Election campaigns should provide opportunities to hear about issues that are important to all Canadians. To foster public awareness and debate on conservation and environment issues, a coalition of Island organizations is sponsoring Candidates’ Forums on the Environment in the Hillsborough, Malpeque, and Cardigan ridings. All events start at 7pm.
On Tuesday, September 29, the public is invited to hear the four Charlottetown riding candidates answer questions at the Holland College MacKinnon Lecture Theatre on Kent St. Joe Byrne of the NDP, Sean Casey of the Liberals, Ron MacMillan of the Conservatives and Becka Viau of the Green Party will have an opportunity to answer questions on national issues that impact Islanders, everything from addressing climate change to improving environmental legislation. Candidates will answer questions from some of the sponsoring organizations, after which there will be time for questions from the floor.
The Malpeque forum will be held at the Hunter River Community Hall on September 30. Liberal Wayne Easter, NDP Leah-Jane Hayward and Green Party Lynne Lund have agreed to attend. The Conservative candidate Stephen Stewart declined to participate.
On October 1, the Cardigan riding forum will be held at Red’s Corner in Poole’s Corner. NDP Billy Cann, Green Party Teresa Doyle and Liberal Lawrence MacAulay have agreed to participate but at this time the Conservative candidate Julius Patkai is undecided about participating.
No date has yet been scheduled for an Egmont forum.
The forums are sponsored by Blue Dot PEI; Citizens’ Alliance of PEI; Coalition for Protection of PEI Water; Cooper Institute; Cornwall and Area Watershed Group; Don’t Frack PEI; ECOPEI; Holland College Green Machine; Hunter-Clyde Watershed Group; Island Nature Trust; National Farmers Union, District 1, Region 1; Nature PEI; PEI Food Security Network; PEI Watershed Alliance; Pesticide-Free PEI; Save our Seas and Shores PEI; Sierra Club of Canada (PEI Group); and Trout River Environmental Committee.
For more information, contact Ann Wheatley at cooperinstitute@eastlink.ca or 894-4573.