Mayoral Debate Arises Concerns among Students, Local Residents

      The mayoral debate, held on September 28, 2010 at the new Research and Academic Centre of Laurier Brantford, proved to be an evening filled with student concerns, candidates' promises and some entertainment thrown into the mix.  The opportunity allowed for students, faculty and local residents to connect with the individuals running for office.  The evening was deemed as a success, despite outbursts from one rather vocal candidate.  Questions for the candidates, which were pre-determined, discussed how the downtown can be revitalized and issues such as homelessness, unemployment and drug-related crime were addressed.  The seven of nine candidates in attendance were: Dianne Austin, James Calnan, Richard Casey, Chris Friel, Mark Littell, Mike Quatrociocchi and John Turmel. 

      All candidates appeared to be in agreement regarding the need for downtown core to be revamped, especially since the university has already grown past any previous expectations.  A question from the audience posed the concern of depending on how big the school will get, they will be taking over the community and squeezing others out.  With university estimates capping off at 12,000 students, there is still much preparation needed for this.  Third year Leadership student Kristen Groom found the event to be insightful but also that candidates needed to be more direct.  "I think the candidates have to be realistic and not just say we need. They need to show us how they are going to bring jobs to the city and keep the streets safe and keep their promises."

      All candidates were asked the same question, given a chance to answer, then were allowed to rebut one another's answers.  This followed the guide set by University of Toronto public policy meetings.  Kevin Klein, Laurier Brantford's external relations coordinator, stated "anytime you have nine candidates for a position, there is so much to learn and so many platforms to look at.  Having them all in one room, or at least the seven that attended, was great to be able to compare not only their approach, but their personality."  Klein helped the evening's hosts associate professor Sue Ferguson and Scott Blacklock, editor of the Sputnik for Laurier Brantford, to organize the debate.  

      The overall consensus from the candidates seemed to be that the community's problems need to be addressed together as one.  Candidate Quatrociocchi stated his thoughts that honesty with the public is key, as well as making city hall more approachable to the public.  "Let's face the issues and problems and have real solutions," he stated.  Mayoral candidate Austin seemed to hit close to home with many Laurier students due to her platform regarding safety in the downtown.  One concept that Austin suggested was the installation of emergency buzzers in the parking garage to deal with the issue of safety at night.  Other candidates also attempted to address the student population on a more personal level.  Littell attempted to speak to the students in attendance with his remarks, "Laurier believes in Brantford and I believe in Brantford.  We need to deal with problems, don't cover them up."