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Yorkton This Week recently sent a list of six questions to the Yorkton-Melville federal election candidates representing the Green, Liberal, NDP, and Conservative parties.

Candidates were invited to reply by the end of April 4 and to restrict their responses to 350 words per question. Three candidates replied, and their responses to the six questions are printed two per week across the April 6, April 13, and April 20 editions of Yorkton This Week.

The final two questions are printed below.

5. Are there any issues on which you disagree with your party's official position?

Garry Breitkreuz (Conservative): I do not have any disagreements with the Conservative party's official platform but should there come a time that this does occur, the door to the Prime Minister's office is open to me. He listens to the concerns of his caucus members and appears to be better at this than the leaders of the other parties.

I respect his honesty and openness. Often the national media will portray the Prime Minister in a negative light but it is my opinion that we have one of the most intelligent and capable leaders in the Western world.

I believe we have been forced into an unnecessary election because the opposition was afraid that they could not win if they were to wait longer. Our government was defeated and an election was called before Budget 2011 could be fully debated.

Why? It seems as though the opposition parties did not want the contents of the budget to be better known and this is the real debate that needs to be held during this election.

Kash Andreychuk (Liberal): MPs meet in their party caucuses to decide courses of action. The position that the majority agree on wins the day.

If I become your MP and find myself to be on the short end of a caucus vote, I will use my judgement and make a decision as to whether or not to support the majority position.

All my life I have tried to build consensus. For thirty-five years, as a judge, many times a day I was called on to do this. My judgements were appealable. Seldom were they appealed.

Working with my colleagues in the House of Commons, my style is not going to change. If there is a time when my conscience does not permit me to support a decision, I will follow my conscience. I don't anticipate this being a problem.

Doug Ottenbreit (NDP): There is no doubt that disagreements arise concerning a variety of policy matters. We do not march lockstep in accordance with our leader's wishes. We have had and will continue to have vigorous debate within our caucus and within the membership.

We ensure that all sides of an issue are examined and debated almost to the point of exhaustion. However, once we have reached a consensus decision on an issue, we abide by the decision.

Our process of discussion and debate is a significant departure from the process employed by Mr. Harper, who seemingly imposes his decisions on rest of his cabinet and caucus members. Remember that in Mr. Harper's government neither Cabinet ministers nor caucus members were allowed to communicate with the media unless their actions had been approved by the Prime Minister's office.

6. What do you consider to be the core values you would bring to Parliament?

Garry Breitkreuz: I believe that honesty and integrity are the most important characteristics that a Member of Parliament should have. I try to listen to everyone, respect their opinions, even when I do not agree with them, and represent my entire constituency to the best of my ability.

Working as hard as is possible enables me to accomplish much for Yorkton-Melville.

The government has contributed to some very notable projects in this riding that are boosting the local economy and quality of living.

My farming background enables me to strongly advocate for our agricultural community.

I have proven that I have been able to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with Members of all parties. I have had the privilege of being the Chair of important Parliamentary Standing Committees and as a result was also able to provide help to our entire country.

Much of the work in Ottawa is done behind the scenes - like fighting the useless and costly gun registry and defending the rights of anglers and hunters against multinational groups that have very large budgets.

Finally, my pro-life stand has enabled me to also push back on those who want to legalize euthanasia.

Kash Andreychuk: The core values that I would bring to Parliament begin with being born and raised on a farm. The date of birth was March 28, 1943, and it was a mixed farm. A child on such a farm was given chores to do at an early age, which to me was an important lesson in life.

My grandfather had come to Canada in 1905 from Poland, but mostly spoke in Ukrainian, being the language most used in the area where he bought a quarter section of land for $5 as long as he cleared the bush and picked the stones mostly by hand. So at a young age I learned the value of hard work.

I am also a person whose first language was not English. This ethnic background has translated into an ability to relate to everyone.

My father went to school until Grade 4, and my mother had Grade 9, but they both understood the value of education. In the spring of 1966 I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. My bar call was 1967, I was married in 1969 and I was appointed as a Judge of The Magistrate's Court in 1973, which was renamed Provincial court in 1978.

So mostly as a judge for 35 years I learned how to listen, evaluate arguments and make decisions.

While doing these things my wife and I raised our five children.

I also coached minor baseball for 25 years having obtained my level 3 technical coach's qualification in 1993, and my 1998 Yorkton baseball team were Midget AAA champions of Saskatchewan and went on to win the bronze medal for Canada.

To sum it up, my core values include work, education, family, service and pursuit of excellence.

Doug Ottenbreit: [Response edited for length] The values I would bring to Parliament are those which have been expressed by people of Yorkton-Melville in this campaign.

Principally I would ensure that my constituents had ample opportunity to express their concerns directly to me. This would be accomplished by ensuring that I had a continuing presence in the riding during my term in office. I would alert my constituents as to when I would be in the riding and give them the opportunity to visit with me on a regular basis, not just at election time.

Respect for Parliament: Ottawa is broken. Mr. Harper's actions signaled that he was not prepared to work with other members of Parliament to produce legislation in the best interests of all Canadians.

Should I be elected to Parliament on May 2, I will take with me the belief that Parliament is a place where the people's business should come first, not the partisan gamesmanship exercised by Mr. Harper. I would work with members from all parties to ensure that the legislative agenda benefits all those who live in this riding, not just the privileged few.

Integrity and honesty should be the cornerstone upon which all members of Parliament are judged.

Apathy is a direct result of our political leaders not providing forthright and honest answers. Mr. Harper recently claimed there were no tax cuts in his budget for the corporate sector, which is technically true. However, Mr. Harper failed to tell the people of this riding that the $6 billion in tax cuts were passed in earlier legislation and in place for this tax year.

Mr. Harper showed that he lacked the basic honesty and integrity needed to lead this country. As a member of Parliament I will not attempt to deceive or mislead my constituents. The positions I take in Parliament will be the same that are held when I come home to Melville.

I will act in in a manner which brings credit to people of this riding. I will not dishonor the position I seek nor will I act in an unethical or deceitful manner.

Yorkton This Week thanks the candidates for their responses.