By Canadian Press

Quick Quotes: Four leaders take part in French-language election debate

Sep 2, 2021 | 8:07 PM

MONTREAL — The first leaders’ debate of the federal election took place Thursday night, with four party leaders facing off in French on TVA, one of Quebec’s most-watched networks.

Here are some key quotes from Liberals’ Justin Trudeau, the Conservatives’ Erin O’Toole, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh:

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“We won’t force anyone, but we will limit the privileges of those who don’t want to be vaccinated without a good medical reason.”

—Trudeau, on mandatory vaccination for adults.

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“I encourage vaccinations, certainly, but we have to have a reasonable accommodation as a country, we have to work together in the fight against COVID-19, not with an election in the midst of a pandemic, with a lot of division on the issues around vaccination.”

— O’Toole on mandatory vaccination for federal workers.

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“You didn’t share your numbers. You didn’t cost your platform. It’s not serious.”

—Trudeau to O’Toole

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“I will be a partner for Quebec … Mr. Trudeau, all the times, is entering into fields of (provincial) responsibility. It’s not an example of partnership, it’s an example of paternalism.”

— O’Toole on health transfers and long-term care

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“If you were in a majority government, would we be in an election right now?”

— Blanchet to Trudeau

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“I want to correct this problem, I want to help and work with the provinces, but I have a specific plan, not only health transfers, yes, we agree, but we have a specific problem: profits have effectively killed our elders. How can I stand with my arms crossed when I know this? When I speak with people who have lost their family, how can I say there’s nothing to do?”

— Singh on long-term care homes

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2021.

The Canadian Press