It's only been two weeks on the campaign trail and already things are heating up.
This is going to be one of the dirtiest and hard-fought federal election campaigns in decades. The outcome is far from decided across Canada. The latest poll, which came out on Thursday, sees the race in B.C. at almost a dead heat as all three major parties, the Liberals, NDP and Conservatives, battle for position.
Here in the riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, things are also getting interesting.
All-candidate meetings have started to take shape, including three on the Sunshine Coast, one of which is open to the general public.
This public meeting is being organized by Sunshine Coast Christians in Public Affairs for June 19 and will include all the candidates - all, that is, except NDP candidate Nicholas Simons.
Simons declined an invitation to take part, saying the meeting is heavily weighted in favour of a right-wing agenda. Simons feels it's not a neutral setting, it doesn't serve the public and the forum isn't legitimate.
We'd like to ask Mr. Simons what forum is neutral and doesn't have an agenda. There are sure to be issues and groups at any meeting with which not every candidate will see eye to eye.
On June 28, voters in this riding will be going to the polls to elect someone who will represent the whole riding in Ottawa.
This riding is made up of a huge population with different religious, financial and social backgrounds. We're not all going to agree on the same issues - that's what a debate is for, to find out where each candidate stands on the issues and to ask them the tough questions. We want to have a representative in Ottawa who speaks for everyone in this riding, not for a select few, as seems to be the case indicated by Mr. Simons' lack of interest in attending this forum.
