Six leaders square off in English-language election debate

The debaters leap from economic issue to economic issue before May makes a direct appeal to voters to cast their ballots for the Greens so they might hold power in a minority situation.

Bernier kicks off the final round of free debate with a question that frames Scheer as no different from Trudeau.

Scheer turns the question around by remarking on Bernier’s own political evolution — from Stephen Harper cabinet minister to populist-libertarian — before switching his attention back to Trudeau and re-iterating his plans on tax cuts and financial aid.

Each leader takes the opportunity of their last speaking time to make a direct pitch to voters.

8:50 p.m.

Each other leader lauds his or her own climate plans while criticizing Justin Trudeau for either his lack of action or allegedly ineffective policies.

Elizabeth May says the only way to measure the success of a policy is whether it holds global warming to safe levels.

Trudeau says we must move faster, calling his plan “reasonable” and “doable,” while criticizing the opposition of some right-leaning premiers to climate change policies, specifically the federal carbon tax.

Maxime Bernier simultaneously criticizes May for a “radical” plan that would break the Canadian economy and Trudeau for a plan that would not meet Canada’s Paris Accord commitments.

Jagmeet Singh also takes aim at Trudeau, asking why Canadians should trust the Liberals to follow through on their commitments, and denies a counterattack from Trudeau who says the NDP support the construction of an oil refinery in Alberta.

May and Trudeau confront one another, with the Green leader saying she hopes Trudeau does not win a majority because he cannot be trusted to deliver on his climate promises.

8:40 p.m.

May says Blanchet’s equalization scheme would put too much of a burden on provinces like Alberta, which she says must invest the most to transition to a green economy.

Blanchet wields a question in the open debate segment, and aims it at Scheer, asking Scheer once more about his position on Bill 21.

Scheer says his stance has been consistent: The issue will not be pursued at the federal level, though his government stands for human rights and individual liberty.

Trudeau, who has been silent for several minutes, breaks in to accuse Scheer of being weak on the rights of women, sparking a second chaotic argument between the two of them.

May says there must not be a “single inch of retreat” on the rights of women.

As the debate stretches into its final half-hour with a segment on the environment, Blanchet praises the cap-and-trade system Quebec and California have implemented.

8:30 p.m.

Debating income inequality, Justin Trudeau once more goes to his record but says he is moving forward with an increase of the Canada Child Benefit and easier repayment of student debt.

Bernier promises to balance the budget within two years without cutting services, saying Canada’s national credit card is full.

Singh argues the question of inequality is not academic for Canadians, accusing Trudeau of not following up on his “nice words,” while saying an NDP government would ask wealthy Canadians to pay more to help working families.

Scheer argues Trudeau is out of touch and says the Liberal leader has attacked small businesses, whereas Scheer would encourage entrepreneurs.

A question on equalization payments goes to Blanchet, who proposes a new scheme in which payments would be allocated to provinces based on their contribution to the fight against climate change.

Trudeau says the existing system is imperfect, but it safeguards equality of opportunity and binds the country together — before he accuses Blanchet of trying to pull the country apart through his sovereigntist beliefs.

8:20 p.m.

Elizabeth May says Justin Trudeau’s target on climate change is a “commitment to failure,” saying his purchase of a pipeline undermines his commitment to fighting climate change.

The two speak over one another, with Trudeau saying his plan will deliver on both the environment and the economy.

That sparks a chaotic back-and-forth between Trudeau and Scheer, who criticize one another’s plans.

Moving on to the issue of affordability, May is asked how she will pay for some of her ambitious policies and she points to a strategy of increasing revenue through policing of offshore accounts and taxes on large technology companies.

Trudeau resets the conservation by going over his government’s record on affordability, with special attention given to the Liberals’ economic record and policy measures like the Canada Child Benefit.

Scheer contrasts that record with his own plan of specialized tax credits and a reduction of foreign aid by 25 per cent, a policy May calls “short-term, greedy and selfish.”

8:05 p.m.

In a reprise of an early-campaign clash over the rights of Indigenous people, Elizabeth May and Andrew Scheer argue about how consultation on major projects must be conducted.

May says “free, prior and informed consent” must be respected, while Scheer questions the practicality of such a system.

Justin Trudeau says Scheer would bring a continuation of the attitudes of Stephen Harper, while Scheer says he has “nothing to learn” from Trudeau on working with Indigenous Peoples.

The discussion morphs quickly away from Indigenous rights and toward provincial jurisdiction, before Singh attempts to bring it back, discussing a recent decision from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on compensation for First Nations children harmed by on-reserve child welfare services.

Singh says Trudeau is appealing that decision, saying Trudeau did everything he could to keep SNC-Lavalin out of a courtroom but everything to challenge Indigenous children in one.

A question on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People receives broad support from most leaders, perhaps most notably from Blanchet, who expresses a strong support for a nation-to-nation relationship.

7:55 p.m.

In arguing on the diversity of opinion in Canada, Andrew Scheer continues to concentrate his attacks against Justin Trudeau, saying the Liberal leader is exacerbating divisions throughout the country.

Trudeau takes the opportunity to appeal to issues that bind Canadians together — specifically pocketbook issues — while denouncing a politics of fear and division.

Scheer also gets a chance for a direct shot at Trudeau, accusing him of flouting ethical rules and lying to the Canadian public in the SNC-Lavalin affair. When did Trudeau decide the rules didn’t apply to him, Scheer wants to know.

Trudeau turns the question back to policy, arguing the Conservatives are trying to hide their costed platform — it’s not yet released — and attempting to link Scheer to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

As the conversation becomes free-flowing, Singh says the leaders of the country’s two largest parties are arguing about which is worse for the country, before he launches into his own view of the country including universal pharmacare and dental care.

Blanchet, who says he is speaking for SNC-Lavalin employees, clashes with Scheer, with the Conservative leader arguing it is never right to interfere in the independence of the judicial process.

7:40 p.m.

Moving from controversial issue to controversial issue, the second segment of the debate begins with a discussion of Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21, which bans the wearing of religious symbols by many public servants.

The question goes to Singh, who says he is obviously against Bill 21 because of his own heritage and beliefs.

Each federal leader has had a similar position on the issue, noting to various degrees their opposition to the bill but most refusing explicitly to commit the federal government to joining a court challenge against it.

Scheer and May both commend Singh for his handling of issues of race and discrimination throughout the campaign, a reference to his reaction to the revelations that Trudeau appeared in blackface multiple times in the past.

Trudeau notes he is the only leader who has left the door ajar to intervening in the court challenge, criticizing Singh for not acting on the NDP leader’s professed convictions.

Singh counters that the fight against Bill 21 is a continuation of his life’s experience, before turning to a denunciation of Bernier’s presence on the stage.

7:25 p.m.

The first major back-and-forth between the leaders in tonight’s debate is on Maxime Bernier’s position on reducing immigration.

Bernier is attacked from all sides, though he maintains he supports reasonable immigration and protection of Canadian values.

Scheer — whose party is at the greatest electoral risk from a successful Bernier — advocates for a “fair, orderly and compassionate” immigration system while accusing Bernier of searching for support from unsavoury corners of Canadian society.

The discussion is heated on all sides, with Bernier frequently breaking in to interrupt the other leaders — something Blanchet jokes about, earning a chuckle from the audience.

Trudeau, speaking last on the issue, uses the opportunity to take a dig at Scheer, saying Bernier’s role on the stage tonight is to say publicly what Scheer believes privately.

Moving rapidly, the debate turns to leadership at home and how the federal government will co-operate with provinces, an important issue particularly as it relates to climate change.

7:10 p.m.

The debate kicks off with questions on foreign policy and international division, and how best to defend Canadian interests in a chaotic world.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has the first word, saying his government has invested in Canadians in order to bolster their confidence in their place in the world.

People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier says his party puts “Canada first,” accusing the other leaders of holding a “globalist” ideology that inappropriately spends Canadian taxes abroad.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer briefly commits to defending Canadian interests abroad and supporting free trade before rapidly turning to a more personal critique of Trudeau, calling him a “phoney” and a “fraud” who is constantly putting on different masks.

Green party Leader Elizabeth May answers global leadership is needed on climate, while Blanchet argues for a more modest approach, citing the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou as a mistake for a country with “tiny biceps.”

Bernier also responds to a follow up question on his controversial tweets by saying he supports a diverse Canada but advocating for reduced immigration.

6:30 p.m.

All six major federal party leaders are now on site in Gatineau, Que. as time ticks down to the start of tonight’s debate.

The contest will be structured to address five topics: affordability and economic insecurity; environment and energy; Indigenous issues; national and international leadership; and polarization, human rights and immigration.

Questions during the segments will come from regular Canadians, the moderators and the leaders themselves, and finally leaders will have a chance to debate head-to-head.

The debate is being attended by a live audience whose members are filtering in to the Canadian Museum of History theatre.

Conversation will be guided by five journalists, each with responsibility for one of the themed segments.

The rhetorical fireworks kick off at 7 p.m.

5:45 p.m.

The heads of Canada’s major political parties are gathering at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. for the first full leaders’ debate of the federal election campaign.

Six leaders will square off in the hopes of convincing Canadians to cast ballots for their parties come Oct. 21.

For several of the leaders, tonight’s event is the second round of a fight that started in Montreal at a French-language debate last week.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau will look to fend off attacks on his record and character, in search of “four more years” — a chant that greeted him as he arrived at the debate site this evening.

Trudeau’s main rival, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, looks to bounce back from a rough week that culminated in criticism he was not sufficiently transparent about his dual citizenship, something the crowd outside the venue reminded him of today as chants of “U.S.A.” mixed with supportive cheers on his arrival.

People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier will take the national debate stage for the first time tonight, as he and Green party Leader Elizabeth May were excluded from the French-language debate held by network TVA.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Six leaders square off in English-language election debate

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