The candidates running in the city council byelections agree on one thing - that the current council was wrong to reject Joanna Chapman's request for compliance audits of the campaign finances of nine candidates who ran last November. Bookstore owner Chapman presented council with evidence of apparent wrongdoing by the nine, but her plea for an investigation was voted down - 8 to 1. Only councillor Dave Braden supported an audit.

CATCH polled the men and women running in wards 2 and 13 how they would have voted on five issues that divided the council earlier this year. All eleven who replied say they would have supported doing the compliance audit. Another issue that came close to that unanimity was whether or not Hamilton should accept waste from outside the city. Nine said no. One said yes and one was ambivalent. The current council voted 7-5 last month to allow consideration of accepting outside garbage.

The positions of the candidates on these and other issues, as well as their biographies and priorities can be viewed here. The election takes place on Friday, October first.