MarkStrahlChilliwack-Hope Conservative candidate Mark Strahl has taken heat from the other candidates, not only in this election, but in 2011 as well, for his failure to attend some of the candidates meetings. Strahl says he’s open to debate, and he will be showing up.

“We can’t all make all of the meetings that we’re invited to.  I’m certainly happy to debate the Conservative plan for lower taxes, safer streets and keeping Canadians safe whenever I can, and I think these four local debates I’m going to participate in will provide that opportunity.”

He says some of the debates tend to favour one candidate over the others, and he feels these ones don’t carry the same bias.

“There are other groups like the Council of Canadians or others that are participating that want to put on debates that have clear anti-Conservative bias…it certainly isn’t as wide of a discussion at those special interest debates, and you don’t get as wide of a cross section of the community, so we made a decision that we were going to participate in a number of local debates that would be the broad community debates that would deal with a broad variety of issues.”

He announced on Wednesday that he’ll be attending the Rotary meeting next week, the Hope chamber of commerce meeting October 1st, the debate at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on the 7th and the Chilliwack chamber forum on the 15th.

 

Here are upcoming debates:

Oct1, sponsored by the Hope and District Chamber of Commerce at the Rec Centre conference room, 1005-6th Ave., Hope. 7pm

Oct5, sponsored by the Sto:lo Nation at the Sto:lo Resource Centre, 10-7201 Vedder Rd. 7pm

Oct7, sponsored by the Chilliwack Arts & Cultural Centre Society at the Cultural Centre 7pm

Oct8, sponsored by the UFV Student Union Society at the Chilliwack campus.  12pm

Oct15, sponsored by the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce at the Coast Hotel. Public welcomed in after the luncheon at 12:20pm