With a legislature staff expense uproar in Victoria the week before the Nanaimo byelection, candidates were quick to offer their condemnations.

Accountability within government was one of a range of themes that came up during an all-candidates meeting Thursday night at the Beban Park social centre, hosted by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce.

All six candidates participated: Justin Greenwood of the B.C. Conservatives, Tony Harris of the B.C. Liberals, Sheila Malcolmson of the B.C. NDP, Michele Ney of the B.C. Green Party, Robin Richardson of the VanIsle Province Party and Bill Walker of the B.C. Libertarians.

All six indicated they were upset by the spending scandal at the legislature.

B次元官网网址淓very day we are learning more about the culture of entitlement with the B.C. Liberals. Another example where we cannot go back,B次元官网网址� said Malcolmson. B次元官网网址淏etween the clerkB次元官网网址檚 office and the dirty money laundering scandal, people are talking with disgust and shock about the revelation and [demanding] that the B.C. Liberals come clean about what they knew and reveal whatB次元官网网址檚 at the root of this.B次元官网网址�

Harris said the clerk expenses need to be addressed aggressively B次元官网网址渨ith all partiesB次元官网网址� supportB次元官网网址� and said there needs to be an audit and a call for transparency with all legislative expenses publicly available online.

B次元官网网址淚 know that I certainly wouldnB次元官网网址檛 tolerate this in my business and I certainly wouldnB次元官网网址檛 tolerate it in any of the non-profits that I work with,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o you can rest assured that if IB次元官网网址檓 in Victoria, I absolutely wonB次元官网网址檛 put up with any behaviour like the behaviour thatB次元官网网址檚 been alleged down in Victoria.B次元官网网址�

Ney said she found the situation B次元官网网址渁ppallingB次元官网网址� and said she wants an audit done to B次元官网网址渃lean outB次元官网网址� the legislature so there are trustworthy politicians there.

B次元官网网址淭his is peopleB次元官网网址檚 hard[-earned] money that theyB次元官网网址檝e taxed, that youB次元官网网址檝e given to the government,B次元官网网址� she said.

Greenwood said B次元官网网址渢ransparency equals accountabilityB次元官网网址� and called for the legislature expenses to be open for the investigation so that all the dollars are accounted for. Richardson said the audit should go back 20 years and any B次元官网网址済uiltyB次元官网网址� parties B次元官网网址渟hould pay back to taxpayers the money that theyB次元官网网址檝e stolen.B次元官网网址� Walker said entitlement and a lack of transparency is B次元官网网址減retty common practiceB次元官网网址� in governments and said if there was fraud, it should lead to charges and even jail time.

B次元官网网址淓veryone knows that if they fiddle the books that way and do that sort of thing, thereB次元官网网址檚 going to have to be repercussions.B次元官网网址�

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Bill Walker: B次元官网网址淚 want less government and lower taxes and I think most hard-working, responsible people are for this."

B次元官网网址� Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)

The all-candidatesB次元官网网址� meeting also included discussion of supportive housing, crime and transportation. The format of the debate allowed for rebuttals, so there were a few instances of candidates engaging in back-and-forth discussion.

Greenwood was asked about the president of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Conservative Electoral District Association Mark MacDonald endorsing the B.C. Liberals and cautioning against vote-splitting.

B次元官网网址淥bviously a B.C. Liberal supporter and as he said in his retraction, he spoke on his own and not [for] the party and thatB次元官网网址檚 just part of the game of what weB次元官网网址檙e doing right now,B次元官网网址� Greenwood said.

Harris responded, saying heB次元官网网址檚 receiving support in the community because heB次元官网网址檒l strongly represent Nanaimo whereas B次元官网网址淢r. GreenwoodB次元官网网址檚 actually from Vancouver; he lives in Vancouver and people want a representative from Nanaimo for Nanaimo to work on NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 needs and IB次元官网网址檓 a strong voice.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 guess Mr. HarrisB次元官网网址檚 stance of not getting personal went out the window,B次元官网网址� Greenwood replied, explaining that though he lives in Langley, heB次元官网网址檚 from the Island, born in Victoria, lived in Saanich and is staying at his brotherB次元官网网址檚 house in Nanaimo.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e already made it publicly clear B次元官网网址� that IB次元官网网址檒l move to Nanaimo if elected and if you have a problem with that, then obviously thatB次元官网网址檚 the latest issue you have and thatB次元官网网址檚 what we have going on in Victoria right now with this whole elitism and entitlement.B次元官网网址�

Immediately after that, the two frontrunners traded barbs as Malcolmson was asked if there are any files on which she could work well with the B.C. Liberals and she made a show of being stumped.

B次元官网网址淒onB次元官网网址檛 take my lack of affinity with the B.C. Liberal platform, which I strongly believe has damaged our community, as a lack of [intention] to work well with almost all others,B次元官网网址� she said.

Harris said, B次元官网网址淚, on the other hand, find it quite simple to find commonalityB次元官网网址� and mentioned how his calls for and were quickly funded by the NDP.

B次元官网网址淏yelections do not change policies like that,B次元官网网址� Malcolmson responded, saying that both projects had been in the works for months or years.

B次元官网网址淭he NDP has been working on [the school expansion] since March, thatB次元官网网址檚 when the school district developed their plan, same with the ICU. Your party had the opportunity to fix it in 2013 and refused to.B次元官网网址�

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Candidates used their closing statements to make another pitch to voters. Walker said thereB次元官网网址檚 too much government and government intervention and it stifles freedom and productivity.

B次元官网网址淚 want less government and lower taxes and I think most hard-working, responsible people are for this,B次元官网网址� he said.

Richardson reminded voters they have a B次元官网网址渦nique opportunityB次元官网网址� to elect a VanIsle Province Party MLA.

B次元官网网址淚f you elect me, I will hold the balance of power for the next three years and I will demand in the budget a whole lot of things that are in my platform, plus others that have been mentioned by some of these other candidates,B次元官网网址� he said.

Ney said Nanaimo can be leaders in a clean economy with science and tech investments and can revitalize its downtown core with small and mid-size businesses, affordable housing and modern transportation.

B次元官网网址淔inally our voice can be heard and only I can bring a strong voice, a true voice. I will not be a backbencher,B次元官网网址� she said.

Malcolmson referenced the B次元官网网址淏.C. LiberalsB次元官网网址� record of cutting services in Nanaimo and hurting people hereB次元官网网址� and said the NDP has brought health care and education spending and affordable housing.

B次元官网网址淲e are indeed in the most important byelection of our lives,B次元官网网址� she said.

Harris said heB次元官网网址檒l fight for Nanaimo and always be there for Nanaimo and said thatB次元官网网址檚 why he got into politics, B次元官网网址渢o really raise NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 profile and deliver a message and aspirational thinking towards the future to solve complex challenges of Vancouver Island north of the Malahat.B次元官网网址�

Last word went to Greenwood, who said his party will make life more affordable through measures like scrapping the carbon tax and reforming ICBC.

B次元官网网址淲e can bring that to you and we are yesterdayB次元官网网址檚, todayB次元官网网址檚 and tomorrowB次元官网网址檚 B.C. Conservatives,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd I am a Justin you can trust in.B次元官网网址�

To watch the debate in its entirety, .

Justin Greenwood: B次元官网网址淲e are yesterdayB次元官网网址檚, todayB次元官网网址檚 and tomorrowB次元官网网址檚 B.C. Conservatives. And I am a Justin you can trust in.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)

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