It was a charged atmosphere at Lumby's White Valley Community Centre for the final Vernon-Lumby candidate forum for the upcoming provincial election. 

Topics touched on in the nearly two hour debate on Thursday, Oct. 10 ranged from AI, health care, affordability, and COVID mandate of doctors. 

All four registered candidates were present at the forum: incumbent Harwinder Sandhu (NDP), Dennis Giesbrecht (Conservative), Kevin Action (Independant) and Robert Johnson (Libertarian). 

After opening remarks from the four candidates, the floor was open to questions from the audience of nearly 60.

Immediately, Giesbrecht was asked if he lives in the area. 

"I do not live in Lumby or Vernon," he said, remarking that he grew up in the area but currently lives in Kamloops. "I am looking at buying a place in Vernon right now. My postal code is the easiest thing in the world to fix."

With advanced voting already open, and the election looming, a question was asked regarding why Giesbrecht and the Conservative Party have yet to have released a costed platform.

GIesbrecht explained that it was not up to him. 

"The costed portion of our platform is coming out on Saturday," he said. "You got to remember there is a big difference between costed and costing you. Right now, with the NDP plan, B.C.'s debt will grow by 207 per cent since they took office."

Sandhu immediately jumped in to correct Giesbrecht, saying that number was not true.

"The numbers don't lie," Giesbrechet told Sandhu. "Our costed plan will be out on Saturday and we will balance the budget in two years."

"How?" said the woman in attendance who asked the initial question.

"It is going to be economic growth. We can grow the economy, we can grow jobs, whether it's forestry, mining. Economic growth will bring in the revenue and we can use that to pay for schools and health care and other programs we are going to announce."

Next, a question was posed to all candidates regarding the threat of Artifical Intelligence to "jobs and humanity."

"I don't think it is going to be as bad as you think," said Acton. "We need to be aware, and I think we will always need people to be humans and to take care of each other. If we can make things a little bit easier, and get rid of some of those jobs that people are trying to survive on minimum wage, I think that is probably a good thing for the community."

"I think this will free up some people to pursue their art careers and ambitions," said Giesbrecht. "The work scope will change but everyone still needs a job and everyone needs a purpose. Purpose is so critical."

Sandhu, instead, discussed health care and education, specifically targeting the Conservatives. 

"With health care, yes there are challenges, but if the NDP wasn't doing anything, then, as a nurse, I wouldn't be standing here," she said. "If anybody would try to blame the ones cleaning the mess, they need to read a book. It's on Amazon, It's written by George Abbott, a MLA and health minister from Salmon Arm, who admitted that those decisions under the previous government, which John Rustad was a part of, was very poor.

"We inherited a lot of mess, but we did hire over 50,000 healthcare workers. This is facts, you can double check. Is there problems, yes, and that is why I am running again."

Acton responded, saying that he "doesn't see it," with new healthcare workers. 

"I see ER's closing every day and there is so much red tape and bureaucracy. Cost is huge, and we need a short-term solution."

"There is a running gag that Canada has the highest-trained Uber fleet in the world," Giesbrecht said. "I was talking to a fellow in Vernon, he is an orthopaedic surgeon. He is sharpening skates. We need to get these people into the system faster."

Then, in a response to Sandhu's mention of a book, Giesbrecht said that "while we are giving out book guidelines, I got one right here. It is called: How to Sue the Police and Private Security in Small-Claims Court. It is written by David Eby." 

In the most tense moment of the evening, Sandhu was questioned numerous times regarding the COVID vaccine mandates of doctors by audience members.

Previously, health care workers had to be vaccinated for COVID-19, although that order was recently lifted in July. 

"I supported everyone, if they supported the mandate or not," she said. "Even the people who were outside and spat on my staff's face, we still supported and would never say anything bad.

"None of the elected officials, including me were making those mandate decisions. It was the public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. I do not want to impose what I am thinking when I am serving."

Some boos were then heard, which the moderators tried to assuage. 

Johnson, meanwhile, repeatedly stated that he didn't want to be here, and for voters to not select him.

"This is part of a more larger plan in the matrix," he said. "I can't even do this, this is so ridiculous."

Scott Nickiforek, director of the Lumby and District Chamber of Commerce, and co-moderator of the forum, was pleased with the turnout.. 

Advanced voting is now open at Kal Tire Place, Peace Lutheran Church, Schubert Centre, St. John's Lutheran Church and the White Valley Community Centre in Lumby.

Interesting quotes:

"Realistically, if all the people who do not normally vote voted for me, then I would win in a landslide," Johnson.

"We got far left, far right and just right, which is me," Acton

"My management style is instead of my door is always open, I would leave to come see you where you are," Giesbrecht.

"I am fairly confident that the climate change narrative is a fraud," Johnson. 

"Free dental care is bad?" Sandhu responding to Giesbrecht after he questioned that the government was taking away health care.