Prince George, B.C. – The Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference has wrapped with  delegates from across the country  hearing that municipal issues are  rising  on the list  of federal election issues.

Prince George City Councillor Garth Frizzell  says  a pollster presented  a detailed  account of a survey of Canadians  who say  municipal issues  are becoming more and more important  to  Canadian voters.  “One might expect that kind of report at a municipal convention” says Frizzell, “But this  guy is a third party  dealing with straight stats.”

Frizzell says  the  federal party  leaders who attended the weekend  conference in Edmonton  all agreed to  press for a  national debate of the party  leaders on issues of  municipal concerns.  NDP  leader Thomas Mulcair put that  promise in writing says Frizzell,  while  Green leader Elizabeth May ,and the Liberal’s Justin Trudeau  gave  verbal confirmation.  Prime Minister Harper did not attend in person( he sent a video taped message),   and his representative,  Finance Minister Joe Oliver   said his party would  look into the idea.

Delegates  passed all of the resolutions presented  including one that called for a national inquiry into murdered and missing Aboriginal women.  The delegates  also approved  resolutions which called for action on climate change  and to ease restriction on public-private partnerships.

Councillor Frizzell  was once again  elected to the FCM’s  Board of Directors,  it is  the 7th time he has  been elected to that Board.  It will be up to the  elected President ( Raymond Louie) to decide which  committees and roles  Frizzell  and  the other Directors will carry.