Frankly Speaking

Photo by Lance Peverley, Peace Arch News As moderator of Tuesday's all-candidates forum in the South Surrey-White Rock riding, I was placed in the midst of the standing room-only audience to ask questions to the candidates on behalf of the organizers and citizens who emailed their questions to the South Surrey and White Rock Chamber of Commerce.  The federal byelection in South Surrey-White Rock takes place on Monday, Dec. 11. The byelection has captured considerably more interest than usual, largely because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has visited the area twice to campaign with Liberal candidate Gordon Hogg. This is unprecedented for Surrey and White Rock. Never has a sitting prime minister spent that much time and energy campaigning for a single candidate, and no party leader has ever spent time in South Surrey or White Rock during an election. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has also visited the area twice, and Green Party leader Elizabeth May is scheduled to ...

My first foray into this year's federal election came Tuesday night, when I served as moderator of a candidates' forum in the riding of South Surrey-White Rock. Of the six candidates on the ballot, four had been invited by the organizers to speak. South Fraser Unitarian congregation and Crescent United Church organized the event, held at the United Church. The facility was packed, with more than 200 in attendance. Organizers Ann Bryce, Joan Wilson and Lynn McKay did an excellent job. They wanted the forum to concentrate on two major issues, climate change and end of life (specifically physician-assisted dying), which will be in front of the next Parliament, and prepared eight questions on these topics. The responses took up most of the meeting. In attendance were Liberal Judy Higginbotham, NDP Pixie Hobby and Green Larry Colero. Conservative Dianne Watts, the popular former mayor of Surrey who has never taken a back seat to anyone, did not attend. Her campaign office said...