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4- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 4, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com EMPLOYMENT RELATED LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR High Level LINC AND ESL Students Gloves come off in mayor's debate By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF OAKVILLE ADULT LEARNING CENTRE 171 Speers Road 200 hours - classroom instruction and 40 hours - job placement component Mornings & Afternoons Registration starts Nov. 6/06 For more information call: [905] 849-7555 ext 223 Sponsored by: Citizenship and Immigration Canada In partnership with Halton Catholic District School Board SPACE AGE SHELVING The Storage Specialists In Home Consultation Apa me s Ap rtments par men Hom Offi es Home O fice ome fi Pant y Pa try at Garag Garage ra Laundry La nd y a C set Clos ts & Mirror Doors t Mr Mi ror 3350 Fairview Street between Walkers & Guelph Line 905-333-1322 2555 Erin Centre Mississauga 905-542-0353 www.spaceageshelvingburlington.com www.spaceageshelving.ca Oakville's five mayoral candidates took the high road, low road and every road in between at an all-candidates mayoral debate at Ward 4's Glen Abbey United Church Thursday. Sponsored by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, the event saw more than 300 people pack the Nottinghill Gate church. Mayoral candidates didn't waste time taking pot shots at each other in the bid to win votes. Ward 6 Councillor Janice Wright opened saying that though the candidates may agree on the issues that are common, "We are by no means the same." Wright told voters they have choices. Without naming names, Wright then outlined voters could opt for leadership based on a "poor and ineffectual skill set" that put the town in "a steady nose dive." There's the choice for a one-issue mayor and Wright pondered if it's good business to open and close a business within a week and asked "What really is the real deal?" Wright asked voters if they should trust someone who has hung up on someone or if experience building a company, but no regional council experience makes for a good choice. Wright then touted herself as person to vote for -- someone who has worked her way into the job, from school involvement, Town and Regional council experience, someone who has run a company, too, and someone who has proven ability to work with various factions of the community to reach consensus. Ward 3 Town Councillor Chris Stoate told the crowd he's learned that Oakville is a town, not a city, not because of scale, but values. The successful businessman who grew his company to 100 employees and earned Profit magazine recognition said he's also learned the importance of disagreeing without being disagreeable -- and earned applause. Stoate did however disagree that the mayor's recent involvement as president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has paid any real local dividends. If it had, he asked why Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) reform hadn't happened sooner and why the former Shell Lands couldn't be saved from at least partial development. "The attempt to get Oakville what it needs through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario was worth a try, but it is time to admit that it has failed," said Stoate. LONDON GOLD Fine Jewellery Co. Ltd. Pud By Steve Nease snease@haltonsearch.com DIAMOND STUD SPECIALS .25 ct. T.W. .50 ct. T.W. .66 ct. T.W. .1.00 ct. T.W. $295 $895 $1495 $2495 OM FR 00 $4 0 Quality Mausoleum London Gold's diamond studs are high colour and beautiful clarity.We use 14kt & 18kt settings UPPER OAKVILLE SHOPPING CENTRE 1011 UPPER MIDDLE ROAD E. (905)337-0051 "We were neighbours and colleagues before the election and we will be neighbours and colleagues after it, and I wish Janice, Rob (Burton), Ann (Mulvale) and Daniela (Giecewicz) all the best. But I'd really like you to Vote Stoate on Nov. 13," he told the crowd. Mulvale, the incumbent, told voters that working to get the best for Oakville residents has been her focus and bottom line for many years. The veteran mayor admitted that with the benefit of hindsight some things could have been done differently, but said she's confident that much of the work that's been done to date will pay off in the short term. She stood by the need for Oakville's mayor to network at other levels. Mulvale took aim at Stoate's claim that under his leadership and council's hiring of a $50,000 lobbyist to push the Province for OMB reform happened simply because of Stoate. "To suggest that after years of lobbying it (OMB reform) suddenly happened because we as a community hired a lobbyist for $50,000 is oversimplifying," said Mulvale who asked voters to cast their ballot on the side of proven leadership. Burton also alluded to what he said a provincial minister had told him at a party about Oakville paying to lobby the government on a decision that the government had already made, to reform the OMB. Stoate, however, shot back that he had confirmation from the minister that the quote being attributed to him -- "He never said it." Stoate also said he wasn't taking credit on OMB reform, just that a new approach caught the attention of Queen's Park. "My business is your bottom line. I know my job, I do my job," said Mulvale who stressed she believes the work she's done outside Oakville to get a better deal for Oakville will pay off for Oakville in the short term. Responding to allegations by Burton, Stoate and Wright that Oakville is not what it used to be or should be, Mulvale noted more than 85 per cent of residents said when surveyed that Oakville was one of the best places to live. "I don't know where the other candidates live because they don't appear to live in the Oakville I treasure," said Mulvale. "We've been living under a reign of error in Oakville," said Burton, who spoke of "secret severance deals" for Town bureaucrats, "sloppy errors in planning," and sloppy Town financial reporting. Burton said Mulvale, Stoate and Wright, having sat on council, "all participated in reckless growth decisions and errors and omissions." Burton cautioned voters of allowing "the copycat candidates to split the vote." Giecewicz, who lives in the east end and has had a long-standing dispute with the Town over whether her property was landlocked, told voters she has no telephone, a flooded basement, was taken to the psychiatric ward as a potential danger to herself and that her platform is "humanity." The 78-year-old who admitted she doesn't intend to be mayor for long if elected, proved popular with the crowd and told voters she is accepting no dona EXCELLENT CRYPT SPACES - BEST PRICES. CALL TODAY. See Candidates page 8