Many of the Burnaby council and school board candidates made it out to the Friday night debate at the Capitol Hill Hall, co-hosted by the Civic Association of Iranian Canadians and the Capitol Hill Hall Association, last week.
Despite problems with the sound system and a distinct chill in the air, the candidates were energetic and dynamic while addressing questions from the audience.
The school board candidates introduced themselves first, with little time for them to answer questions submitted by the audience.
Burnaby Parents' Voice candidates were asked what their platform is, besides opposing policy 5.45, the school district's anti-homophobia policy.
"We want to put students back in the system," Parents' Voice candidate Helen Ward said, adding the candidates are also concerned about academic standards, reducing advertising in schools, taking computer games out of the Strong Start program, greater transparency and options for distributing learning programs.
TEAM Burnaby candidate Bonda Bitzer was asked why she thinks administration funds are being used ineffectively by the current board.
She responded that she doesn't know all the inefficiencies, which is why TEAM is asking for an audit, but added there are custodial positions that could be looked at to save money.
Not covering sick pay beyond what's required by employee contracts is another idea, she added, but emphasized, "We don't want to strip contracts."
The council candidates took the floor next. Tensions increased with the council debates, with TEAM Burnaby candidate Ray Power taking offense to Coun. Nick Volkow's comment that all TEAM candidates are Liberal party members.
"I belong to no political party," Power said after the meeting.
But the most contentious issues at the debate were regarding how council - currently composed entirely of Burnaby Citizens Association members - handles the city's finances and what the other candidates would do differently.
"I've always been told that, as an NDPer, I don't know how to run a peanut stand," Volkow said, adding the city now manages a capital reserve fund of about "600 million peanuts."
His comment was in response to candidates who suggested the money in the reserve fund might be put to better uses, such as affordable housing.
The first question from the audience was in regards to the city's voting system, and whether or not candidates would be willing to go with a preferential voting system.
Preferential voting systems allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, instead of the current one-vote-per-candidate system.
Green candidate Rick McGowan said his party is the only one endorsing a preferential ballot system.
Power said TEAM wouldn't support a preferential ballot, as they believe a ward system - where different areas of the city have their own representative councillors - would be a better approach.
Independent council candidate Nick Akvenich said the provincial government would not approve a preferential system but a ward system was a good idea.
Mayor Derek Corrigan agreed with Akvenich, saying he is prepared to consider a ward system when the provincial government indicates it is willing to consider it.
Independent mayoral candidate Sylvia Gung said she felt voter turnout was a bigger concern than changing the current voting system.
The candidates were then asked how they would work with different levels of government to develop short-term housing solutions.
TEAM candidate Garth Evans said it was an important issue to him and he would be willing to work with all levels of government.
Akvenich became quite impassioned when discussing the issue, saying many politicians simply blame other levels of government and nothing gets done.
"We need to work together to find a solution," he said.
Gung said there's no clear solution to homelessness but added the current council's social sustainability strategy does not provide any answers.
"It doesn't deal with the problem," she said.
More needs to be done than just building an emergency shelter, Coun. Paul McDonell said. Transitional housing is also needed, and the federal and provincial governments have not been on board with this.
"If we're going to start being progressive, we'd better be able to follow through and do it right," he said.
Green candidate Carrie McLaren suggested the city should look to groups who are aware of what the needs and possible solutions are.
"We need to take the lead from groups out there," she said. "We need to push through and help them."
The current councillors were then asked about the low-interest loans the city makes to itself from the capital reserves to fund capital projects.
Coun. Dan Johnston explained the city borrows money from the reserves for major projects, such as the Edmonds pool and recreation centre, and pays it back over 20 years, including a low interest rate.
But he dismissed the "Bank of Burnaby" comments made by some candidates.
"We're just paying ourselves back so that future generations don't do without," he said.
Green candidate Adrianne Merlo became quite incensed, saying that the younger, future, generation of Burnaby cannot afford housing in the city.
Evans had no problem with the way the capital project funding is handled, he said, but Akvenich disagreed with it, calling it a double taxation.
"I would say they should stop that," he said, adding, "they should share the peanuts that Nick has."
