What we learned from Peachland
If there was a winner in Tuesday’s all-candidates forum in Peachland it was, as most predicted, Dan Ashton. If there was a loser, it was the residents of Peachland who stayed home. Let’s start with the winners.
Ashton, the BC Liberal incumbent, faced opponents Tarik Sayeed (NDP) and Connie Sahlmark (Green) for the first time at the Peachland Community Centre. The deadline for candidates to register was Wednesday and the Penticton riding will have three names on the ballot as no independents or fringe candidates registered.
Ashton is a skilled politician, a strong public speaker. He jotted down points but for most of the night spoke off the cuff without the aid of crib notes. By comparison, Sayeed answered questions by reading the party’s platform from his binder (which is allowed.)
Sahlmark, pardon the pun, is green. She entered the race 10 days ago and is in the process of writing final exams for her community college diploma and is soon starting a new job. She came across well, sincere, open and honest about the fact she’s still studying all areas of leader Andrew Weaver’s detailed platform.
Both Sayeed and Sahlmark missed opportunities to take jabs at Ashton. When the issue of sport trophy hunting came up, they both said their parties were opposed but neglected to mention the financial contribution by a bear hunting organization to the Liberals.
Nobody hit below the belt and it’s doubtful the local campaign will become nasty, it’s not really in the candidates’ nature.
With a small turnout, it was a good warm-up event for both Sahlmark and Sayeed.
Sayeed exposed his kryptonite — Skaha Lake Park. He appeared agitated when a question on “green space” was asked. He rhymed off his voting record on Skaha Lake Park which was unnecessary because the meeting was in Peachland where few people, if any, care about Skaha Lake Park.
He did indeed vote three times against waterslides and/or Trio Marina but neglected to reference the July 30, 2015, meeting when council emerged from a special closed-door meeting and voted 6-1 in favour of continuing with its plan to sign a deal with Trio Group to redevelop a corner of the park for a waterslide. Amid a climate of public protests and threatened lawsuits, only Campbell Watt voted to reconsider. Now for the losers. The Peachland Chamber of Commerce did a great job. The moderator was wellspoken and extremely fair. The questions covered a wide range of topics and were never limited to one area. The questions were cleverly broken into several segments. The response time was appropriate and, at 90 minutes, the meeting moved along at a quick pace. Nobody was ever bored.
Organizers referenced late in the evening their disappointment that only 50 people attended. A municipal forum in 2014 attracted 400 residents with an almost equal number for the 2015 federal election forum.
Do people not care about this election? Was everyone home watching the Toronto Maple Leafs? With two candidates who live in Penticton and the other in Trout Creek, did the people in Peachland skip the meeting?
The Chamber of Commerce-sponsored events have moved away from open mics. Too many people have used these forums for a soapbox. Special interest groups have been known to hijack the forums.
One of the attractions is the open mic, a chance for citizens to stare down the candidates and have their concern be heard. It also allows the public to see how well candidates can think on their feet.
Anyone waiting for a Javert/Valjean moment will have gone home disappointed. A recent forum involving Boundary-Similkameen candidates was described by several sources as “awful,” due to the format that handcuffs the audience.
Peachland’s event was actually very good and it’s unfortunate more residents weren’t in attendance.
James Miller is managing editor of The Penticton Herald. To contact the writer: editor@pentictonherald.ca