For the first time in 15 years, a forum on affordable housing and homelessness will not be part of the election campaign.
The Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness has hosted such forums during every election – municipal, provincial and federal – since 2000.
This year, as always, the coalition sent invitations to five party campaign headquarters, asking them to send a candidate to take part in this year’s forum.
By Monday this week, three parties had sent word that no one would be available on the scheduled day, said coalition spokesman Jim Gurnett.
Two other parties failed to respond at all.
“It did seem so strange that nobody would be available for it,” Gurnett said. “I’m disappointed any time that a clearly vital part of policy and activity by a government doesn’t seem to merit making the effort to find just one candidate … who can be available for two hours.”
Gurnett, a former MLA who once served as chief of staff for the NDP caucus, said he’s worried the lack of support for the forum shows that this year’s campaigns are focused on a narrow range of issues that parties think are important, rather than the ones people truly care about.
Source:: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-homeless-forum-cancelled-1.3043750?cmp=rss
