Editor's note: Coast Reporter and its sister papers Powell River Peak, Squamish Chief and Whistler Question will be asking the candidates a series of questions during the campaign. Candidates Doug Hartt and Terry Platt did not respond this week.
Question #3: Are the ethics and integrity of our leaders an issue in this campaign? Why or why not?
Tunya Audain - Libertarian Party
Not only leaders, but also all citizens must talk about why values, basic principles and morals are key to a happy and productive life. Why do we accept waste, corruption and double-talk from governments?
Nobel Economics winner (2009) Elinor Ostrom said: "A citizenry devoid of skills in policy analysis is a set of subjects who can easily become the objects of an authoritarian regime."
The smaller the size of government, the less corruption. All of us and the media must participate in debates on ethics and integrity. Otherwise, the slippery slope to slavery is only too real and too scary.
Carol Lee Chapman - Marxist-Leninist Party
Ethics and integrity do not apply to the leaders of the cartel parties in the House of Commons. All these leaders and parties support sending tomahawk missiles against Libya. They cite "high ideals" to support their war on a sovereign country. This action violates the UN Charter and international law.
"Our leaders" so-called support monopoly right over public right. We need a Worker's Opposition. Workers need to become leaders themselves - to become worker politicians. Whose economy? Our economy! Who decides? We decide! Take a stand against the anti-social offensive and for rights. Vote Marxist-Leninist! Visit www.mpc.ca.
Allan Holt - Western Block Party
I would assume that this is a rhetorical question. All you have to do is look at their behaviour before and during the election campaign to understand that there are few ethics and less integrity when discussing our current political heads of parties.
Roger Lagassé - Progressive Canadian Party
Integrity is essential. Allowing a Canadian youth to be detained and tortured in the Guantanamo concentration camp is unethical. It shows a clear lack of integrity on the part of the former government. Were Khadr an adult enemy combatant, he should be accorded the full rights of a prisoner of war under the Geneva Conventions. The fact that no other Western government allowed its citizens to remain at Guantanamo says a lot about Harper's ethics. It is a dishonour to Canada and to the Canadian Forces to allow prisoners of war to be mistreated. Omar Khadr should be brought home.
Dan Veniez - Liberal Party
Never before in our history has a government ever been found in contempt of Parliament. Mr. Harper has shown a stunning and profound disrespect for our democratic institutions, and by extension, the Canadian people. His has been a government characterized by flip-flops, subterfuge, secrecy and character assassination. Mr. Harper shut down Parliament twice, engaged in ceaseless personal attacks on anyone that disagreed with him, and has been a divisive and polarizing force in our national life. Changing that has been the driving force for my decision to stand for public office. Trust is the very least we must demand.
Brennan Wauters - Green Party
Unfortunately, ethics and integrity are campaign issues because of Canada's recent political history. It would be normally a given that a rigid ethical stance would be an unspoken reality; the same for integrity. People aren't perfect, but we must strive to be; it is our duty to our better human nature.
Integrity also means admitting and accepting who we are and what we do sometimes. We have to correct our mistakes; if we do it with integrity, we don't risk shame while continuing to strive for authenticity, sincerity, truth and compassion. Proportional representation and elected Senate would solve these problems.
John Weston - Conservative Party
Ethics and integrity are critical - our leaders' character influences our nation every day. Stephen Harper famously said "principles above party" at our National Convention in 2005. When the Conservative Party brought in the Accountability Law in 2006, its first act, we changed Canadian politics forever.
Gone are the days: when individuals can buy influence by contributing large amounts of money - maximum is $1,100 per person per year; when corporations or unions can sway how members vote - they can't contribute a cent; and when cabinet ministers and their staff can leave Parliament Hill to become lobbyists - there are strict new rules.
