Centrerion Canadian Politics

Mount-Royal Candidates Debate

Save this online in Del.icio.us. [?] Vote For this Post

I got an email today asking me about the candidates debate in Mount-Royal. The gist of it was: What's going on? Can we help?
Here was my response.

> Hi,
> I'm not sure if you checked it out through my blog, Centrerion
> (http://centrerion.blogspot.com), but unfortunately the debate won't
> be happening. I found out a there was one (today) at the Cummings
> center for Seniors, though I imagine it centred on issues interesting
> mainly to seniors. I sincerely made an effort to get this done,
> including emailing Cotler personally (his riding association president
> repeated his earlier no, we're debating at the Cummings center)
> writing the Suburban, who promised an article, asked me questions and
> for a photo, though I never saw anything printed, including contacting
> each of the candidates, three of whom agreed, with one refusal and an
> impossibility of contacting the Bloc candidate (the Bloc doesn't have
> its act together, and has repeatedly given me a phone number that no
> one answers...). Anyways, I'd still love to do it, but I doubt the
> conservative cares to debate if it's only with the Green and NDP
> candidates, who aren't seen as serious competition. Arguably it might
> show the Libs in a disfavourable, arrogant light, but I don't think
> it'd be enough for them.
> If you have any ideas, as to how this can be done, I'd love to hear
> it. It'd have to be done soon though, and with gusto, including ads in
> the gazette and the suburban, plus renting the auditorium in the
> Library (small enough to be filled, big enough for 200~ people, if
> memory serves).
> At any rate, thankyou for your letter, because I've been meaning to
> post about this, and have unfortunately forgotten to do so, to date.

I have to add that Irwin Cotler is unapproachable, which is thoroughly dissapointing to someone like myself who holds the man in the highest respect (call the Liberals corrupt and so forth, their Justice Minister's as straight an arrow as you'll find, and he well deserved the Ministerial post).
At the opposite end of the spectrum, I'd like to applaud Nicolas Thibodeau, Layton's candidate for Mount-Royal, for being the very example of approachability. He promptly answered all my emails, offered to debate every week if I was willing to organize such frequent debates, and so on. Honourable mention in this field also goes to the Green candidate for the riding, Damien Pichereau. Though his campaign took a while to get underway (ditto Thibodeau's), he was also easy to contact.

Finally, if anyone is willing to help make this a reality at the 11th hour, let me know: Shplarz@hotmail.com. I'm at the end of my rope, and out of ideas.

Oh, and if you can reach the Bloquiste, it'd be nice too. Bloc HQ can't seem to give me the right number/email. and something that will be publicized adequately (certainly nothing about the Cummings Senior Center debate was in the Suburban, which caters to a community comprised of a great number of Mount-Royal dwellers, nor in La Presse, though perhaps there may have been ads in the Gazette).

posted by lecentre @ 11:08 p.m.