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It was a left-of-centre heavy presence on stage at the Kelowna Senior Citizens乌鸦传媒� Society Thursday night as seven of 12 federal candidates from the Central Okanagan乌鸦传媒檚 two ridings met to discuss topics affecting area residents.

Notable absences included candidates from the Conservative Party, the Marijuana Party and one People乌鸦传媒檚 Party of Canada candidate.

That left only Kelowna-Lake Country John Barr of the People乌鸦传媒檚 Party on the right to balance out a full turnout on the left which included the Liberals Mary Ann Murphy (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) and Stephen Fuhr (Kelowna-Lake Country), the NDP乌鸦传媒檚 Joan Phillip (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) and Justin Kulik (Kelowna-Lake Country) and the Green Party乌鸦传媒檚 Robert Mellalieu (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) and Travis Ashley (Kelowna-Lake Country).

The forum, hosted by the Canadian Federation of University Women Kelowna, had candidates cover platform positions on various topics, including pharmacare, climate change, homelessness and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The imbalance in political ideas was apparent in the candidates乌鸦传媒� respective handling of a question regarding the reduction of carbon emissions.

乌鸦传媒淎re you sure that reduce is the word that you want to use?乌鸦传媒� said Barr.

乌鸦传媒淥n Aug. 9 a major party tweeted: 乌鸦传媒楾his is what we乌鸦传媒檙e up against. If humanity doesn乌鸦传媒檛 transition off fossil fuels (before the next election) the earth will heat to unsafe levels and there will be climate catastrophe.乌鸦传媒� The PPC rejects this rhetoric as alarmist and will focus on concrete solutions,乌鸦传媒� he said.

The tweet which Barr referenced was made by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

This is what we're up against. If humanity doesn't transition off fossil fuels (before the next election) the earth will heat to unsafe levels and there will be climate catastrophe.

乌鸦传媒� Elizabeth May (@ElizabethMay)

While the Greens, Liberals and NDP all recognize the issues a changing climate poses, their ideas on how to remedy the situation vary.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 a scientific consensus that says we should be acting on climate change,乌鸦传媒� said Fuhr. 乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 an economic consensus that tells us that pricing pollution would be better off to any climate plan that has a chance at working. We actually have put a national price on pollution. In British Columbia, we乌鸦传媒檝e had a price on pollution for a decade. We know that it works.乌鸦传媒�

He said it could have been more effective if the previous federal government had kept up with climate action.

Kulik agreed with Fuhr the previous government did not do enough regarding climate change but said the current Liberal government has also failed to do its job.

乌鸦传媒淭he Liberals like to say that its all about their (Paris Agreement) targets,乌鸦传媒� said Kulik. 乌鸦传媒淏ut the government itself has announced it乌鸦传媒檚 not on track to hit those targets, let alone targets that will actually keep global warming to 1.5 C.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e going to take Paris targets, we乌鸦传媒檙e going to increase them and we乌鸦传媒檙e going to put them into law.乌鸦传媒�

Ashley expressed a similar sentiment. He said it would require political courage, adding the parties need to work together on a climate plan.

乌鸦传媒淲e are at war with climate change,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e have to establish an inner cabinet of all parties with cooperation because this is a universal threat,乌鸦传媒� said Ashley. 乌鸦传媒淲e will reduce our emissions by 60 per cent before 2005 levels by 2030 and head towards zero emissions by 2050.乌鸦传媒�

Two more forums are currently scheduled for the Central Okanagan ridings:

• Sept. 21 乌鸦传媒� 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kelowna Downtown Library
• Oct. 16 乌鸦传媒� 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Coast Capri Hotel

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