The campaign in Battlefords-Lloydminster has heated up with less than a week left before the federal election.
Incumbent Conservative MP Gerry Ritz took on NDP candidate Glenn Tait and Green candidate Norbert Kratchmer at an all-candidates forum at Third Avenue United Church on Wednesday night. The event was sponsored by the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce.
It was one of three all-candidates forums held during the week leading up to the May 2 federal vote throughout the riding. Tuesday night saw a similar Chamber of Commerce forum held at Lakeland College in Lloydminster, while a third forum was scheduled for Thursday night at Unity Legion Hall.
At Wednesday's event in North Battleford, the three candidates who showed up spoke on a variety of questions posed by Chamber members or submitted by members of the audience.
Topics included free trade, the corporate income tax, the Canadian Wheat Board, First Nations issues, health care, the gap between rich and poor, and the demise of the railway lines.
There were moments when it appeared obvious the candidates disagreed with the other candidates' positions.
Tait visibly took issue when Ritz compared the opposition to a "kangaroo court" for finding the government in contempt of Parliament. As well, Tait, a staunch supporter of the Wheat Board's single desk, shook his head when Ritz expressed support for creating the option for farmers of "using the board, or selling it themselves".
The NDP candidate also took a shot at the Conservatives' record on job creation for First Nations, accusing Ritz of not once in 14 years meeting with the largest First Nations employer in the area - Battlefords Tribal Council.
Ritz had a ready response, saying he "met with them last Friday."
A hot topic was the subject of cap and trade. Both Tait and Kratchmer expressed support for cap and trade, while Ritz described the NDP and Liberal plans as "the National Energy Program revisited."
Ritz reiterated his opposition to the NDP's cap-and-trade proposal to the media scrum following the forum, again comparing it to the National Energy Program. His local campaign later issued a press release in which Ritz was quoted describing the NDP proposal as a "tax on all of Saskatchewan's energy resources that Mr. Layton needs to pay for his costly promises in other parts of the country."
Ritz said to reporters that when the Conservatives had entertained a cap-and-trade idea, their proposal would have kept money in the regions and "it would not slide off to Ottawa like their proposal does," said Ritz.
He added that the the NDP cap-and -trade plan "actually scares me more than the coalition."
Despite some obvious disagreements, all the candidates praised the tone of the forum for being respectful throughout. There were also number of moments of levity. One such example came following an exchange Ritz boasted that the Conservatives helped bring Tim Hortons corporate head office back to Canada. Tait, however, pointed out that while Tim Hortons came in, Electrolux moved out.
"As far as Tim Hortons, I can make better coffee than them," quipped Kratchmer later, to laughter.
Food was a favorite topic for the Green party candidate on the night, as Kratchmer took a familiar hard line against genetic modification in food and crops. He also spoke out against nuclear power in the wake of the Japan nuclear plant disaster.
Conspicuous by his absence on Wednesday was Jordan LaPlante, the Liberal candidate. He had been invited to the forum, but the Chamber had known for days that he was not going to attend. A lectern for LaPlante stood empty at the Battlefords forum.
The other candidates at the forum were hardly impressed with the missing Liberal candidate. NDP candidate Tait told reporters this was the third election forum in a row that LaPlante missed.
"The Liberal candidate is a no-show at the debates, he is a no-show on the doorsteps," said Tait. He added "New Democrats are the only ones in this riding poised to take over, poised to knock off Stephen Harper's Tories."
Tait told reporters he believed his campaign was closing in on Ritz, with particular support from the native community.
Ritz was also not impressed with the non-appearance from the candidate carrying the Liberal colors. "I'm not sure where he's carrying them, but it's not here," he said.
