Candidates in the riding of NDG-Westmount did their best to impress during a gentle debate held at Lower Canada College.
On Thursday evening Liberal incumbent Marc Garneau, NDP candidate James Hughes and Conservative candidate Richard Sagala faced questions from the audience, along with Abraham Weizfeld, who attended on behalf of Green Party candidate Melissa Kate Wheeler.
All four men were challenged about what they would do concerning poverty in the riding.
Garneau pledged more social housing to help the 2,500 people on a waiting list for subsidized apartments.
"Our party has again focused on an infrastructure program, on what I call social infrastructure and an important part of that is social housing," said Garneau.
Hughes, who used to lead the Old Brewery Mission before he was appointed president of the Graham Boeckh Foundation, said a national daycare program would help.
"It's not the only tool in the toolbox that we're going to create to make sure that families get a leg up, a better chance than they have today," said Hughes.
The Conservative candidate said agencies should be given more power to help.
"Maybe it's because I'm an entrepreneur and I was saying what about yes, you will get your money from the government but what about bringing some kind of entrepreneurial spirit to the food banks and see the corporations," said Sagala.
The candidates have faced each other, either in pairs or groups, repeatedly over the past two months, and so are familiar with each other's arguments and treat each other respectfully.
The federal election takes place Oct. 19.
