Mayoral Debate

This was the first debate of this kind that I have ever gone to.  I really found it exciting.  Seeing what happens behind the scenes was particularly exciting to me.  Seeing how much of the debate actually was showmanship was an eye opener.  Hearing this type of debate on the radio compared to seeing it live would be a completely different experience.  I think the forum was an excellent choice.  I think that having the debate in a campus setting, gives the impression that the candidates care about youth.  As a mature student, I don’t fit into the youth category.  I wished the candidates touched a bit on how red river is a place for older students as well.

After the debate, I decided to go and vote at City Hall.  I thought this would be an ideal time as the issues were still fresh in my head.  I have never been so organized with voting before in my life so I was very proud that I had such a head start this year.  I was the 451 person to vote in Winnipeg.  I thought that was pretty cool.  The debate motivated me.

I felt a part of the dabte from physically being in the live audience.  I wanted to ask two questions but I was told my questions were more for a provincial election.  I was a bit disappointed but I understood the context.  One of my questions involved the bed bugs epidemic that is happening right now.  I still would have liked to hear how the candidates feel about this issue.  With shelters like Osborne House, it is necessary to have a plan of action in place so essential services are not forced to still operate under these types of conditions. 

I was surprised how personal Judy was.  She came up to our group and engaged in conversation.  What I didn’t like about her answers was that she kept on repeating herself.  I know that she has a platform and wants to stick to that but it became a bit boring.  Community centers are important but I don’t think they are the answer to everything.  I was really impressed with Sam. I was impressed with his passion for Winnipeg and how he stressed the importance of quality jobs to ensure graduates stay in Winnipeg.  That is what got my vote.