Conservative refuses invite to Edmonton Centre debate

Edmonton Centre has traditionally been the tightest riding in the city in federal election after federal election since 1993. There have been recounts.

But, Conservative candidate Sayid Ahmed has stated he will not be attending a candidates’ forum set for April 16 at the Matrix Hotel.

While Liberal Eleanor Olszewski and NDP candidate Trisha Estabrooks will be there,  Ahmed’s campaign team sent a note to event organizers stating that the Tory candidate is “scheduled to be knocking on doors every evening until election day and will not be able to attend.”

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“We keep trying to put the pressure on,” said Colten Bishop, who is putting together the debate for the Wîhkwêntôwin Community League. “We hope he changes his mind.”

Bishop said the invitation for Ahmed to attend “is still open right up until the forum starts.”

Estabrooks, who was outside Annamoe Mansion Thursday along with Edmonton Strathcona NDP candidate Heather McPherson,  said that silence from the Tory camp is the new normal.

“It’s disappointing, but not surprising,” said Estabrooks. “This is about democracy. It’s about making yourself accountable to the people you hope to represent in Ottawa.”

She said there are so many pressing issues that need to be discussed at the forum and through the campaign, from housing to the affordability game to the “yo-yo Trump tariffs.”

Estabrooks is dismayed that a candidate is choosing to shy away from forums and media questions.

“This might be me talking as a former journalist, but the media are the people,” she said. “This is how you speak to the people who you hope will vote for you.”

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Estabrooks stood with tenants of Annamoe Mansion Thursday, who received notices of steep rent hikes that will force the majority of them to vacate the building. Estabrooks said federal housing money should be tied to promises of rent control and a crackdown on forced evictions.

Ahmed’s absence does not surprise Olszewski, who had run in Strathcona in 2015 and 2019. McPherson said that in the lead-up to the 2021 election, a dummy was placed on the stage during debates to take the place of the Conservative candidate.

“It would be more interesting a race if they would keep a higher profile,” said Olszewski. “I think it’s very unfortunate when Conservative candidates aren’t able to attend debates, aren’t able to attend certain kinds of events, aren’t able to talk to the media. I feel that it’s the right of people who are casting votes to have sufficient information on where people stand on certain issues in order to make informed decisions. When you, as a candidate, back out of all of that, you’ve deprived the voter of that opportunity.”

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Ahmed’s campaign acknowledged interview requests have been received from Postmedia, but the candidate has not responded to them. He attended the Canada First rally Monday in Nisku, where thousands of Tory supporters cheered on Leader Pierre Poilievre. Ahmed said on Monday that he would not speak to media at the event, and all interviews had to be booked through his campaign office.

Ahmed posted a video of Poilievre and himself on his Instagram account. Ahmed does not speak in the clip.

“He’s actually going to put the people of Edmonton first, for a change,” said Poilievre in the message, while Ahmed nods in agreement.

Ahmed ran in the 2023 provincial election for the UCP in the riding of Edmonton-Decore, where he lost to the NDP’s Sharif Haji by a little more than 1,700 votes.

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