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4 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 13, 2006 NO FEE , JJF P ro g ra n /s ^ ^ m e rv k e s fo r th e lU n e n ffio ve d ! BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER L O O K IN G F O R A N S W E R S : Caroline Davies of the Grade 11 Foresight class at MacLachlan College poses a question to all of the Oakville candidates during a debate at the private school on Wednesday. mW ihgip sym For more inform ation, ftle as £ |a ll Conservative and NDP agree Continued from page 1 These projects are funded Wf^the Governm ent o fX a n a d a BOXING W EEK EVERYTHING IN THE STORE SALE 2070 % The plan outlines changes in ethics and account ability and includes greater access to information, a fixed election date and an end to unregulated lobby ing, to help "clean up Canadian politics/' she said. Brown, Oakville' s Liberal MP since 1993, was the last to answer the question, and told students, "I try not to use the word promise any time I run...I say platform." She explained that the Liberals gained power in 1993 with a "huge annual deficit and mounting debt" and said, "within three or four years, the Liberals were producing surpluses." Those answers didn't completely satisfy Thomson. "A couple of the politicians didn't really answer the question," he said. "I think the Conservatives did a good job. They actually told us why we can trust them and why we can hold them accountable." Other questions on the minds of MacLachlan stu dents were Canada / U.S. relations, student debt, job opportunities, the Kyoto Accord and a question asked by a Grade 5 social studies class regarding each party' s health care plans. Candidates were also asked whether they sup ported lowering the voting age from 18 to 16, some thing that could affect students in the near future. "The voting right tied to age, I'm not sure is the best answer," said Brown. "Perhaps it could be tied to some levekrf educational achievement." Domsy was next, and told students that "at the age of 16, we might not be making the most informed decision we can. I would say that right now, the vot ing age is probably at a good age, but I would be open to debate." Young - who began his response by asking stu dents if they'd yet to hear a solid answer to the ques tion - said he didn't support it. "I think people should reach a certain level of maturity and education before they're allowed to vote," he said, adding that casting a ballot isn't the only way to get involved in politics at a young age. "I don't often agree with Terence Young on any thing, but on this subject, I find that I do," said Agrell, an answer that drew laughter from the students. "I think 18 is a great age to start voting. I don't know if I was ready before'that." That agreement between the NDP and Conservatives may have been a campaign first, and prompted Young to give Agrell the thumbs up. "I think this debate gave students the opportunity to see the politicians in more of a human light," MacLachlan teacher and debate moderator Paul Keery said after the meeting. Keery' s history class came up with the `Why should we trust your promises' question, and he said that was one of the reasons they decided to host a pre election debate at the school. "One thing I find as a teacher is a lot of cynicism among the students about politics, and who can they trust," he said. "I think this was a good learning expe rience for them." LAST 3 DAYS Your LAST C H A N C E to get N E W BALANCE a t SALE prices until next year! H ILL l nev/balainee a o a k v iile SCHOOL H F e rn H ill S c h o o l Admission Assessments for September Enrolment Preschool - Grade 8 Saturday, January 21, 2006 Please call 905-257-0022 to register Oakville Campus }>00 Ninth Line Road, Oakville, Ontario information on Burlington Campus admission: ase call Laura Beamish at 905-257*0022. four Hew Balance Specialty Store New Balance Oakville w w w .n e w b a la n c e lo r o n t o . c a w w w .fe rn h ills c h o o l.c o m I a d m is s io n s @ fe rn h ills c h o o L c o m