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In it, Klietsch expressed his concern about the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the seniors’ club candidates meeting, and said he planned to “respectfully express the same concern, but at the expense of my own speaking time” at the Cobden meeting.

Photo by Taylor Blewett / Postmedia

In response, Campbell said “the Federation will not allow comments or slurs against Ms. Gallant or our organization at the candidates night. You have been invited to come and let people know about yourself, what your party platform is, and to answer the questions that are posed from the people attending.”

Klietsch wrote: “Are you saying that it is not right to bring up questions relating to the integrity of one of the candidates, in relation to their conduct in an ongoing campaign, at a meeting specifically intended to investigate the suitability of candidates for office? Icannot imagine a more appropriate forum to do so.”

Campbell replied: “What I am saying is that bringing this up during the evening to everyone is not part of your party’s platform and why you should be elected.”

“As I said before … comments from one candidate about another candidate will not be allowed (nor) will attacking one political party over another be allowed.”

This newspaper reached out to Campbell to ask if the federation of agriculture has indeed ruled that candidates would not be allowed to comment negatively on Gallant or any candidate at Wednesday’s meeting.

“We are not looking at hosting a mudslinging event. We want a respectable evening where the people present will get answers to the questions that are posed, and we hope that these answers will better help them to make a decision who to vote for on Oct. 21,” Campbell told this newspaper. “We have always run our all-candidates night this way, whether it has been federally or provincially, and it has worked well for us.”