Nanaimo-area voters get a chance to question the federal election candidates next week, but won’t get to do it in-person.
An all-candidates meeting organized by the Young Professionals of Nanaimo and Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce for Tuesday (April 19) is for attendance by members of the two groups, or Vancouver Island University students.
But the organizers are looking for questions from the general public and the forum is expected to aired in full on Shaw TV, either live or in the days following.
The decision to make it a closed-door forum was in the interest of maintaining control over the event and avoiding “hostility from the crowd” that occurred at previous all-candidates meetings, said Chris Cathers, of the YPN.
Limited seating at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre also played a part in the decision, he said.
Anyone interested in submitting a question for the forum, which will cover both the Nanaimo-Cowichan and Nanaimo-Alberni constituencies, can do so by e-mail to info@ypnanaimo.com.
Cathers said all eight candidates for the four major parties – Conservative, Green, Liberal and NDP – were confirmed to attend. Candidates from fringe parties were not being invited to participate, he said.