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APRIL 27, 2017 | Volume 30 No. 50
AJAX, LACK OF DOCTORS DOMINATE FORUM DALE BASS
STAFF REPORTER
dale@kamloopsthisweek.com
All the expected moments arrived at the media-sponsored all-candidates forum at Thompson Rivers University on Tuesday night. There was an early question on the proposed Ajax mine, curiosity about how the province is going to pay to return class size and composition back to 2002 levels and sniping between candidates on who has governed the province worse in the past — the Liberals or the New Democrats. Health care was a dominant issue, as was the way legislators are elected in the province and which party is more beholden to its big donors. Each candidate stuck to the party lines. The two representing the NDP — Nancy Bepple in KamloopsSouth Thompson and Barb Nederpel in Kamloops-North
TODAY’S WEATHER Cloudy, showers High 14 C Low 5 C
DAVE EAGLES/KTW
Incumbent Kamloops-South Thompson Liberal MLA Todd Stone emphasizes a point during Tuesday night’s all-candidates forum at Thompson Rivers University.
Thompson — talked about lack of doctors, legal-aid funding woes, tax breaks for corporations and increased costs for electricity, auto insurance and prescriptions.
The Liberals — incumbent MLA Todd Stone in KamloopsSouth Thompson and Peter Milobar in Kamloops-North Thompson — pointed to
student achievement in schools, specialist doctors who have moved to the city and the fact British Columbians voted against changing the electoral system in
two referendums. The Green representatives — Dan Hines in Kamloops-North Thompson and Donovan Cavers in KamloopsSouth Thompson
HAVING A BALL THIS WEEKEND
— condemned the proposed Ajax mine and talked about renewable energy sources, education funding and polarized politics. The Communist can-
didates — Peter Kerek in Kamloops-North Thompson and Beat Klossner in KamloopsSouth Thompson — argued that the political and bureaucratic systems need to be changed to make elections and government more people-centred. The Grand Hall at Thompson Rivers University was never at capacity — attendance peaked at about 550 — and people slowly left during the two hours of questions and answers. The audience was vocal; beyond oftenpartisan applause and cheers, there were the usual catcalls of “liar” and “answer the question,” most aimed at the two Liberal candidates. Along with campaign slogans and policy recitations were some moments of complete candour, such as when Stone answered a question from the sister of a young adult living with a disability. See CANDOUR, A4
FUTURE IS NOW
Lawn bowling club invites you to play
Kamloops Blazers prep for WHL Bantam Draft
A17
A21