Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Curtis Goodrum

ELECTION 2025

All-candidates forum echoes national debate as election day nears

Apr 23, 2025 | 4:43 PM

KAMLOOPS – An all-candidates forum for MP hopefuls vying to represent Kamloops’ two federal ridings was held on Tuesday (April 22).

Candidates of the Conservative Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, New Democratic Party, Green Party of Canada and People’s Party of Canada discussed hot-button issues ahead of federal election day on Monday (April 28).

Much like the national debate, the red and blue candidates did much of the talking.

Housing is a major issue and when asked during the debate, Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola Liberal candidate Iain Currie put pressure on Frank Caputo, the Conservative incumbent in the riding.

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“The City of Kamloops asked for Frank’s support in seeking a $50-million grant, at which point Frank wrote a letter until Pierre Poilievre told him that that wasn’t permitted of the Conservatives, presumably because they weren’t allowed to support Liberal money coming to the people of Kamloops,” Currie said.

Caputo took issue with the claim.

“We are grateful you stood up for our city while your party leader told you and your colleagues not to do what you did,” Caputo said. “Thank you for putting town over partisanship. Nobody told me I couldn’t write a letter. I will write whatever the heck I want. I’m not a Liberal. I get to do what I want. Thank you.”

NDP candidate Miguel Godau spoke of the importance of protecting renters.

“Protecting rental caps so people aren’t gouged is of utmost importance for me,” Godau said.

Currie took aim at Caputo’s social media history.

“There was a CBC story which brought this to the attention of a lot of people, documenting how the document was fake and was being used by three Conservatives, including my friend, to cast aspersions or suggestions on what the Correctional Service of Canada was doing,” Currie said.

The incumbent defended his tweet, saying there was no need to take it down.

“When it comes to the correctional service account, if this stuff is found in a jail, I inquired which jail it was reportedly found in,” Caputo said. “I know how it came to be. This isn’t something I just did, but when you’re talking about the Correctional Service of Canada, they are a mess. This is a service that I spent a lot of time investigating.”

To check out all the party platforms and candidates, check the 2025 Federal Election tab on our website.