Organizers of an all-candidates debate are defending its exclusive focus on the environment.
The debate for candidates in Saanich-Gulf Islands scheduled for Oct. 3 at St. PaulB次元官网网址檚 United Church in Sidney will be one of more than 100 debates in ridings across Canada on climate change and the environment. Starting time is 6:30 p.m., running until 9 p.m.
The event is organized by . GreenPAC, a B次元官网网址渘on-partisan, non-profit organization working to elect and support environmental leaders of all major parties running for office,B次元官网网址� and E虂quiterre, a Quebec-based non-profit, are coordinating the project, which describes itself as a B次元官网网址渟trictly non-partisan initiative focused on bringing voters together at the riding level to hear candidatesB次元官网网址� best policy proposals for the environment.B次元官网网址�
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The question remains though: why organize an entire debate for a singular subject in light of other pressing issues such as housing affordability, global trade, security and immigration among others.
Local co-organizer Jack Thornburgh said B次元官网网址渦ndeniably there are other important issuesB次元官网网址� that other general all-candidates meetings in Saanich-Gulf Islands and elsewhere will cover.
B次元官网网址淭丑别 are intended as dedicated forums covering environmental issues,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲ilderness conservation, water protection, toxins in the environment, and more, will all be addressed in these debates B次元官网网址� not just climate change and global warming itself.B次元官网网址�
So what steps are organizers taking to ensure that the forum does not end up being a soap box or the equivalent of a penalty kick on an empty net for one of the candidates, namely local MP and federal Green party leader Elizabeth May?
B次元官网网址淚f this were going to be a soap box, or easy penalty kick for the Greens, other partiesB次元官网网址� candidates would decline to attend,B次元官网网址� said Thornburgh. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not the case, as we have all four major parties confirmed for our forum. Early indications are that the other 100-plus debates across the country are getting a similar broad response from parties across the board.B次元官网网址�
Thornburgh acknowledged that May is known for her familiarity with environmental issues. B次元官网网址淏ut Elizabeth is coming to this forum because sheB次元官网网址檚 our elected MP,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f there were a different Green candidate for our riding, that person would be attending.B次元官网网址�
Debates will also take place in the ridings of Victoria, Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, and Cowichan-Malahat-Langford.
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