Judging from the volume of the cheers from the audience, Green Party candidate Daniel Bryce was the winner of Monday night's federal election debate.
Some would argue the youthful Bryce, 29, had an edge, facing a crowd of mostly students that filled the auditorium at UFV for the event, because he graduated from the university in 2005.
Even incumbent Ed Fast (Conservative) gave Bryce props, saying "he's got a great future in politics." And by the end of the evening's debating, Fast said he has been impressed by the quality of candidates running against him from the Liberal (Madeleine Hardin) and NDP (David Murray) parties as well.
David MacKay of the Marxist-Leninist Party was absent, and Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon MLPC candidate Dorothy-Jean O'Donnell took in his place in the debate.
Fast's party was the target of most of the criticism from the other four candidates.
Moderator Hamish Telford of the UFV political science department took questions from the audience and posed them to the candidates, and each of the candidates had their moments.
On education policy, Murray said student loans should be offered without interest.
"I can't believe this government would have the audacity to charge you, and make money on you," he said.
On mandatory voting laws, O'Donnell said our first-past-the-post election style "systematically disengages people." She said the country instead needs "democratic renewal."
"We need a new and modern constitution," she said.
On the move to proportional representation Bryce noted, "we have a government in power that represents less than 20 per cent of adult Canadians."
On the need for a majority government for effective governance, Hardin noted that Lester Pearson was Prime Minister of a minority government that introduced universal health care and the Canada Pension Plan. Sir Winston Churchill led a British minority government through the Second World War.
"Coalition governments can work, if the leader allows it," the Liberal candidate said.
Fast responded that neither of those leaders faced an opposition coalition that included the Bloc Quebecois, a party dedicated to breaking up the country. He noted that the BQ told Harper it would only support the federal budget if it included a $5 billion payment for Quebec.
On the issue of Abbotsford's proposed P3 water system, Murray noted that Abbotsford can get $70 million in federal funding, "But only if we do it his (Stephen Harper's) way. He's bribing us with our own money."
One the issue of health care, Hardin said: "The Liberals fully committed to the health care act. We need health care, not F35 bombers. It's time to put our priorities right."
Fast said it was a Liberal government that slashed health care funding by 25 per cent.
"They dumped it on the provinces and the local health authorities."
He noted the Conservative government is increasing transfer payments to the provinces by six per cent per year over five years.
Bryce said the government strategy on health care should be not to offer more money, but to reduce costs. It should focus on bringing down drugs costs, promoting healthy lifestyles and removing toxins from the environment.
On the question of legalizing marijuana, Bryce said his Green party favours decriminalization, which would free up police resources and corrections spaces. He said it would also be a blow to organized crime.
"Right now, their number one profit is selling weed," he said.
He noted that Portugal has legalized marijuana and has experienced a reduction in crime, and pointed to Amsterdam as a good example of decriminalization that is working .
Liberal Hardin noted that the status quo is "working just fine," and criticized the Conservative bill S-10, that would bring a six-month minimum jail sentence for growing six or more pot plants.
"If this is the Conservative tough-on-crime agenda, it's being sadly misused," she said.
Fast countered that "organized crime always finds a way to make a profit." He noted that six plants generate 5,400 joints, which is too much to be considered personal use.
"This is about mandatory minimum sentences for grow-ops, which are a scourge on our community," he said.
Murray called the HST the "Harper Sales Tax," and the NDP candidate noted that it is the number one issue he hears from Abbotsford residents when he campaigns door-to-door, pointing out 18,000 Abbotsfordians signed the petition to have it removed.
On Conservative financial management, Hardin noted Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper have had the biggest deficit budgets in Canadian history, while the Liberal government created surpluses.
On contempt of Parliament charges being brought against the Harper government, Fast said "this election is about three parties wanting to bring down the government, so they can form a coalition government."
The candidates will meet for a second debate at the Chamber of Commerce all-candidates meeting on Thursday, April 28, 7 p.m. at Garden Park Towers.