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Shelburne Free Press https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=10055 Export date: Tue Jul 23 10:17:00 2024 / +0000 GMT |
All–candidates debate – just an echo At the all-candidates debate in Shelburne on October 8th, there were 21 questions submitted by residents for the ten competitors running for council positions in the Municipal election. It was somewhat unsettling that many of the questions read by moderator Ron Munroe contained the exact wording of questions used at previous Municipal debates days before. This left an impression that the Shelburne debate was not specific to the citizen's concerns, but just an echo of the others and raises the issue of how many resident questions made it to the floor on October 8th. Eager ratepayers, who packed Grace Tipling Hall, concerned or curious about the possibility of the first new Mayor since Edward Crewson's popular reign of 17years, were not allowed to address candidates directly. When asked about the number of questions submitted by residents, Monroe said some were “accusatory” and added, “we were not reading those.” Mayoral candidate Ken Bennington expressed surprise when told that many of the questions posed had been recycled from a previous debate, and said the revelation might explain why many of the Shelburne specific topics he had been prepared to address had not come up. There was no actual debating at the ‘debate' and most questions had very few ‘right answers,' turning the traditionally spirited event into a series of repetitive one minute speeches, each, almost without exception, mirroring the one before. Reasons for the format change appeared to be the unusually large number of candidates running (99 for 44 positions across the County) and a desire to insure that diverse topics flowed through the evening. However, the format lacked the important revelations of true debates where the strengths and weakness of candidates are publicly challenged. One Shelburne contender suggested that the new format would give a distinct advantage to any candidate who had witnessed an earlier debate in another municipality where the same questions were asked. The debate hosts, the Greater Dufferin Area Chamber of Commerce and Dufferin.biz in partnership with the Dufferin Federation of Agriculture and the Greater Dufferin Home Builders Association, put out a press release in August saying the debates would “provide voters with a chance to ask the candidates direct questions about the issues that matter most to them.” It is the prerogative of the host to dictate the format, but perhaps the public would be better served in the future if all pretence at public engagement was dropped and Dufferin.biz and company openly stated that they would be creating and posing the questions. This would not only eliminate any suspicion that the democratic process was being compromised, but it would open the door for discussion about organizing additional future debates that embrace traditional voter interaction. There were a few standouts at the event, including Wade Mills, who, as a new comer, was unparalleled in his preparedness for the position of Councillor with a 20 page on-line platform. Mills spoke with the confidence of a seasoned Mayor – more than a first time councillor candidate. Long time Councillors Randy Chambers and Tom Egan seemed most at ease during the evening - at the same time communicating a down to earth frankness that was appealing. In the Mayoral ‘debate', current Deputy Mayor Ken Bennington had a shaky start out of the gate, but gradually found his footing and left the general impression that he had the experience as Mayor Crewson's “wing man” and would be a team player with the rest of Council. Bennington's only competition, political new comer Frank E. Hunt Jr., probably surprised more than a few people-employing the art of bravado in an attempt to cover the knowledge gap with Bennington's 14 years on Council. Newly acclaimed Deputy Mayor for the next term, Geoff Dunlop, addressed the audience saying it was “a great time to live in Shelburne…the next four years will be exciting.” He extended his personal best wishes to outgoing Mayor Ed Crewson saying, “… good as he is as a Mayor – he is even a better person.” Moderator Ron Munroe closed the evening by reminding ratepayers “to vote to be heard,” because “complaining after Oct. 27 won't help anybody.” By Marni Walsh |
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Post date: 2014-10-15 14:45:19 Post date GMT: 2014-10-15 18:45:19 Post modified date: 2014-10-22 13:20:33 Post modified date GMT: 2014-10-22 17:20:33 |
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