The local candidates answered students' questions and withstood the occasional heckler at the all candidates meeting hosted by the Sheridan Student Union. Approximately 75 students attended the debate, which featured all four candidates from the Oakville riding.

Like other local debates, a plethora of diverse questions from new crime laws, post-secondary education, mixed-proportional voting systems, the privatization of health care and even the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America were discussed at the event.

Liberal incumbent Bonnie Brown was quick to attack the Conservative government. She accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of firing public servants who don't agree with him, cutting funds to civil society groups that reject his policies, avoiding the media, living in a bubble and throwing out his own MPs to avoid conflict.

On the environment, Brown argued that under the Conservative government, the "the environment will always come second to business with these people."

"I don't believe the Conservatives have made any effort to improve the environment," said NDP candidate Michelle Bilek. "Actually, they have made it worse by putting funding into the Tar Sands projects."

Green Party candidate Blake Poland wants to call for a moratorium on developing the Tar Sands in Fort McMurray. He further noted that reports are showing that "putting a price on carbon would actually not hurt the economy the way they (the Conservatives) are trying to frighten us all into thinking it will."

Conservative candidate Terence Young, who lost by just 744 votes to Brown in the last federal election, often found his party at the focal point of the students' questions.

"When hearing promises from the other parties, you have to ask yourself a few questions. Is it affordable? Where would they get the money? And will they actually do it?" he said in his opening address.

Fielding the questions on the environment, Young said: "We are putting the highest standards to reduce emissions in North America.

"We have done a lot of things that just don't make big headlines and sell a lot of newspapers, so you don't hear about them."

The debate turned tense when an audience member asked why Harper called the election, but has yet to introduce his party's platform thus far into the election.

"Mr. Harper called the election because the government was dysfunctional," said Young, who noted the platform would be released before the election and that sections of it are being released daily.

Brown said Harper broke his own law about fixed election dates and that he and his party are now struggling to produce a platform.

"It is the only party that has not put a platform out, so that you, the voters, can judge what it is they are offering," said Brown. "The lack of a platform shows that they are now trying to work out a plan after putting us into this election."

Bilek, who was critical of the Conservative Party for its lack of public transparency and government secrecy, said: "Again the Conservatives are breaking a promise and not giving access of information to the public."

Poland drew laughs and applause when he said: "I think what Harper is saying, if I have understood it correctly, is 'I'm running on my record,' which to me sounds like driving a car while only looking in the review mirror."

Brown and Young sparred over the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

Brown said there are "clandestine ways to bring this SPP about," the public needs to stand up in defense of this partnership.

Young accused the Liberals for "doing one thing and saying another."

"Bonnie Brown has spoken out about the Security and Prosperity Partnership in parliament only after the Conservatives became the government," said Young, noting that it was first signed in 2005 under then-Liberal Prime Minster Paul Martin.

Bilek was adamant about the SPP and its possible affect on Canada's economy and sovereignty.

"It would streamline many of our aspects together with Mexico and the United States. Streamlined education, streamlined health care and streamlined military system," she said to applause. "We have to stop Harper from sitting on these talks with George Bush and his cronies... to ensure that this does not happen."

Poland countered: "The SPP is also calling for the same dollar, so we would be using the American dollar or whatever they will be calling it thereafter, and I don't know if you have noticed what is happening to the economy in the south, but I would ask you, 'Is this a good time to strap yourself to a sinking ship?' I don't think so."