Markham-Thornhill political no-shows mocked by candidates at debate

yorkregion.com
March 31, 2017
By Tim Kelly

It was a quiet night for Liberal and Conservative federal byelection hopefuls at the Markham-Thornhill all-candidates debate Thursday night.

Liberal Mary Ng and Conservative Ragavan Paranchothy were absolutely speechless.

They didn't do any talking because they chose not to attend the Thornhill Community Centre event.

"I feel personally quite insulted. This is an all-candidates meeting and I came to get some information and I'm not going to get information from some of the candidates," said a resident in the audience of about 20.

"If someone asks somebody to be somewhere, we have already elected a Liberal government, the least they can do is come and show themselves to be the leaders of this country," said Gregory Hines, NDP candidate.

"If they're not going to show up and speak, I'm going to show up and speak for them and they're going to wish they had shown up and spoken for themselves," said Above Znoneofthe, an independent.

Ng's campaign aides said she was joined by Justin Trudeau "for a busy evening of round tables and meeting with residents here in Markham-Thornhill."

As for Paranchothy, he cited a conflicting event organized in support of his candidacy he was required to attend 7 p.m.

Debate organizer John Richardson, who said he had run as an independent in the past, including for the Progressive Canadian Party, told those in attendance he had sent out invitations to all the candidates on March 21. Ng's people said they hadn't received an invitation until March 28.

As for the debate, the NDP's Hines, Progressive Canadian candidate Dorian Baxter, Caryn Bergmann of the Green party and Above Znoneofthe vigorously exchanged views. Brendan Thomas Reilly of the Libertarian Party, who had said he would come, also was a no-show.

Znoneofthe made it clear what he thought of the absent Liberal and Conservative by bringing along placards of the pair.

Asked why he believed all-candidates debates were important, Znoneofthe said: " ... so other voices can get heard and so other people can speak up.

"What do you say about that Mary, what do you say about that Ragavan, I guess they don't think it's so important because they didn't show up tonight," he said, waving the placards.

Debate highlights included:

Gregory Hines: "I'm here to represent the people of the riding ... that's why we're public servants, we're here to serve the people of the riding."

Caryn Bergmann: "The Green party is the only party that says I'm required to vote with my constituents and go against my leader if that's what my neighbours and community want me to do."

Dorian Baxter: "If what the constituents wanted was against my conscience, I would resign."

Above Znoneofthe: “Every Remembrance Day, I think of those words so that we have the right and the ability to vote and we owe them, not to just throw your vote away or say I'm too busy, I've got something better to do ... they didn't say it's too cold to fight on Vimy Ridge today ... get informed and make a choice."

The byelection takes place April 3.