That’s what they said: Quotes from candidates debate

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This article was published 15/10/2022 (1222 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here are some of the highlights from Wednesday’s Brandon Municipal Election All Candidates Debate, as quoted from their answers to questions posed by panelists Murray Oliver, Assiniboine Community College journalism instructor; Kelly Saunders, Brandon University associate professor of political science; and Grant Hamilton, BU’s marketing and communications director.

Regarding what the candidates’ approach would be toward the large police and protective services budget:

“I think sometimes that, when you have a budget, you should be held to the budget, and the police aren’t necessarily held to the budget … The police commission looks after the police, so the only thing that we can do is apply pressure through the finances. And it’s a large budget, and if you said, ‘You just have to live within your budget,’ it would make things maybe somewhat different.”

— Richard Bruce, Ward 1 candidate

Regarding the need to address the social causes of crime such as poverty, homelessness, inequity, and drug addiction:

“If we don’t deal with those issues, we’re not going to deal with the crime, either … if we can avoid duplication of service and make a concerted effort to address those social issues, we’re more likely to reduce the crime and more likely to have our police force dealing with serious crime rather than mental health issues, for example.”

— Heather Karrouze, Ward 1 candidate

On tackling Brandon’s growing drug problem:

“I think what you’re asking is, ‘What do we do for the people who are addicted, and suffering and knocked down? What do we do for them?’ Well, we do a sobering centre. We do a safe injection site. We do harm reduction. We do whatever we can to save somebody. And if it means putting in facilities that might actually admit that we have a drug problem, well, let’s do it. Because turning a blind eye is not helping anybody.”

— Kevin Chambers, Ward 1 candidate

On the numerous informal council meetings held where no minutes have been taken:

“I don’t think they should happen. If you’re not going to have a meeting where you’re in a democratic setting, where it’s important to have a record and make it public information, you need minutes.”

— Richard Bruce

Incumbent councillors who described the informal meetings as educational; preparation for council meetings when it comes time to vote on an issue:

“Does it bother me that we’re being educated before we actually go in and make those decisions? Absolutely not.”

— Barry Cullen, Ward 3 candidate

“I don’t think there’s been any secrecy involved, that those sessions were happening, despite what you might read, and I hope that they continue to be part of our process moving forward.”

— Bruce Luebke, incumbent and acclaimed councillor for Ward 6

On the prediction by incumbent councillors that there would be more times that meetings would go in-camera if informal meetings were opened to media — for issues of personnel, litigation or property transactions:

“You just said that the majority of these meetings are for educational purposes. So which is it? … I’m picking up on a fair amount of defensiveness, with all due respect, from some of the incumbents here and there doesn’t seem to be a sense of responsibility, transparency, accountability to the people that not only elect you but that pay your wages.”

— Panelist Kelly Saunders

On city council passing the first reading of a bylaw allowing it to borrow up to $30 million for wastewater infrastructure upgrades needed to support further development:

“I think a lot of citizens in Brandon are afraid of the $30 million that Brandon City Council have voted to borrow for wastewater treatment plants, lift stations, whatever. And without a clear understanding of where that’s coming from, and where those are going to go, or be built, citizens are afraid of why we’re doing that.”

— Jo-Ann Pasklivich, Ward 1 candidate

On economic development:

“If I look at different cities and I look at different communities and how they have somehow marketed their communities, either they’re hungrier than we are, or they’re more willing to admit that they’re hungrier than we are. You have Portage, Winkler, Morden, Selkirk, who are making leaps and bounds as far as industry, compared to us. I mean, we’re still patting ourselves on the back for Maple Leaf and that was over 20 years ago.”

— Quentin Derhak, Ward 3 candidate

On the new downtown pop-up park on Pacific Avenue, intended to give the city’s homeless a place to go and reduce loitering:

“I mean, this park, it’s a gravel lot in the rail yard, you know, with port-a-potties. I mean, surely we as a city can do better than that for our homeless population.”

— Kelly Saunders

“Pop-up parks are nice, but it does not solve homelessness in downtown Brandon. What the present council or future council needs to consider is affordable housing, looking at simple, affordable housing units for the homeless to please get them off the streets and give them a warm, safe place to go.”

— Dale Bates, Ward 2 candidate

On affordable housing:

“We don’t need duplexes set up all over town, where they’re saying, ‘Well, it’s affordable housing.’ It’s not, you’re paying $1,200 a month for rent.”

— Franco Chartier, Ward 10 candidate

On revitalizing downtown:

“We debate and we talk about definitely $30 million for a lift station that is a hypothetical future development, but we will argue at the same budget meetings every year whether we should commit an extra $50,000 to our downtown. So the equity isn’t there.”

— Shaun Cameron, incumbent and acclaimed councillor for Ward 4

On some of the uncertainties expressed by debate participants regarding whether safe injection sites for addicts are desirable or how they might work:

“OK, sounds like that might be a good opportunity for a secret learning meeting.”

— Panelist Grant Hamilton