Mark Oct. 7 down in your day-planner if you want to see the four candidates running for Member of Parliament for the Kootenay-Columbia riding engage in a forum.

The Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce sent out an invitation to the candidates of the four major parties May 29 for an all-candidates’ forum October 7 at the Heritage Hotel and Conference Centre.

“I am pleased to say that within days all of the candidates confirmed their participation. The format we will utilize is one I have used very successfully in a number of jurisdictions for elections at all levels,” reported chamber executive director David D. Hull.

The focus of the chamber’s forum will be the ability of Canadian businesses to compete and, as a result, strengthen our economy and sustain our standard of living, Hull said, noting access to a powerful workforce, capital, technology and innovation and markets will be the four main planks of the discussion.

Doors will open to chamber members and the public at 6:30 p.m. with the event starting at 7 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m.

The evening will begin and end with candidate remarks chosen in random for the opening and reversed to finish.

“We will send approximately 20 questions complete with background information to the candidates well in advance of the forum,” Hull explained, adding, “Each candidate will be asked four to five of these questions selected in a random manner. Interspersed with the prepared questions will be written submissions received from the audience that will be perused by the interview panel for relevance and suitability. The panel will equally advance these questions to the candidates and ensure no one subject or candidate receives and inordinate amount of time.”

To create an interesting meld of debate and forum each candidate will be issued five 30-second rebuttal cards to use as they determine.

e-KNOW

---

Article Share

---