By Chad Klassen

All-candidates forum at TRU favoured Liberals and NDP

Oct 15, 2015 | 6:29 PM

During Wednesday night’s all-candidates debate at TRU, questions from the media and public touched on everything from the economy, environment, foreign policy, terrorism and security, and even electoral reform. But the a majority of questions were directed at Conservative candidate Cathy McLeod.

All night, McLeod was on the defensive, trying to fend off a mainly pro-Liberal and NDP crowd.

She was being attacked from all sides and from all other candidates, with the Liberals’ Steve Powrie and NDP’s Bill Sundhu hammering at the Conservatives’ lack of good goverance. 

“This is a government that has taken ethical standard to the lowest levels we have seen in modern Canadian history,” said Sundhu. “Corruption in the Senate. Stephen Harper said he was going to clean up Liberal scandals. He replaced them with Conservative scandals.”

Powrie added, “We’re in a huge deficit of values, morals, and judgment, and I think government has lost its core. And for all of us, when our cores are weak, we are not as strong.”

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McLeod got the brunt of the anger and frustration from the audience at TRU, directed right at Stephen Harper. 

Everything from his record on the environment, tax cuts favouring big business, the Conservatives’ approach to foreign policy, and what many Canadians are concerned about, Bill C-51 and the Anti-Terrorism Act. 

“How can you justify this Bill as anything other than fear-mongering and a violation of our Canadian basis Charter rights,” one speaker asked.

Another said, “My question to you [Cathy McLeod] is, do you condone your leader and a Prime Minster of Canada lying to Canadians?”

The Green’s Matt Greenwood held the other candidates accountable as well, especially McLeod, leading to a couple heated conversations.

Many at the packed house at TRU appreciated the debate and feel more informed going into Monday’s election.