The Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce all-candidates forum Tuesday night at the Cosmo Centre saw over 150 people in attendance listening to four of the candidates in the upcoming federal election.

Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan New Democratic party candidate Talon Regent felt he was able to make his point across to those in attendance.

“I felt as though I did very well, but of course it’s up to the public to decide whether or not I did very well,” said Regent. “But I felt very comfortable with the answers I gave (and) I stand behind the responses that I gave.”

Conservative Party incumbent Tom Lukiwski said during his time at the podium that this is the most important election in decades. He reiterated that in a media scrum.

“It’s our economy that’s at stake,” he said. “We have three parties, specifically the Greens, the NDP and the Liberals that said if they had the choice, they’d shut down the oil and gas sector.”

Liberal Party candidate Cecilia Melanson, who like Regent is running for office for the first time, said she felt like she was able to bring her points across.

“It is my first time and I was looking forward to do better,” she said. “I have the willingness, I have the energy, I have the ideas. All it takes is the first step and this is the first step for me.”

For peoples' party of Canada candidate Chey Craik, it's his first attempt at elected life as well.

“Sometimes I’m not as smooth and polished as a lawyer and a career politician, but 40 grit works to get the job done sometimes,” he said, referring to a kind of sandpaper.”

Topics like pipelines and pharmacare were some of the key topics talked about in the forum. Regent said that people on the doorsteps are enthusiastic about pharmacare.

“When I’m out on the doorstep, I know that it’s resonating with them,” he said. “Every time I bring up these ideas, they say ‘that’s brilliant, that’s intelligent, it’s going to save us money and it’s ethically the right thing to do.’”

Craik said that the night was about getting his message across.

“I think that just exposing people to the Peoples Party and myself was what my idea was here tonight.”

Lukiwski said the biggest issue that wasn't discussed was national unity.

“There are so many people that are desperately afraid that if the Liberals win the next election, they’re going to be on the brink of separation,” he said. “When I say “they,” I mean the people I’ve been talking to. That scares the bejeezus out of me, quite frankly.”

Canadians will go to the polls October 21.

A video of the complete forum is available on the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce Facebook Page.