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By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

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If any of the five federal candidates for the job of Fredericton MP needed a bulletproof vest at The Daily Gleaner-St. Thomas University debate Tuesday night it was Conservative Keith Ashfield.

Enlarge Photo

The Dally Gleaner/Ray Bourgeois

All-candidates meeting in fredericton: From left, Liberal candidate David Innes, NDP candidate Jesse Travis, Green party candidate Mary Lou Babineau, Conservative candidate Keith Ashfield and Canadian Action Party candidate Ben Kelly tackle the issues during a candidates forum Tuesday night. The Daily Gleaner and St. Thomas University presented the debate.

The candidate representing the incumbent political party had to defend the Harper government track record on a wide range of issues, from the economy to student debt.

While the first half of the debate was placid enough, the second half sparked more jabs as the packed auditorium at Margaret Norrie McCain Hall provided fuel to the fire.

On the economy, Ashfield said the current cycle of global financial distress has been brewing for more than two years, even though it erupted two weeks ago.

He said it will take Stephen Harper and the Conservative government's steady hand on the tiller, restrained and measured approach to spending to keep the Canadian economy stable.

Only in his closing remarks did Ashfield assail the Liberal party's carbon tax plan as a step that will hurt the pocketbooks of Canadians and launch the country into billions of dollars of reckless spending. Liberal candidate David Innes said Stephane Dion's policies will make polluters pay and stimulate the economy.

"The worst kept secret in Canada is that the Conservatives have no plan. They have no plan to deal with the problems and crises that we face, including the looming economic turmoil that's spreading from the United States," Innes said.

NDP candidate Jesse Travis said while the economy is the resounding issue facing the nation, he said there's a troubling trend toward favouring Canadian businesses over Canadian families.

"Our population is shrinking. We've experienced cutbacks in health care and social services and while the Liberals and Conservatives have enjoyed the ride, the rest of us are paying the price," Travis said.

Green party candidate Mary Lou Babineau said the long-term prosperity of the country can only be secured with sustainable practices and a new way of conducting politics.

"It involves a substantial tax shift where our pollution will be taxed and that revenue used to reinvest heavily in communities," she said.

Canadian Action Party candidate Ben Kelly said his party believes a total rejig of the country's economic thinking and more reliance on the Bank of Canada as the nation's lender of choice would change the economic fate of the nation.

On some issues, there was consensus. All of the candidates were willing to revisit the issue of Agent Orange compensation for former Canadian Forces Base Gagetown workers and their widows.

On the military, Ashfield said the Conservatives have pledged more military spending for the Canadian mission in Afghanistan until 2010.

The other candidates want to see Canadian troops return to a peace-keeping role, rather than a combat position.

On others, they diverged. While Ashfield stuck to the Conservative tough line on crime, Babineau said the Green Party supports restorative justice for first-time, non-violent offenders.

Travis said reducing poverty, beefing up educational opportunities

and adding more police officers will help.

If locking up everybody worked, the U.S. would have solved the problem of crime, Innes said.

"Ease up on locking up the 14-year-olds," Innes said.

A member of the Raging Grannies group asked candidates what will happen if the Harper government is returned with a majority. Innes said a Harper majority is a majority of one.

"He does what he wants to do," Innes said. "It's the style of one man and his name is Harper."

"It scares the pants off me," Travis said.

STU political science student Michael Manning wanted to hear more about student loans, the environment and government accountability from the candidates.

"A lot of the answers to the questions are typical politics. Let's work more together and come to a solution. We don't see that a lot," Manning said.

For student Courtney Mills, who's attending school and raising a baby, student debt and child care were important issues barely touched upon Tuesday night.

"Child care is something that hasn't been addressed ... I want to hear if anyone has concrete strategies ," Mills said.

Finding a licensed daycare space requires up to a three-year wait in the capital city, Mills said.

The NDP and Green party candidates said their style of politics would be a departure from the traditional.

Babineau said the Greens are committed to a co-operative approach to working with other political parties.