Health care, agriculture and gun control were the hottest topics of debate at the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce's all-candidates' forum on Monday night.

Around 90 people filled the Legion auditorium to bring questions to the forum, attended by three of the four candidates, while other residents watched the event live on the community channel.

The candidates who attended were incumbent MP Roy Bailey of the Canadian Alliance, Liberal candidate Myles Fuchs and NDP candidate Tom Cameron. Conservative candidate Larry Gabruch didn't attend this forum, or the one held earlier in the day on agricultural issues by the Sask. Rally Group.

On the issue of improving Canada's health care, one of the questions posed by the Chamber of Commerce, Bailey said this area is vastly under-funded by the government right now, but proper levels of funding won't really be possible until the massive accumulated debt has been reduced.

"What we should be doing instead of these scare tactics and bald-faced lies, Canadians should asking themselves the question how much we can put into health care," said Bailey, adding he's tired of hearing about people having to make the trip into the U.S. for MRI scans or cancer treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

"I hear the words, Roy, but I'm still wondering. The extra money would be appreciated, but it's not enough; we need to reinvest. There's waiting lists like you wouldn't believe. We have a problem, and you don't solve it by simply promising to pay down the debt," said Cameron.

"There's nothing more important than health care. As Tom has pointed out, health care funding has been restored to 1994 levels; had we not been able to restore spending, we wouldn't be able spend anything on health care," said Fuchs.

Dave Kerr, a trustee on the South Central Health District board, asked the candidates how their party would help to keep doctors and nurses in Saskatchewan, or from leaving their profession due to over-work and stress.

The Liberal candidate said his party wants to put $21 billion back into health care spending, which the province can then use for doctors, nurses and facilities.

"Canadians don't want more private clinics. They want to at least have what we have now, and as the economy continues to grow, I'm quite confident we can put more into health care," said Fuchs.

Cameron felt the best way was to give incentives to medical students to stay in Saskatchewan, such as helping them with their student loan debts.

"We have to get more people in the system. We've just got to work hard at it and make attractive for them to get into the profession," said the NDP candidate.

The core reason why more money can't be put into health care to keep these professionals is Canada's burgeoning debt, said Bailey, noting the debt was only $11.3 billion in 1968, and now it has grown to $576 billion.

Resident Harm Roelfsema asked the candidates for their opinion on the validity of decentralizing the federal government, and both the Liberal and NDP candidates said they stand for a strong central government.

Fuchs said Ottawa has to cooperate with the provinces to get any good programs off the ground, such as for farm programs.

"It seems to me that the Alliance said provinces should collect all the taxes and just send enough to Ottawa to pay for an army. The more we're decentralized, the more we're going to have disparity between the regions," he said.

"It's not often an Alliance MP will admit that provincially we're doing a pretty good job," said the NDP candidate, adding, "I believe in a strong central government who has the power to tell the provinces how to run health care. The other idea Stockwell Day has brought up is the devolution of power to the provinces; I'm not sure we need to go there. The concept of treating regions differently, we've seen problems there."

Responding to Fuchs' comment, Bailey retorted, "It's absolutely false, he never heard me say that or anything like that. The areas of taxation are clearly spelled out; don't mess around. We should let the provinces decide for themselves, because what's critical in Saskatchewan may not be critical in Quebec."

Fuchs didn't buy into Bailey's idea of first bringing down the debt, saying, "At the same time we're doing something about the debt, we can't skip reinvesting in health care for the next 10 or 20 years until we get the debt repaid, and that's what the Liberal government is doing."

Alexis Roman posed a question about genetically-modified food labelling. He noted Bailey had sent him a letter saying he was looking into all sides of the issue, yet he helped defeat a bill that would have required food labelling to include information about whether the food has been genetically modified or not.

Bailey admitted voting against the bill, saying the farmers who grow the produce would end up being the ones penalized and bearing the brunt of the cost, as virtually everything they grow has been modified to some extent. He added that a group of 376 scientists have studied modified foods, and no evidence has been found about harm caused by it.

Cameron, who is a farmer in the Carievale area, commented, "There's one thing we understand, that the customer is always right. It doesn't matter if you tell the customer it's good for you if they don't have trust in us."

"Canadian people have the right to know what they're eating, and they have the right to make that decision themselves," said Fuchs, who farms near Moosomin.

Bailey pointed out that most of the Liberal caucus stood with the Alliance to vote against the labelling bill.

Garth Oberkirsch asked what each party would do with the "hurtful" GST tax.

Fuchs said he's often reminded that the Liberals said they would scrap the tax during the 1997 campaign, and that many small businesses as well as consumers have found the GST to be burdensome. As the economy improves, he added, the government can look at removing items that are currently under the tax.

"I hope you mentioned that to Paul Martin. It's a tax that should be eliminated," said Cameron, a sentiment echoed by Bailey, who noted the federal government does not give businesses credit for the work in collecting the tax, where the provincial government does for its sales tax.

Ross Bobier brought up the gun control issue, saying that as of Jan. 1 he will be considered a criminal unless he registers as a gun owner.

"I think you know full well the Liberal party is committed to its gun legislation. I'm a gun owner as well, and I haven't registered my guns yet, but I do intend to. The bill is as frustrating to me as it is to anyone in this area," answered Fuchs, adding he would go to the justice minister and say this issue has not been fully resolved.

Cameron acknowledged gun control is a tough issue, including within the NDP ranks, and pointed out if the Alliance wins enough seats to be nationally represented, their eastern members will likely not have the same position as the western members.

"Bill C-68 was a flawed bill to begin with. First of all it's not national, it's selective registration," said Bailey, noting the administration of this bill has taken 400 policemen off the streets and cost close to $600 million.

"We will kill and scrap it, and bring about laws to protect people from the illegal use of firearms, which this government isn't willing to do," added Bailey.