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Prince George, B.C. – Two BC Liberals skipped an all-candidates forum in Prince George tonight.

Neither Mike Morris (PG-Mackenzie) nor Shirley Bond (PG-Valemount) bothered to attend tonight’s AiMHi forum. Also missing was Hilary Crowley, the BC Green candidate for Prince George-Mackenzie.

Present were NDP candidates Bobby Deepak (PG-Mackenzie) and Natalie Fletcher (PG-Valemount) along with BC Green candidate Nan Kendy (PG-Valemount).

“I’m very disappointed. We’ve tried to give them (BC Liberals) opportunities to participate in some form or fashion either by the candidates themselves or having a stand-in and they’ve declined,” said AiMHi spokesperson Fred McLeod.

“I know that the people that we’re representing at tonight’s meeting are not powerful people, they are not wealthy people. They are the disadvantaged and the disenfranchised and to me it just makes them feel more so.”

The Liberal no show comes just two days after NDP candidates Bobby Deepak and Natalie Fletcher missed an all-candidates forum co-hosted by the Independent Contractors and Business Association and the North Regional Construction Association.

BC Green candidate Nan Kendy was also absent.

The candidates were asked the following questions tonight:

1. If elected, what would you support to help ensure the province’s children are more adequately prepared to enter the school system?
2. What are your feelings regarding the future of services to children with special needs?
3. If elected, will you support an immediate provincial investment to end waitlists for contracted therapy services for children in their preschool years provided by the Province’s contracted therapy service providers to preschool children with special needs?
4. If elected, will you support an immediate provincial investment to end waitlists for the Supported Child Development Program?
5. If elected, will you support changes to ensure that vulnerable children with special needs have access to all reasonably necessary services to support their development and improve their quality of life?
6. If elected, what would you support to help deal with the growing issue of mental health issues in young children?
7. How do you believe the issue of child poverty should be addressed in BC?
8. Do you believe in choice? In the province today when parents are seeking a ‘living situation’ for their child, there is only one option given – Home Share – should there not be a range of options available for families to choose what is best for the child?
9. In the province today we have families who are supporting their adult disabled child, what would you do to ensure that if a crisis occurred or if the parents can no longer care for their child that services and resources are available to help those families in a timely manner?
10. What would you do if elected to encourage those people who are receiving PWD to earn additional funds without having to worry that their PWD will be reduced?
11. What priority can we expect will be placed on Social Services through our future government representatives?