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By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Candidates off to a slow start at first civic election forum

Sep 26, 2022 | 4:27 AM

THE FIRST FORUM of the civic election campaign is on the books and while none of the candidates stood out as obvious picks, it did provide some clues as to where the focus will be.

Almost a hundred people watched and listened Saturday morning as candidates got their first chance to speak to a crowd. The Council of Canadians forum at the Farmers Market has become a tradition and is a great chance for hopefuls to get their feet wet.

As I predicted quite some time ago, social disorder is going to be Number One in this election. That will be a challenge for business-oriented candidates who will have to pivot from the usual focus on jobs and economy.

Some of those who stepped up to the microphone Saturday — especially councillor candidates who had two minutes to impress — had clearly not put a lot of thought into what they were going to say. Formulating their comments ahead of time would have helped — one candidate wisely wrote his down.

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There were, however, some interesting remarks, especially from the newbies. Bonnie Cleland candidly admitted, “I don’t have all the answers.” Mac Gordon talked about being “pissed off” about the state of affairs at City Hall, saying council has to start “saying no” to staff. And Taj Sandur, at 33, is going after the younger vote.

Frankly, mayoral hopefuls were lacklustre. They need to develop Q&As for themselves so they don’t get stuck on what should be predictable questions. At times, they simply failed to take advantage of opportunities to clearly explain what sets them apart from their competitors.

Another disappointment was that a half dozen candidates, including mayoral candidate Ray Dhaliwal, weren’t there. It was a busy Saturday and they undoubtedly had other commitments, but they were missed.

There will, however, be several other forums, so candidates will have a chance to improve their speaking skills and ability to think on their feet.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.