Canada’s main party leaders are going to have an opportunity to make their pitch to voters across the country as they face each other in two live debates, which are set days before advance polls open.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet have been invited to participate in the French and English debates.
Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault was originally set to participate, but the Leaders’ Debates Commission announced in a Wednesday morning release that the Greens’ invitation would be rescinded, writing that the party “no longer meets the intention of the participation criteria,” after reducing its number of candidates.
When and what time are the debates?
The French debate is on April 16 at 6 p.m. EDT, while the English debate starts at 7 p.m. EDT on April 17. The first was rescheduled to avoid conflicting with a high-stakes Montreal Canadiens game.
How to watch the debates?
The two debates will be streamed live on CTVNews.ca, the CTV News app, and CTV News’ YouTube page. Power Play with Vassy Kapelos is going to tee up the English debate between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
CTVNews.ca will provide live commentary and analysis during the debate in English by journalists and a panel of experts. They include:
- Rachel Aiello, CTV News national correspondent
- Scott Reid, CTV News political analyst and co-founder of Feschuk.Reid
- Tom Mulcair, CTV News political analyst and former NDP leader
- Melanie Paradis, Texture Communications president and a veteran Conservative campaigner.
After the leaders square off, Power Play will host a two-hour post-debate special following the English debate.
Where are the debates being held?
The two debates will be held at the Maison de Radio-Canada in Montreal.
Who are the moderators?
Radio-Canada’s Patrice Roy is moderating the French debate, while TVO’s Steve Paikin is the moderator for the English debate.
What is the debate format?
The Leaders’ Debates Commission, which is organizing the face-offs, says the debates are going to have a “simple and flexible” format that favours a “natural flow and open exchanges” between leaders.
The commission adds that the debates are going to feature several themes, and within them are a number of questions that would provide leaders an opportunity for a substantive discussion on policy issues and their platforms.
What are the debate themes?
The Leaders’ Debate Commission announced the themes for each debate on April 14. They will be as follows:
French debate
- Coût de la vie (Cost of living)
- Énergie et climat (Energy and climate)
- Guerre commerciale (Trade war)
- Identité et souveraineté (Identity and sovereignty)
- Immigration et affaires étrangères (Immigration and foreign affairs)
English debate
- Affordability and the cost of living
- Energy and climate
- Leading in a crisis
- Public safety and security
- Tariffs and threats to Canada
The podium positions for both debates were determined last week in a draw, as well as the order of arrivals and leader scrums after the debates.
Who are the leaders?
CTV News has profiles of the main party leaders, which you can read here. You can also read a rundown of their campaign promises by going to our party platform tracker.
How are the participants chosen?
The commission set three participation criteria, two of which the parties have to meet for their leader to participate. They are:
- The party is represented in the House of Commons by an MP who was elected as a member of that party.
- The party receives a level of national support of at least four per cent in public opinion polls 28 days before the date of the election.
- The party has endorsed candidates in at least 90 per cent of federal ridings 28 days before election day.
The Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, and Bloc all have satisfied two criteria, the commission says. It noted that the People’s Party of Canada is not participating as it only met the third criterion.
