3 N.W.T. candidates tackle housing, health care, climate change and economics during CBC forum
CBC
Three of the five candidates competing to represent the Northwest Territories in Ottawa came together Friday evening to discuss the territory's biggest issues ahead of the Sept. 20 election.
NDP candidate Kelvin Kotchilea, independent Jane Groenewegen and incumbent Liberal candidate Michael McLeod joined host Loren McGinnis to share plans for addressing economic recovery, health care needs, truth and reconciliation, affordable housing and environmental action.
The Green Party's Roland Laufer withdrew from the 90-minute forum due to illness shortly before it was set to begin. Laufer did attend CBC North's forum on Wednesday, which was rescheduled to Friday following technical difficulties.
Conservative candidate Lea Mollison did not respond to CBC North's invitations to participate.
Many of the questions — which candidates were given one minute to answer — were put forward by N.W.T. voters themselves. Here's what the three candidates had to say:
The question of vaccination came up early, and candidates spoke about their positions on mandatory vaccination, vaccine passports and approaching residents who are vaccine hesitant.
McLeod was steadfast in his stance that "vaccines are the way out of this pandemic." He maintained that the Liberal government would be keen on mandatory vaccination, particularly for travellers, but that exceptions would have to be made so those unable to get vaccinated would still have access to medical travel.
Kayla DeMong fought tears as she described the dire conditions on the front lines, pleading for more help from the province as staff at the harm reduction site she leads try to keep up with the recent spike in overdoses.
A B.C. woman who has been detained by U.S. immigration officials for 11 days, after trying to enter the country, will be released on Friday, according to her father.
Toronto is doubling the number of automated speed cameras on city streets.
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is alleging the former CEO of Alberta Health Services was unwilling and unable to implement the government's plan to break up the health authority, became "infatuated" with her internal investigation into private surgical contracts and made "incendiary and inaccurate allegations about political intrigue and impropriety" before she was fired in January.
Hudson's Bay Company filed for creditor protection last week, saying it's struggling to pay landlords, vendors and employees — and it's a process that could lead to the sale or closure of Canada's oldest company.
Still sleepy from this week's time change?
RCMP say a man died while in police custody on Wednesday in downtown Yellowknife, and Alberta RCMP are investigating the incident.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal officials left an hours-long meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying they feel more positive about the Canada-U.S. trading relationship after weeks of bad blood and heated rhetoric.
The Alberta government wants to cut more than $400 million in the fees it pays to doctors, according to a confidential memo obtained by The Canadian Press.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says Canada's incoming prime minister needs to immediately and urgently negotiate a way to avoid China's planned tariffs on Canadian canola — even before an election call.
A judge has sentenced a 48-year-old man to life in prison for brutally stabbing his ex-wife and daughter to death in North York in 2022.
Ontario is seeing a massive surge in measles cases as an ongoing outbreak spreads in the province among mostly unvaccinated people.
Prince Edward Island's Affordable Housing Development Program fell short of its intended purpose, the province's Auditor General says.