Priorities skewed
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Analyst critical of TFN’s mall plans
MLA says TransLink must look south of Fraser River
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Live Green Kids making a difference
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Optimist Delta
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2011
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Soccer teams advance to Coastal ‘A’ Cup finals 04208342
Outdated concept
#220-6165 Highway #17, Delta, BC www.theprimerose.com
Everyone’s giving it a Tri in annual race PHOTOS BY
CHUNG CHOW
Almost 500 kids and adults took to the streets of Ladner last weekend for the 12th annual Delta Triathlon. This short distance sprint race attracts competitors between the ages of eight and 80.
Candidates finally square off Federal election hopefuls answer questions, trade barbs at first forum of campaign BY
SANDOR GYARMATI
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
PHOTO BY
CHUNG CHOW
04200427
Conservative candidate Kerry-Lynne Findlay answers a question while the NDP’s Nic Slater looks on.
All but one of the candidates vying for the Delta-Richmond East seat in the upcoming federal election squared off for the first time Monday night in Ladner. Sponsored by the Delta Chamber of Commerce and the Delta Optimist, the all-candidates forum at the Delta Town & Country Inn gave the audience of roughly 150 an opportunity to hear from five of the six running in the May 2 election. Looking to fill the seat held for almost 18 years by Conservative
MP John Cummins, who’s retiring from federal politics, are Liberal Alan Beesley, Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay, the NDP’s Nic Slater, the Green’s Duane Laird and independent John Shavluk. Jeff Monds of the Libertarian Party is also in the race, but did not attend Monday’s meeting. Candidates covered a wide range of topics during the twohour forum, highlighted by discussions over party discipline and local residency.
All five hopefuls said they would stand up for constituent concerns over party policy, a hallmark for the often outspoken Cummins. “If I can’t come to you a year from now and look you in the eye based on a vote that I took, that the party had one position and all the people in this community had another position, I’m done,” Beesley said. Slater said he wouldn’t have to vote along party lines either, while Findlay said she’d represent
the people. “As far as the Liberal Party is concerned, I ran as an Alliance candidate in 2000 (in Vancouver Quadra). I came second in that vote and my Liberal opponent said he was going to be his own man. That’s not what happened when he went to Ottawa. Stephen Owen was barely heard from again,” Findlay said. Laird, explaining how his party’s approach is different than the others, said Green members don’t have to vote along party lines and against the wishes of the majority See CANDIDATES page 3
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