The Colwood all-candidates meetings held on Nov. 2 were a success and a sham.
The meeting organized by the West Shore Chamber of Commerce was a success with a very large attendance and the hall filled to capacity.
It was well organized and went off without a hitch; no lolly-pop questions, and the questions asked were fairly distributed.
Candidates did not know or see the questions before the meeting and heard them only moments before they were asked. Finally, the floor was open for more questions later in the evening.
All candidates performed very well under this form and format.
It should be noted that a splinter group decided to have a separate meeting of candidates elsewhere, for reasons that were not clear to the public or candidates.
Needless to say that those candidates who did not attend the WCC meeting were very conspicuous by their absence.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot — everyone present assumed their own conclusions, which certainly cannot benefit these missing candidates. How myopic and infantile to suspect that the Chamber of Commerce would manipulate the proceedings or the questions which is what the absent candidates indicated.
Regrettably, some questions were asked that all candidates would have been well-advised to address, and the missing ones were not there to present or defend their position. Indeed, some questions on questionable behaviour applied to some current members of council seeking re-election and who were missing.
Pierre Vallee
Colwood
