Once again Salt Spring Islanders and election candidates outshone themselves in an all-candidates event at Fulford Hall last week.
Questions and answers were relevant, thoughtful and delivered with respect. The only lack of respect in evidence was caused by the Conservative candidate’s decision to not participate. Ours was not the only such event she reportedly missed.
Cathie Ounsted’s team provided the Driftwood with a detailed response to the decision that morning. The email we received stated that “In recent elections, some Conservative candidates who stepped forward to serve their communities experienced situations where smartphone debate footage was selectively edited and shared on social media, creating impressions that didn’t accurately represent their positions or character.” It felt disrespectful to suggest islanders would do that. The email also stated that Ounsted was “committed to engaging with constituents through more direct channels, whether through one-on-one conversations in neighbourhoods, community visits or thoughtful digital exchanges.”
Then we learned that an April 14 candidates forum at Berwick Royal Oak had gone off the rails when side-chatter between Ounsted and Elizabeth May resulted in Ounsted reportedly calling May a “cow” for suggesting she might not want to be an MP because she would miss her son’s football games. CHEK News reported on the incident.
Disrespect was shown by both women in that Liberal candidate David Beckham had the floor at the time when May and Ounsted were conversing, and May did not wait until after Beckham had finished speaking to tell everyone what had happened.
Salt Springers have recently experienced disrespect from another elected official: Salt Spring Islands Trust trustee Jamie Harris, who moved off the island last summer. As far as we know, Harris is collecting full salary for participating in meetings via Zoom but doing none of the in-community work that goes with being a trustee. And he has clearly so far felt no obligation to advise constituents or colleagues where he is or if he plans to keep “governing from afar.”
Disrespect, dodging accountability and name calling have always been a part of politics. But there must always be consequences for such behaviour.