Group blasts Liberal, Conservative no-shows
Last Updated: Friday, January 20, 2006 | 9:28 AM ET
CBC News
The Nova Scotia Citizens' Health Care Network invited all Halifax-area political candidates to its breakfast meeting on Thursday at St. Matthews Church in the city.
In a room of community representatives, New Democrat Alexa McDonough shared the political limelight with her rivals in the riding of Halifax: Nick Wright from the Green party and longtime Marxist-Leninist Tony Seed. NDP candidate Alan Hill, who's running in Halifax West, was also there.
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"It's very disappointing because the kind of groups that were out here today are the voters, the people who are part of organizations, grassroots community people," Kelly said. "We did get some regrets but some didn't bother to answer, which is, to be honest, disgusting."
One of the guest speakers, Dolly Williams, said the no-shows are sending a strong message.
"They don't care, especially for the low-income and the middle-class people," said Williams, president of the Black Community Advocates Association of Nova Scotia.
Dr. Bob Frederickson, another guest speaker, agrees.
"They didn't think that the health-care coalition, which is the major grassroots movement to preserve public health care in this province, didn't warrant their time. And that's really frightening."
A Liberal official said the party isn't commenting.
Conservative campaign spokesman Rob Batherson said Conservative candidates are focusing their attention on getting to "actual voters rather than interest groups."
