Candidates’ forum likely to be lively

Tonight's the night. The Kings-Hants federal candidates' forum is set to go at University Hall and I can't wait. It starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday and doors will open at five, with parking available in the Acadia Arena parking lot.

The event is sponsored jointly by The Kings County Advertiser, the Acadia Students' Union and the Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce, but it's really all about you.

No matter what any candidate has to say, the bottom line is your vote will determine who gets the ticket to Ottawa. What we want is to bring the candidates together to explore ideas and identify what each has to offer. What better way to do that than to put them in the same room and challenge them with questions that mean something to Kings-Hants constituents?

It won't be a free-for-all, and if show up looking for that you'll be disappointed. Rules of order will be enforced and anyone abusing them or the privilege of being part of this exercise in democracy will be brought up short by our moderator, Dr. Ian Wilks, chair of the Acadia Senate.

The goal is reasonable discourse and an opportunity for the public to meet and experience each candidate. They have confirmed their attendance: Liberal Scott Brison; New Democrat Carol Harris; Conservative Rosemary Segado; and Green Party candidate Brendan MacNeill.

You may have heard of the controversy that accompanied the forum hosted by our sister publication, The Hants Journal, last Thursday in Windsor. Brison, Harris and MacNeill attended, but Segado did not. She said she had a prior commitment that simply couldn't be rescheduled. See Page 10 in this edition for more on that.

The whole thing seems odd, but I'm not running for office nor am I running her campaign. It'll be interesting to see what she brings to the mix tonight because I suspect her presence will lend quite a bit to the already boisterous mood that accompanies any election campaign. It should be great.

In fact, that's what it's all about; the meeting of minds and philosophies and the thrust and parry of political agendas and promises that will ultimately weave the social and economic fabric of our lives. There's a tremendous responsibility that goes with public service of this sort and I hope each candidate will bring not only a clear vision, but a willingness to follow through on proposals and promises when the campaign's over.

Our forum is more than mere lip service. It's a very public commitment by those who want to earn our votes and it demands a clear accounting of their actions. We'll see at last who can talk the talk and walk the walk and who is ready for prime time.

These are tough times and every vote counts Oct. 14. Tonight's forum is another step toward a strong future for Canada and I hope the candidates are ready show us what they’ve got.