Many people came out to the Finlandia Association to grill local candidates on important election issues for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
For around an hour, candidates quickly moved through a variety of questions from the audience last night.
They included fears that LGBT seniors won’t be able to stay with their partners in long-term care, coverage of medication to prevent and manage HIV, access to transition-related healthcare for transgender people, and suicide prevention for LGBT Indigenous youth.
However, audience members also asked about issues like gun control, climate change, whether the federal parties support free post-secondary education, and the SNC-Lavalin affair.
At least one candidate from every main party attended.
The only absences were Marcus Powlowski with the Liberals, the People’s Party of Canada’s Andrew Hartnell, and Green candidate Amanda Moddejonge, all running in Thunder Bay-Rainy River.
Gerrit Wesselink attended the event and was glad to see most of the candidates were there, adding many of them seemed well-versed in the issues affecting the community.
“There were others who weren’t quite sure what they were talking about, so it’s interesting to see where the party platforms play in and where the actual candidate’s opinions play in.”
Wesselink wasn’t impressed with the answers from Conservative candidates Linda Rydholm for Thunder Bay-Rainy River and Frank Pullia in Thunder Bay-Superior North, saying they seemed to stick close to the “party line”.
The audience seemed mainly concerned with the Liberal, Conservative, and NDP camps, with fewer questions directed at the People’s Party of Canada and the Green Party.
Organizers say they feel attendees went away with a better idea of where the candidates stand.
Thunder Pride Chair Jason Veltri says the event went better than expected. “The turnout was incredible, the questions were tough, and the candidates were candid about their answers,” he notes.
Canadians will go to the polls on October 21st.
