BUSU slams candidates who said no to debate

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This article was published 02/04/2016 (3719 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon University Students’ Union lashed out at several local provincial election candidates in a fiery public letter on Friday after they ducked invitations to next week’s BUSU all-candidates debate.

Brandon East hopefuls Len Isleifson (Progressive Conservative) and Vanessa Hamilton (Liberal), as well as Brandon West NDP candidate Linda Ross won’t attend the lunchtime debate, hosted by BUSU and the Canadian Federation of Students set for Wednesday.

The letter also called out Tory Reg Helwer, the incumbent MLA for the constituency that includes the university and a former BUSU president, for not attending.

A spokesperson for Helwer confirmed with The Brandon Sun he will in fact attend, shortly after the letter was released.

Nick Brown, BUSU vice-president and president-elect, said the candidates were first contacted in early February to start arranging a date for the debate.

Ross, a BU professor and NDP candidate in Brandon West, won’t be at the debate because she’s scheduled to teach a class at the same time. It’s a valid excuse in Brown’s books.

“She’s literally putting students first. We’re very happy for that,” he said.

Brown said he received an email at 5 p.m. on Thursday from Hamilton, reversing her earlier answer to say she won’t be coming.

“I need to prioritize my time and it’s very difficult to reach this demographic, which is 18-30. It’s a very low turnout,” she said.

“I’m just questioning, are debates the best way to reach that demographic? If I only have a certain amount of time, I think going door-to-door is the best way to reach people.”

Brown agrees that political engagement at BU is an issue.

“Students are fairly apathetic, that’s a problem we have, so we try and run events to get students out and we have great response when the candidates are on campus,” Brown said.

Before last fall’s federal election, all four candidates and about 60 students attended a similar BUSU debate.

But the student leader didn’t mince words about the other anticipated no-shows.

“Thank-you for deciding that student voices don’t matter, and that you don’t care to hear what students have to say at the only debate on the Brandon University campus,” the letter trio reads.

“It’s great to see your parties spouting platitudes toward students about increasing funds or bursaries, or making plans to turn grants into loans, but students want to hear from you. Students want to know what your plans are to resolve the housing shortage in Brandon … what your plans are in regard to rising tuition fees, student loan interest rates and government funding for post-secondary institutions.”

“It is splendid to see that you … are able to ignore a demographic you once championed and represented,” Brown wrote.

That leaves controversial Brandon West Liberal newcomer Billy Moore joining the two Wheat City incumbents on the stage next Wednesday.

Moore, Brown said, contacted BUSU on his own accord and asked to participate.

The debate is set for noon on Wednesday in Brandon University’s Harvest Hall.

» tbateman@brandonsun.com

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