Live Blogging the Halton Candidates Debate

Tune in to Cogeco 14!

8:40 - Ok, I just finished eating dinner. First impressions: Rob Wagner isn't very good at this. And who let the Christian Heritage Party guy in?! I don't think Raitt has answered a single question so far without first mentioning a) that she's been going around talking to people, or b) that she has young children. And Garth needs to stop saying, "Having said that" so much.

8:45 - Garth got to go up after Lisa on poverty, and used the opportunity to address the lie she's been pushing that the Liberals will take away the $100 a month childcare benefit. Score!

8:50 - Mister Christian Heritage has kids too, and apparently he's shocked that so many kids walk to school by themselves. Garth brought up family income splitting (one of his pet projects), and then Amy Collard pointed out that the Greens are the only ones with income splitting actually in their platform. Score one for Amy!

8:55 - Did I mention that Mister Christian Heritage speaks in a nasal, oddly accented monotone while staring straight into the camera? Garth just held up Lisa's expensive glossy colour mailer that claims the Liberals plan to eliminate the childcare benefit, and called on her to explain why she's lying. I wait with bated breath...

... and she leads with "Mr. Turner, you don't get it". I see. Wow, she's really on her high horse now. She's all indignant, bringing up the 2006 Dion interview to prove that a statement from two years ago from someone who wasn't even the party leader then somehow proves that the Liberals are going to do what they have said they will not.

Who knew local debates could be so exciting?

9:00 - When Lisa was 10 her father had a stroke, so she understands all about seniors care. Groan. And she's brought up income splitting for seniors, which as I recall was something Garth had personally championed and got passed while he was a Conservative. Too bad he didn't get a chance to mention that (oop! he just did).

9:15 - The Christian Heritage Party doesn't believe in global warming, apparently. Lisa brings up the usual screed - 13 years of Liberal inaction, crazy schemes, tax on everything, blah blah blah. Happily, Garth got to rebut.

9:25 - Final statements. Amy says other parties copy ideas from the Green Party because they're good ideas.
Garth pushes the direct democracy angle - Garth the maverick, the servant of the electorate, the voice of the people, standing up for the little guy - say AMEN, brother!
Christian Heritage - my gods, he's a bus driver. Ew!
Lisa Raitt doesn't believe in picking fights, apparently. She will be our representative. She has the full support of the riding association - they're watching right now! She finds it rich to be lectured by a man who went to Ottawa as a Conservative and came back a Liberal. Oh, and the Conservatives will control spending. Someday.
Rob Wagner says "Don't let them tell you it can't be done!"

And we're done!

(I'm sorry - was there some other debate you wanted me to live blog?)