Students and residents can grill civic politicians and federal candidates on youth issues Tuesday (March 24) during an event at Vancouver Island University.
Candidates and politicians will be on campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with hosts the VIU Political Society, which has set up an informal youth-themed event where topics like voter apathy, student debt and Bill C-51 can be explored.
Mayor Bill McKay and councillors Jerry Hong and Wendy Pratt will be available from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Federal candidates will be on campus from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., including Paul Manly, Green Party candidate in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Sheila Malcolmson, the NDP's Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidate, Carrie Powell-Davidson, Liberal candidate in Courtenay-Alberni and Maria Manna, Liberal candidate in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford.
Nanaimo-Ladysmith Conservative candidate Mark MacDonald will not be in attendance.
Sebastian Barkovic, executive member of the political society, said they wanted to put on an event to show “the good side of politics,” rather than the horse-race it always seems to be.
The event is at building 355, room 211 at Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus. There will be free food and live music.