Don’t call it a debate: Halifax and Dartmouth candidates throw shade at downtown forum

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Election day is still a few weeks away but the gloves are starting to come off downtown.

Last night, around 300 people packed the seats at Neptune Theatre to hear what the next members of parliament for the ridings of Halifax and Dartmouth-Cole Harbour had to say about public transit, affordable housing, economic development and other matters vital to urban centres. In attendance were NDP MPs Megan Leslie and Robert Chisholm, Liberal challengers Andy Fillmore and Darren Fisher, and Green hopefuls Thomas Trappenberg and Brynn Nheiley. Irvine Carvery, representing the Conservatives, also attended.

Organized by the Downtown Halifax and Downtown Dartmouth Business commissions, as well as the peninsula’s business associations, the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and Fusion Halifax, the event was a “candidates forum.” What it wasn’t supposed to be was a debate, as moderator Dan Leger stressed when opening the evening’s discussions. Still, that didn’t stop the candidates from trading barbs and attacking each other’s policies throughout the evening.

You can read how it all went down below. The next debate amongst the Halifax riding candidates will take place this Saturday, 7pm, at the Central Library.

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This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2015.