Full house hears, questions Surrey federal candidates
October 1, 2008 by Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Independant John Shavluk from Newton-North Delta addresses the crowd Monday night. (Amy Reid photo)
The forum, organized by the school’s criminology department as part of its Hear the Candidates, Make Up Your Own Mind series, was set up like a town hall meeting so those in attendance could direct questions to the panel of politicians.
Wade Deisman, criminology instructor and coordinator of the event, said it was an “awesome†experience for those in attendance.
“Elections are an opportunity for there to be substantive proposals for change,†he said, adding that he hoped meeting with candidates face-to-face would facilitate that.
The 12 hopeful MPs in attendance each had five minutes for opening comments, which was followed by questions from the audience. Topics raised by candidates varied greatly, but the future of post-secondary education dominated discussion.
Many people waited in line for more than an hour to ask their question, and Deisman said that for his students asking questions about criminal justice issues, it often wasn’t worth the wait. “Nobody responded to the issue in any kind of concrete sense.â€
All major parties had representatives at the event, with two Liberals, one Conservative, two NDPers and one Green there to explain and defend party policies.
Fringe paries were also represented, with candidates from the Canadian Action Party, the Progressive Canadian Party, the Christian Heritage Party and the Communist Party. Two independents were there as well.
Deisman said that once the forums concluded, the criminology department would try and stay in contact with the candidates to follow their policies on criminal justice issues. He added that they hoped to put on a similar event for the next provincial election.
An all-candidates forums was also be held in the Richmond Conference Centre Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. and the third in the series will be held at the Langley Auditorium Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.
Hello
I take offence to the following comments ““Nobody responded to the issue in any kind of concrete sense.— and yes I believe differently …obviously.
I hope some of what I did say made sense to some of you and I ask again as far as the illegal drug issue (which ties so many criminal activities all together for us all to blindly pay for) …Is alcohol …..now safer legal or when it was illegal?
And when I told your audience maybe all would experience opium in their lives I should have explained that all hospitals administer morphine which are derivatives of opium or just condensed versions.
My mom died last august and I saw again palliative care wards…I know what I say.
Heroin is just a result of prohibition anyway as in its more potent form smuggling is much easier yes….in its concentrated form.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium
Like hash ,cana butter or oil from cannabis…..no bulk…..it can be related to as like 100 proof alcohol.
Licensing the farmer in Turkey in 1972 to grow and sell it legally ended their wars to stop it and the world continues to use tons of it every year legally anyway.
Sadly what Afghanistan could produce is only half of what Africa needs for its 28 million AIDS suffers right now !
Instead we give them more expensive by far Oxycontin (major shareholders? Bush family)
I appreciate the time you gave me but yes I do totally object to your negligent condensed view pertaining to the above comments.
The drugs and guns will still be there long after you all forget about my latest attempts to again educate all I can this election season.
Cheers
John Shavluk
Newton North Delta Independent Candidate