Sudbury/Nickel Belt candidates square off for the senior vote

It was a respectful debate at the Northbury Hotel this week as candidates looking to win Sudbury and Nickel Belt squared off in front of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP).

CARP is a voting block that many will be looking to win over as it represents roughly 1,700 people in the Greater Sudbury area.

Both the Nickel Belt and Sudbury debates were held simultaneously, with Nickel Belt candidates Gilles Proulx for the Liberals and France Gélinas for the NDP taking part.

In Sudbury, the NDP's Jamie West, Liberal David Farrow and Green Party candidate David Robinson in attendance.

It was the second straight debate Progressive Conservative candidates missed in the city.

While everyone on the panel could agree on how the current system was broken, Liberal and NDP candidates spent the better part of the two hours trying to distinguish themselves from one another.

The Liberals asked voters to look forward, not backward, while referencing the NDP Bob Rae government of 30 years ago.

NDP candidates, however, were quick to point out there was a reason they were hoping to look ahead, themselves referencing former Premier Kathleen Wynne, whose government ended the Liberal party reign in Ontario.

Voters in attendance had mixed reactions to what they heard.

"I really, really appreciated the candidates coming out and giving us ... their platform and explaining what their goals are," said Madeleine Charron.

"A plague on both their houses for lack of rooms in the hospitals," said Jean-Marie Theriault.

"It was informative on many levels but I was sort of disappointed that the conservatives were not present," said Diane Guindon-Robineau.

Voters go to the polls June 2.