Conservative leadership hopefuls in B.C. for back-to-back debates

The travelling Conservative leadership contest heads west this weekend and is expected to draw some big crowds at a pair of back-to-back debates in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

The first, dubbed the 'Debate in the Valley,' sold out a week ahead of time.

It will be moderated by Senator Yonah Martin and is set for Langley at 1 p.m. PT at Darvonda Nurseries located at 6690 – 216 St.

"Nearly 600 people from all over the province are coming," said local riding association president Steve Schafer in a statement.

12 of the 14 leadership candidates are expected to attend according to the Conservative's Cloverdale-Langley City Electoral District Association.

The second event is set for Sunday at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver's entertainment district, although you won't find the event advertised on the theatre's website.

Organizers say "candidates will engage in a series of 1-on-1 debates and smaller group debates."

Kirk LaPointe, a former journalist who ran for mayor in Vancouver in the 2014 municipal election, will be the moderator. He is also a former CBC ombudsman.

Kevin O'Leary won't debate in B.C.

On Friday, Maxime Bernier, considered by some to be the race's front-runner, pitched his small government platform to the CBC's The Early Edition.

"I want a limited government because in the end I want more freedom and if we have more freedom, we have more prosperity," he said.

Meanwhile, candidate Kevin O'Leary will not be at either debate.

This week he took a break from the campaign trail to pitch his name-branded wines on an American home shopping channel.

"We obviously hoped that all the candidates would make it out here," said Glen Arthur, an organizer for the Vancouver debate.

"He has committed to coming back in and doing an event in the region in the coming weeks, so we'll definitely look forward to seeing that."

Deepak Obhrai has scheduled engagements in Quebec and Ottawa on Saturday, and so will also miss the B.C. events. They are not official party debates, meaning attendance is not mandatory.

Arthur says tickets are still available and those buying them have been filling out a questionnaire about their expectations for the debate.

Reaction to anti-Islamophobia motion

He says jobs and the economy are the number one issues, while how the new Conservative leader will work with the new administration in the U.S. is also popular.

Others say they want to know what candidates think of motion M-103, an anti-Islamophobia motion which has a stated objective of recognizing "the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear."

"We expect to hear some answers from them as to how they would approach those situations," said Arthur.

The Conservative Party leadership election takes place on May 27, 2017. 

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