support
the gun registry and I will follow the party line on that."

He added the party also promises to streamline the process and reduce
penalties. But pushed further by the question asker, he said his
support comes from the fact police use it.

"I have looked at both sides of this and the support of police
officers on the ground puts me in favour of it," said the former judge.

Conservative Party candidate and incumbent Blake Richards said he is
against the registry, pointing out it was a Liberal initiative meant
to cost $2 million that ballooned into over $2 billion.

"I'm in favour of abolishing the long gun registry; it has been
ineffective and a complete waste of taxpayers' money," Richards said,
adding he cannot support something that is a waste of taxpayers' money
that has been completely ineffective in reducing crime and punishes
law abiding hunters and firearm owners.

Green Party candidate Mike MacDonald said his party had previously
supported abolishing the registry, but if it's useful he would vote to
keep it.

"I'm a bit of a pragmatist," MacDonald said. "For me, it has to come
down to does it work? The reality is it was a waste of money, but that
money is gone and you can't get it back and there is no point throwing
good money after bad."

That said, he also admitted the registry is fraught with issues that
need to be addressed like the difference between rural and urban
firearm owners.

New Democrat candidate Jeff Horvath said the issue is an important one
in this riding and his party would work to fix it.

"We have invested all this money in it," Horvath said. "To throw it
away and abolish it would be financially irresponsible.

"I support police officers and if they are using it and they feel it
is a tool that can make the street safer, then I support it.

One Canmore resident asked candidates what they would do to address
the low voting turnout by First Nations people.

"As a First Nations person and a teacher who has worked with First
Nations communities my entire teaching career, there is no question
there is a low voter turnout," said Horvath, who also pointed out most
Canadians are unaware First Nations people were not allowed to vote
until 1961.

He said there are many reasons for the low turnout in federal
elections and high turnout for the elections of chiefs in these
communities. One is a disconnect and the other is about having been
let down with First Nations people having the highest rates of
incarceration, suicide and substance abuse in Canada.

Horvath said education and properly and fairly funded education is the
answer.

"We have to invest in these communities and provide resources for
these communities to provide education," he said.

MacDonald said low voter turnout is not limited to First Nation
communities.

"I'm a little disconcerted about how Canadians in general are not
coming to the polls and not understanding our parliamentary system,"
he said. "In terms of First Nations, I don't think it is surprising
that they would be reluctant or disengaged by the process given the
history there.

"As the Green Party, we need to open dialogue with First Nations and
work to improve our relation with them."

One of the key things to do that, said MacDonald, is to revisit the
Kelowna Accord and begin meaningful dialogue.

Reilly applauded the mention of the accord as a comprehensive plan put
together by Paul Martin as prime Mminister and something Stephen
Harper has failed to continue.

He said the Kelowna Accord would have involved federal and provincial
First Nation government agencies and the Nations themselves to
determine individual solutions for each community.

Richards said he is sure none of the candidates are satisfied with
voter turnout, but as candidates the job is to address that in the
riding.

"Our job as candidates is to make sure that voter turnout increases
and that is something I have taken seriously," he said.

Richards said he spent time door knocking in the First Nation
communities of the riding during the election and has during his
two-and-a-half years as MP.

He said when speaking of conditions on reserves the answer is
education and economic development. He pointed to a new school in
Morley as one example of addressing that locally.

Candidates were asked about their position on electoral reform and in
particular proportional representation.

Richards said he is against the idea.

"I do not support the principle of proportional representation because
I don't want to see anything done to weaken the power that people in a
constituency have over who represents them," he said.

He added any type of electoral reform is an issue for all Canadians
and should be up to them to decide in the form of a referendum.

"We New Democrats support proportional representation and we do want
to make your vote count," said Horvath. "I think that is why so many
people are disenchanted with our electoral system."

He added the NDP also wants to abolish the senate.

"I don't think it is a big secret the Green Party of Canada would like
to move towards electoral reform," joked MacDonald. "In the last
election, we garnered close to a million votes and have no
representation in Ottawa - how is that democracy?"

Reilly said while the Liberals don't have a position on the issue, he
personally likes the idea and pointed to how the Green Party would
have had 35 seats in the last parliament if there was proportional
representation.

"I don't think that's fair," he said.

One question asker related the Bible to the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms to question whether candidates support legalization of marijuana.

Richards said he does not support any efforts to legalize or
decriminalize the drug and said the government should be focusing its
attention on punishing drug dealers.

"I don't favour legalizing or decriminalizing the use of marijuana,"
he said. "It is a dangerous drug that is illegal and needs to stay
that way.

"People fall into drug use for various reasons and we need to ensure
there are programs for people who are at risk of being brought into a
life of using drugs."

Horvath said the NDP is in favour of decriminalizing the substance and
he does not believe recreational users should be doing jail time.

"There is a difference between marijuana and serious drugs and we need
to remember that," he said, adding in his experience alcohol causes
far more damage in society.

MacDonald said the Green Party platform is to legalize marijuana and
tax it to create revenues for social programs.

"It comes back to a pragmatic position," he said. "The war on drugs -
violence curing violence - is about a $300 million proposition a year
you are paying for it."

Reilly pointed to Conservative legislation to put in place mandatory
minimum sentences and specifically making a six-month jail term
mandatory for possession of six marijuana plants.

"I'm really concerned there is going to be a lot of young people and
Aboriginal people that will face that jail term," he said. "That is
one of the provisions that has me running because it is so wrong."

He said the Liberal party would reduce penalties related to marijuana
possession.

The issue of feminism was also brought up by an audience member. They
asked what each party would do to promote women and women-led single
families in Canada.

With the only party that has a female leader, MacDonald said he has an
advantage.

He said the Green Party actively encourages representation by women in
the party as candidates and he added he would like to see pay equity
between the sexes.

"Having worked with children and families for 10 years... I see what you
are talking about all the time and why we are still in this position
is beyond me," MacDonald said, adding it is about people not profits.

"Part of the Liberal Party platform I think would help those single
families and women are the promises to work toward ending poverty and
homelessness and dealing with people suffering from mental illness
that is not being adequately treated," said Reilly.

Richards said the Conservative Party believes in equal opportunity for
all and a level playing field.

"Women are capable of standing on their own merits without the
government giving them a hand up," he said.

He pointed to family programs his government has proposed like tax
credits as policies that help all families.

Horvath criticized the Conservatives' treatment of their own members
of parliament, for example, women like Helena Guergis.

"The New Democrats have the most women candidates of any national
party," he said.

Horvath called for the recommendations of the 2004 pay equity task
force to be put in force, called for a program to address the more
than 600 missing Aboriginal women in Canada, improvements to
employment insurance qualifications and support for early childhood
education and an end to child poverty.