By Brock Weir

Affordable housing, climate change, and helping businesses get ahead were the top issues facing candidates last week as representatives vying to be Aurora's next Members of Parliament gathered for the first all-candidates meeting of the 2019 Federal Election campaign

Candidates from both sides of Aurora's riding divide gathered at St. Andrew's Valley Golf Course early last Tuesday morning to hear from Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill candidates Leona Alleslev (Conservative), Aaron Brown (NDP), Tim Flemming (Green) Serge Korovitsyn (Libertarian), and Leah Taylor Roy (Liberal). Representing Aurora's north riding, Newmarket-Aurora, were Walter Bauer (Green), Lois Brown (Conservative), Yvonne Kelly (NDP), Andrew McCaughtrie (PPC), and Tony Van Bynen (Liberal).

Hosted by Daniel Svirsky, debate lead student at St. Andrew's College, the all-candidates meeting featured a lively debate on wide-ranging issues, including transit, business taxes and employee retention, pharmacare, affordable housing, and gun control.

Coverage of the meeting begins on Page 12 of this week's Auroran

It was a busy week for candidates with Newmarket's Pickering College hosting a debate for Newmarket-Aurora candidates on Thursday morning, followed by another forum for the north candidates hosted by the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning, and an all-candidates “meet and greet” facilitated by the Aurora Public Library that evening.

Candidates vying for your vote in Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill will participate in a further all-candidates debate next Wednesday, October 16, from 7 – 8.30 p.m. hosted by the Richmond Hill Board of Trade at the Oak Ridges Community Centre (12895 Bayview Avenue, Richmond Hill).