Voters in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley district will have the opportunity to pose questions to seven of eight candidates vying for the seat vacated by NDP stalwart Nathan Cullen at the Terrace Standard’s candidates forum on October 17.
The NDP’s Taylor Bachrach, Liberal Dave Birdi, Conservative Claire Rattée, Green Party’s Mike Sawyer, Christian Heritage Party’s Rod Taylor, People’s Party Jody Craven and independent candidate Merv Ritchie will face off at the forum, which will take place in the REM Theatre.
Independent candidate Danny Nunes, who announced his candidacy dressed in a bear suit, told the Terrace Standard he will not be attending the forum as his campaign is a low-carbon initiative.
The event is being co-sponsored by the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce, with participation by Terrace Toastmasters and the REM Lee Theatre.
Here’s what you need to know before the debate:
READ MORE: The most important issue for each of the Skeena-Bulkley Valley candidates in their own words
The moderator will be Coast Mountain College’s executive director of communications Sarah Zimmerman. The media panel consists of CFNR, Bell Media, and the Terrace Standard. CityWest will be on hand to broadcast proceedings on Channel 10, scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and end by 9:20 p.m.
The debate will begin with opening statements from each of the candidates attending, followed by questions from the media panel and written questions from the floor. Each candidate will have three rebuttal cards with which to respond to each other.
The role of the moderator is to introduce the candidates and panel, to explain the rules and to make sure the candidates and the audience abide by those rules. Audience members will only be allowed to ask specific questions, not make speeches.
The media panel question period will be followed by a 10-minute break, after which the audience will be able to ask questions. Audience members are only allowed to ask one question directed at only one candidate.
Media panelists will also pose written questions to the candidates which have been passed to them from the floor during opening statements and media questions. Audience members may submit written questions during this time as well.
To wrap it up, each candidate will have one minute to make their closing statements before the moderator makes a final closing statement.
Have questions you want to submit beforehand? Send them to newsroom@terracestandard.com with ‘Debate Question’ in the subject line!
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