The Community Centre in Teeswater was venue for the final of the all-candidates forums in the Huron-Bruce riding leading up to the October 6th provincial vote.
Wednesday’s exchange was co-sponsored by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and the National Farmers Union.
Four of the contenders wrestled with farming concerns posed through moderator John Gillespie, president of the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture.
Nominees from the Family Coalition and Green parties contributed to discussion by their absence.
Incumbent and Liberal candidate Carol Mitchell, PC nominee Lisa Thompson, NDP standard-bearer Grant Robertson and Independent Dennis Valenta were given two minutes to open and ninety seconds to close.
The two and one half hour format was also split into five one-on-one debates, followed by fourteen audience questions posed to all of the nominees.
The questions were in written form.
On a number of points opinions bordered on consensus.
Swearing by supply-management and trashing the SPCA seemed prerequisites for winning over a packed house in the farming community.
Other concerns included municipal planning rights, the Green Energy Act, abattoir regulation, attracting youth to agriculture, the Clean Water Act and the gagging on landowners who sign wind turbine contracts.
Applause seemed evenly divided between the three party representatives, with Independent Dennis Valenta promising he too would “party”, if elected.
Following the exchange — Bayshore Broadcasting News asked each of the candidates in attendance what they had sensed the audience’s greatest concerns to be-
and why each believed they were best qualified to address them.
