SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Potential and future voters at Sir John Franklin High School got the opportunity Wednesday to pose questions to three of the five candidates vying for the lone NWT seat in the May 2 election.

Scott Willoughby, head of the social studies department at Sir John and organizer of the event, said around 100 students were at the forum and that the event has been running for a few years. He said the purpose was, "to get young people engaged, and involved in the issues."

Green Party candidate Eli Purchase, along with NDP incumbent Dennis Bevington and Liberal candidate Joe Handley participated in the youth forum. Missing were Conservative candidate Sandy Lee, who appeared at the NWT Chamber of Commerce forum earlier in the day, and Bonnie Dawson of the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada.

Willoughby asked the candidates how they will reduce education expenses for young people.

Joe Handley responded by saying the Liberal party will give an extra $1,000 to every student and an extra $1,500 to every aboriginal student in Canada for post-secondary education per year.

Dennis Bevington said he wants tuition fees to be capped, reducing the tuition costs at post-secondary education institutions in Canada. He said the NDP will dedicate $1 billion over the next four years for First Nations communities, including those in the NWT.

Purchase said he hasn't had to pay a penny of his $35,000 NWT student loan, because every year he works in the NWT, $1,000 is removed from the total.

"You are already getting your education for free," he said. "Take advantage of it. It's there for you, use it."

One young woman from Sir John Franklin posed a question regarding how each party will help future generations gain economic stability.

Handley said the Liberal party will support a Mackenzie Valley Highway and the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, health care recruitment, support for small businesses, developing the mining industry and cutting the cost of living.

Bevington said his party would lower the cost of living and free up land for development, bringing down the cost of utilities, change the tax system to reflect the higher cost of living in the

North and improve energy efficiency.

Purchase said he is also a supporter of the development of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and reducing the cost of living in the North.

At the end of the forum, Bevington told the audience, "Get out and vote. It is what the young people can do to create the best future for Canada," to a round of applause from the students in attendance.

Some Sir John students like Jed Watson, 18, are now among the 5,000 eligible voters between the ages 18 to 30 in the NWT.

When asked if he knew who he was going to vote for, Watson said with conviction,"yes."

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