All-candidate no-shows: An UPDATED growing list$1:
So far, the examples available show mostly Conservatives. But if you know of more examples that should be included here, we'd be happy to receive updates. And I'll keep adding them to this list as I receive them.
La Presse names six Conservative candidates who are avoiding all-candidates events:
Sylvie Boucher (Beauport-Limoilou)
Daniel Petit (Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles)
Robert Goguen (Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe)
John Koury (Nanaimo-Cowichan)
Julian Fantino (Vaughan)
Pierre Lemieux (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell)
La Presse also reports the cases of four Bloc candidates who were ducking debates:
Nicolas Dufour (Repentigny)
Claude Pilote (Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean)
Roger Pomerleau (Drummond)
Richard Côté (Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier)
[note: Incorrect and outdated information appeared here in an earlier version of this blog. I apologize for the error.]
The Globe and Mail names the following Conservatives who had skipped all-candidates events:
Deepak Obhrai (Calgary East)
Diane Ablonczy (Calgary-Nose Hill)
Julian Fantino (Vaughan)
Ed Holder (London West)
Damian Konstantinakos (Ottawa Centre)
Chris Alexander (Ajax-Pickering)
Both the Conservative (Elie Salibi) and the NDP (James McLaren) candidates skipped an all-candidates debate in Ottawa South.
Cheryl Gallant (Conservative, Nipissing-Pembroke) stormed out of a live radio all-candidates' debate, claiming it was illegitimate because the Green Party candidate was not there.
John Duncan (Conservative, Vancouver Island North) reportedly didn't attend a packed all-candidates' event in his riding.
Royal Galipeau (Conservative, Ottawa-Orléans) declined to attend two events, but did attend one other all-candidates' forum.
Marty Burke (Conservative, Guelph) skipped a capacity-crowd all-candidates' event at the University of Guelph.
Marie Bountrogianni (Liberal) and Terry Anderson (Conservative) didn't attend an all-candidates' meeting in Hamilton Mountain sponsored by local labour groups.
Damian Konstantinakos (Conservative, Ottawa Centre) confirmed his attendance but then did not attend a debate on immigration and other issues facing new Canadians in his riding.
Leanna Villella (Conservative, Welland) cited a business commitment to explain her absence from an all-candidates' meeting. (video)
Stephen Woodward (Conservative, Kitchener Centre) and Peter Braid (Conservative, Kitchener-Waterloo) declined invitations to a forum on refugee and immigrant concerns. Woodward said he had other obligations and Braid said he preferred to meet one-on-one with constituents. Woodward and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney met separately with the group organizing the event on April 11.
LaVar Payne (Conservative, Medicine Hat) didn't attend an "environment and social justice" debate due to "having other priorities." No other party representative was made available.
Mark Strahl (Conservative, Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon) attended some closed all-candidates' meetings but declined to attend a public event, due to "previously scheduled campaign commitments."
Patrick Brown (Conservative, Barrie) declined to attend a debate at a local United Church, saying that he had "a problem with the moderator."
Michelle Rempel (Conservative, Calgary Centre-North) didn't attend an all-candidates' meeting at the University of Calgary but previously had attended other events.
Phil McColeman (Conservative, Brant) did not attend a debate/discussion hosted at another local United Church.
Wally Daudrich (Conservative, Churchill) did not attend a forum hosted by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs for First Nations voters.
The Winnipeg Free Press' Don Lett reports on difficulties all candidates' debate organizers have had in Winnipeg trying to get Conservative representatives to attend. Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South) is mentioned as one declining to attend some events.
Liberal incumbent Hedy Fry is publicizing the absence of her Conservative opponent, Jennifer Clarke, from several events in her riding.
Kevin Moore (Conservative, Toronto Centre) cited a scheduling conflict in refusing to attend an all-candidates' debate hosted by the riding's gay and lesbian community.
Randy Hoback (Conservative) and Ron Wassill (Liberal) did not attend an all-candidates' forum in Prince Albert on April 20.
Jim Hillyer (Conservative, Lethbridge) has issued this statement to explain his absences from future all-candidates' forums, after previously attending an event at the University of Lethbridge where different individuals report he'd faced some opposition:
After very careful thought and consideration the campaign team has determined that rather than having Jim spend his time engaged in partisan bickering, the best way for him to reach out to constituents is to spend his time out in the various communities, knocking on doors and speaking with people on a more personal level... In order to maximize the time he has to do this, Jim will not be attending any further forums during the campaign.
Susan Truppe (Conservative, London-North Centre) has skipped events at the public library and a local high school. Also missing at another all-candidates' event in London, in addition to Truppe, were Liberals Glen Pearson and Roger Caranci, Conservative Jim Chahbar, and New Democrat Fred Sinclair.
Ronald Leung (Conservative, Burnaby-Douglas) is avoiding media interviews and cited a "doorknocking appointment" as a reason to skip an all-candidates' meeting.
The Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that the sight of Conservative Kelly Block at a federal election forum is 'as elusive as Bigfoot.'
Fred Slade (Conservative, Sudbury) did not participate in an all-candidates discussion hosted by Northern Life and the CBC.
Larry Miller (Conservative, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound) did not attend an all-candidates' meeting at the Owen Sound library.
Bev Pitura (Conservative, Winnipeg Centre) has reportedly missed at least two events, including the one mentioned here.
