rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog

Dude, where’s my Tory?

By Carleen Pickard

A flurry of local B.C. papers reported on MP Russ Hiebert’s (South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale) open boycott of the Council of Canadians’ all-candidates meeting on September 30. His absence is part of a growing no-show trend of Conservative candidates at public forums, particularly in B.C. Hiebert declared that his absence was due to the “anti-Conservative activists” – his reference to the more than 70 Council of Canadians volunteer chapters that raise and campaign on issues of concern across Canada. In the case of the South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale riding, this was the first free public all-candidates meeting. Irritated by missing hearing from the Conservative candidate, attendees posted “Where’s Russ?” signs inside and outside the event.

This Thursday The Georgia Straight (Conservatives duck debates in run-up to federal election) reported on other missing B.C. Conservative candidates: on September 25, Conservative candidates ducked an all-candidates debate hosted by the Canada Asia Pacific Foundation, tonight, Conservative candidate Salomon Rayek in the Vancouver-Kingsway riding has declined SPARC B.C.’s invitation to debate. We’ve also heard from a Kelowna resident that MP Stockwell Day will not attend an all-candidates meeting in his Okanagan-Coquihalla riding. The trend isn’t limited to B.C. Conservative candidates have also skipped debates in Alberta and Ontario.

So, as the examples build, it is unavoidable to deny that the Conservative party is directing its members to make themselves unavailable to the public during this election period. Democracy cannot exist where those elected or seeking to be elected can do so without putting their faces, policies, and plans for the future out to the public for their consideration. And in what universe can an elected official (or one seeking election) simply refuse to speak to the public because they don’t agree with the views of the event hosts? Maybe these candidates just keep getting it wrong or don’t like facing the tough questions. At an all-candidates debate in Lumby, B.C. Conservative MP Colin Mayes (Okanagan-Shuswap) denied the existence of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), the highly unpopular, secretive trade deal between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and in Whistler, John Weston, Conservative hopeful for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, was booed when he announced his support for water privatization and bulk water exports.

If the Tories are reluctant to speak to us now, what would they be like if they got a majority?

Carleen Pickard is the Director of Organizing with the Council of Canadians