CARP candidates forum targets seniors' election issues

Retirement income, pharmacare and affordable housing: Those are someof the issues in sharp focus at the CARP Waterloo Region's election forum at CIGI in Waterloo.

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Thatlocal chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons invited a candidate from each party to participate in the forum at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. The scheduled candidates: (in alphabetical order):

• Peter Braid, the Conservative candidate for the riding ofWaterloo
• Susan Cadell, the NDP candidate for Kitchener Centre
• Raj Saini, theLiberal candidate for Kitchener Centre
• Richard Walsh, theGreen Party candidate for the riding of Waterloo

"We wanted our members to hear from each party, what their positions are on various aspects," said PaulaStanghetta, the chair of CARP Waterloo Region,in an interview with Craig Norris on The Morning Edition on Wednesday.

Range of topics

"It's not a debate format,"Stanghettasaid.CARP members submitted questions and several were chosen for thecandidatesto answer in sequence. The candidates were madeaware of the range oftopics such aspoverty, health care,retirementincome and dying with dignity, Stanghettasaid, but they were not told the specific questions.

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Each candidate was given time for opening and closing statements, and each candidate was directed to address the questions chosen for the forum.

"Here in Waterloo Region I think we have a very committedelectorate in terms of coming out to vote and seeing that as an important democratic right," Stanghetta said. "We've had tremendous interest in this forum, and so from the conversations I have had withour members to the great registration that we've had,we're probably going to fill the house."

You can watch a replay of the forum below.

On mobile? Watch the livestreamhere.