All candidates should be able to debate, political science prof says

A political science professor in northern Ontario says if someone is allowed to run for office, they should be allowed to have their views heard in debates.

This week, Sudbury mayoralcandidate Brian Bigger asked that David Popescu not be allowed to participate in a debate set to be held Wednesday, organized bythe Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. The chamber denied that request.

Popescu, who has run in many elections in the past 20 years, was convicted of hate speech for comments he made during a federal election debate in 2008 where he suggested homosexuals should be exterminated. In 2003, he was convicted of assault against his mother.

He was also charged in 2015 for "advocating and promoting genocide and the wilful promotion of hatred." Those charges were later withdrawn bythe Crown.

Nipissing University political science professor David Tabachnick says it's a sensitive topic with many issues at play, including questions about democratic rights, free speech and hate speech laws.

Tabachnick says Popescu is legally able to run as a candidate under the laws governing elections, which donot ban people from running who have been convicted of a crime.

"We should be hearing from all of these candidates if they are qualified to run," he said.

"These are views some people do hold in our communities and people do, in not great numbers, vote for people that hold these views. So that tells us about something the communities we live in."

Police involvement?

Other mayoral candidates have started weighing in on who should be taking part in debates.

Candidate Bill Crumplin says he agrees that hate speech has no place in society, but adds he does not agree with Brian Bigger's request.

Crumplin says instead of organizers deciding who should be involved, police should be at the debates to "monitor, deter and if necessary, take action against anyone violating the Criminal Code of Canada."

Candidate Cody Cacciotti says he believes every eligible candidate should be afforded the same opportunities but he is "appalled with the recent behaviour exhibited by Popescu and feel that his dialogue during political debates continues to cross the line."

Cacciotti goes on to say he expects any group hosting a debate to "hold all candidates to the highest of civility and decency."