While jobs, crime and poverty were topics for discussion, transparency was the issue of the evening Tuesday at the Lakehead Labour Centre.
With 18 of 19 at-large candidates on stage, over 150 people in attendance were given the opportunity to ask questions of incumbents and challengers. At 35, Richard "House" Moorey told people he was the youngest candidate for the at-large race and wants to see more transparency in city council. Moorey asked the crowd to raise their hand if they felt too much city council business was done behind closed doors. When a majority of the room raised their hands, Moorey said accountability at the municipal level just isn’t there.
"I think communication in our city is failing," Moorey said. "Where’s the accountability? Give me a break."
Candidate Norm Staal said he’d also like to see more transparency when questioned about ballot counting. Staal said he’s in favour of a proposal to hand count 10 polling stations because when he lost in a municipal election seven years ago, the voting changed overnight.
"I went to bed I had 6,000 votes," Staal said. "I woke up I had 3,500. How’d that happen?"
Sydney Pettit said he also wants to see more transparency. From cost overruns to waterfront development, Pettit said people deserve to know what the city is doing.
"We must know what’s in those contracts. We must know what we’re on the line for," said Pettit.
When questioned on the city’s handling of contracts, incumbent Rebecca Johnson said it’s unfortunate that people don’t hear about all of the contracts which come in under budget but only the ones that have cost overruns.
"You will find that overall we have saved some dollars," Johnson said. "You don’t ever her about the ones we saved dollars on."
Incumbent Iain Angus was asked to justify the city’s contract with Horizon wind for a lease of city property for Big Thunder Wind Park. Angus said in 2007, the city signed thinking that members of the public could lobby the municipality of Neebing’s rezoning bylaws but the province’s Green Energy Act no longer allows that kind of challenge. Angus said the city was acting in the best interest of its citizens at the time.
"When we entered into that contract we did so in good faith," Angus said. "Should we have done things differently? Sure it’s easy to say that now."
Gerald Graham said he supports the wind farm proposal because of the city’s need to reduce its reliance on coal and gas but stressed that accountability and transparency were necessary.
"I’m not privy to all the numbers and negotiations that have gone on (in city council)," Graham said.
Thursday will feature a mayoral debate at the Lakehead Labour Centre at 7 p.m. Lynn Peterson, Keith Hobbs and Frank Pullia have confirmed their attendance so far.
