Debate season continued Wednesday, with a whirlwind all-candidates' forum held at Yukon College over the lunch hour.

The four parliamentary hopefuls had a minute each to answer three predetermined questions, followed by queries from the audience.

The Conservatives' Darrell Pasloski gave the first response, and the only concrete answer about what he would do for Yukon.

When candidates were asked what they would do to protect the environment, Pasloski said he would deliver funding to extend the hydro power grid past Pelly Crossing to Stewart Crossing and beyond.

"That would mean a 28,000-tonne reduction in carbon emissions," he told the audience of staff and students who filled the college's main foyer.

After that first answer, the candidates gave reponses that were more philosophical than concrete, or reinterated their parties' platforms rather than describe what specific action each would take should he be elected Tuesday.

On the environmental question, Liberal incumbent Larry Bagnell pitched his party's "Green Shift," part of which, he said, would be to create 12,000 megawatts of green energy across the country using solar-, wind-, hydro- and geothermal-generated energy.

In response to another environment-related question, Bagnell said mining companies should be required to provide bonds before they start digging, in case they go bankrupt and cannot be held financially responsible for the clean-up of dirty mines.

"What we have to do is get the money up front," he said. "Otherwise the taxpayers will be footing another $600-million clean-up bill."

John Striecker of the Green Party reminded the audience that he "started working on climate change 20 years ago."

He stressed the importance of ensuring reliable food and water supplies but time expired before he could eleborate.

To the second question on the environment: What tough laws will you bring against polluters? Streicker said, "I challenge you to move beyond the idea of 'us' and 'them', and move towards 'we'. We are all polluters and as such, we all have to take responsibility."

Ken Bolton of the New Democratic Party slammed the Liberal plan to implement a carbon tax, and said government should be going after "big polluters" instead of taxing citizens.

Further to that, he said NDP chief Jack Layton "is the only leader who has said he'll go after the (Alberta) tar sands."

He also pledged his party would make the federal environmental commissioner an officer of Parliament, so he or she could not be fired for making decisions that are unpopular with the ruling party.

From the environment, the debate moved to arts and culture funding.

Bagnell promised to double the funding for Canada Council grants and museums, increase tax credits for film productions, and allow artists to average their income over several years when doing their taxes.

Streicker said his party would provide stable arts funding tying the amount to the gross domestic product.

Up next, Bolton quipped, "I thought Larry was reading from the NDP platform."

He went on to promise a reversal of all arts cuts made by the Conservatives and to use the employment insurance fund to train people in the arts.

Pasloski denied his party had cut arts funding. He pitched a child art credit, which he said would create more jobs in the arts and would allow low-income families to recoup the costs of putting their children in arts programs.

The rights of women were next on the agenda. Streicker wryly acknowledged that the four candidates on the floor were all men, all white and all middle-aged "at least," he said, getting a laugh from his three opponents.

He pointed to pay inequity as the first hurdle to overcome.

"Women are still getting just 71 cents for the dollar that men earn doing the same work," he said. "For aboriginal women, it is even worse at 41 cents."

After fixing that inequality through legislation, he said his party would provide affordable housing and universal child care to all Canadians.

Bolton stepped up to say he is proud to represent the party with the largest percentage of female caucus members. He said the NDP would make a "massive investment" in Canadian families by creating 180,000 new child care spaces.

Pasloski said he supports equal pay for equal work and praised the work of Conservative MP Rona Ambrose to bring more women into politics.

"I support women's rights because I love my daughters," he concluded.

Bagnell took the opportunity to criticize the Harper government for removing the phrase "women's equality" from Status of Women Canada's official mandate. He promised to reinstate the national child care program, which was cancelled when the Conservatives took power in early 2006.

After fielding questions from the audience, the four men all settled on one final message: Vote.

"It's very important that you all vote," Bolton said, "regardless of what party you vote for."

With only 45 minutes to deliver opening and closing remarks and answer seven questions, the candidates often had to cut their responses short.

But that didn't quell the enthusiasm of students who lined up to ask pointed questions and stayed afterwards to meet the candidates one-on-one.

One student who said he would have liked to hear more about what the candidates would do for their constituents, was nevertheless "really impressed that they all showed up and answered questions from a relatively small group of people."

The debate was the final event in a series of election-related lectures held at the college over the past three weeks.