Candidates exchange pot shots
Poor road conditions, education among topics at Colchester North debate
Candidates for MLA in the riding of Colchester North took some well-aimed pot shots at one another during the first election forum in Truro.
The three candidates made opening and closing remarks and answered questions from the Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce this week at the Marigold Cultural Centre.
Rebecca Taylor, candidate for the Progressive Conservatives, opened the sniping in the very first sentence of the debate.
“I’m going to put your interests ahead of my own,” Taylor told the audience. “I’m not going to flip to another party to further my career or to get reelected.”
It was an obvious dig at incumbent Karen Casey, the Liberal candidate, who was elected in 2006 as a Progressive Conservative but crossed the floor to the Liberals in 2011.
Casey ignored that salvo in her opening remarks but stressed her experience and relationship with her constituents and her 11-year track record as
MLA for the riding.
“I have a good understanding of all levels of government and a working knowledge of government – that’s an asset, an asset for you,” said Casey. “I’m someone you can believe, someone who has demonstrated hard work – not just idle promises with no delivery.”
Casey said she was proud to be part of a Liberal government that had made tough decisions to keep government spending in check.
Part way through the debate, Taylor decided not to answer a question on making home ownership more affordable, but talked instead about crumbling roads.
“I’m not hearing a lot about (barriers to homeownership) as I knock on doors,” she said. “But I am hearing about the rough state of our roads. People are literally opening their doors to me and saying, ‘Hi Rebecca, what are we going to do about my road?’”
The Progressive Conservatives plan to spend $1 billion on roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.
Casey however took a gentle swipe at Taylor’s evasion of the homeownership question.
“I’ll try to answer the question and stay on topic,” said Casey as she began her response.
However, Casey didn’t answer a question on out-migration of Nova Scotia youth later in the debate and instead used her two minutes to respond to comments from Taylor on education.
“MLAs need to have a clear understanding of how government works,” said Casey. “And the comments we just heard are a clear indication that the expected MLA does not understand the role of an elected school board.”
NDP candidate James Finnie, meanwhile, stayed out of – and was left out of – the back and forth. Finnie stressed politics isn’t a game.
“This is no time for behaving like school children, treating it like a game, for scoring points. Right now we’re in the middle of rainbows and unicorns – everyone is promising everything,” said Finnie. “You need an MLA who will stand up to the party machines to look after you and your interests.”
As an example Finnie pointed to the NDP’s promise to provide free tuition to the Nova Scotia Community College.
“That’s great but me, personally, I’m going to push for free university tuition,” he said. “We need to keep and train our talent here.”