Federal party leaders ready to duke it out in first debate
By Don Peat, City Hall Bureau Chief, First posted: Wednesday, August 05, 2015 06:44 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, August 05, 2015 07:05 PM EDT, Source
TORONTO - It'll be the best political debate on TV on Thursday night that doesn't include Donald Trump.
After a quiet day on the federal campaign trail, Canadian politics will heat up to a frenzy on Thursday night with the four federal leaders squaring off in the first televised debate of the 2015 election.
The debate, hosted by Maclean’s, will feature Conservative leader Stephen Harper, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party leader Elizabeth May.
Although all four leaders were prepping for the debate on Wednesday, both Mulcair and Trudeau have events in Toronto on Thursday morning - Mulcair will be at NDP candidate Jennifer Hollett’s University-Rosedale campaign office while Trudeau will have a photo-op at a Yonge St. boxing gym.
Here's a rundown of the Canadian leaders ahead of the debate:
Name: Stephen Harper
Party: Conservative
Our take: Harper is a debate veteran but as the incumbent prime minister, Harper will be under fire from all three leaders vying to knock him out of power.
Years in Parliament: 17
Number of federal election debates: 10
Is he ready to rumble?
"In terms of debates, they're always important but it is going to be very different this campaign than previous campaigns. Why? Because we're going to have five of them. And so, I think that is going to be very good for the electorate as a whole to have a debate that is not just about gotcha … that has the opportunity to be more substantive because there are more debates for Canadians to watch."
-- Conservative spokesman Kory Teneycke on Tuesday
Name: Thomas Mulcair
Party: New Democratic Party (NDP)
Our take: Mulcair goes into the debate with the NDP riding high in the polls so all eyes will be on him. A misstep could wobble NDP support but a good performance by Mulcair could help build momentum - expect all the candidates to try to take shots at the Opposition leader.
Years in Parliament: 8
Number of federal election debates: 0
Is he ready to rumble?
"Taking a look at the other leaders, Tom Mulcair goes into this debate with the least experience. Obviously, Mr. Harper, this will be his fifth election, and he's done many of these debates before. That experience will no doubt service him well. Elizabeth May of course has been in the leaders' debate before so she has experience. And Mr. Trudeau, being a former drama teacher, he's a professional drama coach so he's going to, I'm sure, draw on his experience as a dramatic performer."
"These debates are quite different from question period in the House of Commons - it's a far different arena and it is a far different format. So while Mr. Mulcair has a reputation for being very strong in question period, we don't believe that this format is very similar. So debate prep has been approached from that overall perspective."
-- Brad Lavigne, senior NDP campaign advisor
Name: Justin Trudeau
Party: Liberal Party
Our take: Trudeau walks into this debate after being hammered for weeks by the Conservative ad campaign stressing that he's "just not ready" to be Prime Minister. A good showing at this debate could go a long way towards dispelling that unprepared image while one gaffe or more could spell disaster for the Liberals as they try to move up from third party status.
Years in Parliament: 7
Number of federal election debates: 0
Is he ready to rumble?
"Mr. Trudeau's central priority during the debates is the same as his priority throughout the entire campaign. He will have the opportunity to speak directly to Canadians about his plan to grow the economy by strengthening the middle class. Mr. Trudeau will discuss our plan for fairness, and how we will bring real change to Ottawa to replace the Harper decade."
-- Olivier Duchesneau, Liberal Party spokesman
Name: Elizabeth May
Party: Green Party
Our take: May battles every election for a spot in the debates so having won a place in Thursday's debate she's got a major chance to raise the Green Party's profile with Canadian voters. But given the crowded stage and the fact her party is way back in the polls, she'll have to land some pretty good punches in order to deliver a lasting debate performance.
Years in Parliament: 4
Number of federal election debates: 2
Is she ready to rumble?
"I think what she hopes to achieve is to illustrate to Canadians or let Canadians know that the Green Party is more than a single issue party … and it is more than about Elizabeth May as well, she will be the first to say that, she'll talk about the type of candidates we have.
"Expecting that this is going to be a minority government, Greens will play a significant role. And a minority government in Elizabeth May's view and the Green Party's view is the best outcome for Canadians."
"Canadians will see her in a debate with all the other leaders … so now it is a comparison. It is unscripted."
- Julian Morelli, Green Party director of communications
