Few all-candidates debates for Calgary Tories
Last Updated: Thursday, October 2, 2008 | 1:01 PM MT
CBC News
Conservative Rob Anders, who is running for re-election in Calgary West, was first elected in 1997. Conservative candidates in Calgary have only a few all-candidates debates scheduled, despite the fact there is less than two weeks left in the campaign leading up to the Oct. 14 federal election.
Rob Anders in Calgary West was the only candidate from his riding to miss a forum Wednesday at a seniors centre.
Meanwhile, Calgary Centre Conservative Lee Richardson has turned down an invitation for an all-candidates forum in his riding on Oct. 8.
Both incumbents won their ridings with more than 50 per cent of the vote in the last federal election and have other debates scheduled this month.
Alma Anderson, who went to Wednesday's forum at a seniors centre in Calgary West, said she was disappointed Anders didn't attend.
"It's almost like a slap in our face. His office is right across the street," said Anderson. "He owes us a reason why he wasn't here."
Anders plans to attend a forum next week at the University of Calgary.
Richardson won't attend library forum
Art Proctor, a spokesman for a non-partisan group organizing a forum next week at the downtown library, said he feels frustrated because Richardson won't attend.
"I think we're missing an integral part of the democratic dialogue because one of our candidates is not there to explain himself."
Proctor says it appears to be a campaign strategy because he even offered to change the date for the forum, but Richardson declined to attend.
"It frustrates me a little bit because if he is supposedly the MP for Calgary Centre riding, then I think it would be his responsibility to actually come out to a forum and to speak to his issues and his policies."
Richardson's spokesman said the candidate wants to meet as many voters as possible and door-knocking is the best way to do that. Richardson will be attending a Mount Royal College debate Oct. 7.
No debates planned for 5 candidates
Conservatives won every seat in Alberta during the 2006 election.
The Conservative candidates in Calgary who don't have any local all-candidates debates planned: Calgary Southeast's Jason Kenney, Calgary-Nose Hill's Diane Ablonczy, Calgary Northeast's Devinder Shory, Calgary East's Deepak Obhrai and Calgary Southwest's Stephen Harper, who is the prime minister and leader of the Conservative party.
Shory is the only one of the bunch who isn't an incumbent.
Calgary Centre-North candidate Jim Prentice participated in one debate last week. A spokesman for Kenney says a debate planned for last weekend never got off the ground.
Candidates in rural southern Alberta appear to be busier.
Macleod Conservative Ted Menzies has four all-candidates meetings and a meet-the-candidate coffee session planned in his riding, despite having captured 75 per cent of the vote in the last election.
Conservative Blake Richards, who isn't running as an incumbent, has participated in three debates and has four more scheduled. Richards is running in the riding of Wildrose, where Myron Thompson captured 72 per cent of the vote in 2006.
Barry Munchrath, his campaign manager, said Wildrose is a large riding requiring lots of campaign stops.
With files from Scott Dippel, Patti Edgar
