On Wednesday night the University Neighbourhoods Association held a School Trustee All Candidates Meeting. The well-attended debate took place at 7:30 at the Old Barn Community Centre.

It is to be expected that all candidates would both attend and participate in an all candidates meeting. Yet three of the candidates, all NPA hopefuls, attended but took the unusual step of sitting with the audience, effectively refusing to be part of the debate.

Sources familiar with the matter indicate the truant candidates were ordered to sit out the debate by their campaign team. Vancouver voters will want to know the muzzled candidates are:

• Eileen LeGallais (NPA)
• Margit Nance (NPA)
• Sophia Woo (NPA)

The NPA was unable to nominate a full slate of school board candidates. Of the eight fielded candidates, four have run for school or parks board in the past and therefore have had prior public exposure. Why would the NPA choose to deny the public an opportunity to hear from three of the remaining four political newcomers? Surely Vancouver's public school stakeholders deserve to learn more about school trustee candidates than a couple of paragraphs presented on-line.

If candidates can't stand up for themselves in debate, they certainly shouldn't be pretending to stand up for our children!

Vancouver District Parents Advisory Council (DPAC) will host two all-candidates debates early in November. Lets hope that all trustee candidates have been unmuzzled by then.