The leaders of Canada’s major federal political parties squared off against each other in the English-language debate in Montreal Thursday, a day after they faced each other in a French-language debate.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet faced each other in a bid to sway voters with 10 days to go before the election on April 28.
The Leaders Debate Commission cancelled a planned post-debate scrum between journalists and the party leaders.
Michel Cormier, executive director of the Leaders’ Debates Commission, told reporters after the debate that the scrum was cancelled because the commission didn’t feel “that we can actually guarantee a proper environment for this activity.”
Tariffs and the threat to Canada
The first theme of the night was “tariffs and threats to Canada,” giving the leaders a chance to address one of the biggest issues facing voters this election campaign.
Carney, who is leading in the polls, was criticized by the other three leaders for his approach to dealing with the uncertainty around the tariffs.
Poilievre criticized Carney for not backing an oil pipeline connecting Alberta to the East Coast, while Singh said Carney had not done enough to expand Employment Insurance benefits for workers. Blanchet accused Carney of saying “one thing in French and another in English.”
Carney said that the old relationship that Canada shared with the United States was over. He said counter-tariffs should be designed to minimize the impact on Canadians and that his government would work to reduce interprovincial trade barriers.
Affordability and the cost of living
The second theme of the night was affordability and the cost of living, starting off with a discussion on Canada’s housing crisis and high grocery prices.
While both Carney and Poilievre said that they would reduce the GST for first-time home buyers, Carney added that his plan was also focused on increasing housing supply.
Poilievre said Carney would further the economic policies of the Trudeau government. Carney responded by saying, “Mr. Poilievre, you spent years running against Justin Trudeau and the carbon tax and they’re both gone.”
Singh talked about the importance of tackling price-gouging by grocery stores. He said the NDP would push for a GST break on groceries and criticized Carney for his plan to axe the Trudeau government’s hike on the capital gains tax.
Carney faced questions from both Singh and Blanchet about his investments with Brookfield Investments and possible conflicts of interest.
“I have always acted with integrity, served the shareholders of Brookfield when I was there. I have left and I have followed all the rules,” Carney said.
Public safety and security
With the theme turning to public safety and security, Carney was asked about his plan to revive the Liberal gun buyback plan.
“What we’ve seen with that policy is some success at the commercial level but not at the individual level because it hasn’t been, in my opinion, organized properly,” he said.
Get breaking National news
Carney added, “I’ve instructed the minister of national security and public safety in order to do that.”
Poilievre said he would bring a “three strikes” law for serious crimes if his party forms government.
“Three convictions for serious crimes, you go to jail for at least 10 years, maybe for life, no chance of parole or bail,” he said, and has said he wants to be the first prime minister to use the notwithstanding clause to let judges impose consecutive life sentences, which the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled is unconstitutional.
Singh was asked about his plan to reform the RCMP.
“This is the concern that’s been raised in more rural communities and northern communities that there have been some serious concerns about violence or inappropriate use of force when it comes to the execution of their duties,” he said.
Singh said that while all major parties agree that serious crimes deserve strict punishment, it was also important to invest in rehabilitation and mental health services to prevent crimes before they happen. Blanchet said Canada should target organized crime, including listing certain gangs as terrorist groups.
What’s the biggest threat to Canada?
When asked what the biggest threat to Canada was, Carney said, “I think the biggest security threat to Canada is China.”
Carney did not elaborate further but his comments come after China executed four Canadians earlier in the year, held two Canadians in what was widely condemned as arbitrary detention from late 2018 to late 2021, and after the public inquiry into foreign interference put allegations of meddling in recent elections into the national spotlight.
Poilievre identified the “rampant crime wave that is running out of control” as the biggest threat, while Singh said it was “guns coming across border.”
Blanchet said “the fact that neither Quebec nor Canada is able to protect itself, that we are still entirely dependent on Americans to protect us” was the biggest threat.
What about the industrial carbon price?
The leaders also debated whether Canada needs to build an east-west pipeline. Singh and Blanchet both urged caution in jumping into big projects, like pipelines.
Blanchet said a pipeline would take a long time to build.
“In a little more than three years, Donald Trump won’t be in office,” he said.
He added, “We don’t want to pay in Quebec for such monstrosities which will provide us with nothing.”
While Carney as prime minister removed the Trudeau government’s consumer carbon price, he came under fire from Poilievre for his commitment to keeping an industrial carbon price. Poilievre said the industrial carbon price would still add to Canadians’ costs. Singh accused Carney of giving subsidies to oil and gas corporations.
Carney said, “Most people want to deepen our partnership in Europe, in Asia. Those countries care about whether or not you’ve made progress (on combating climate change).”
He added, “We’re designing a program so that the big polluters pay Canadians at home for making responsible climate choices, for retrofitting their home, getting their emissions down, or improving otherwise. And that is smart climate policy.”
Blanchet criticized Poilievre for referring to Alberta oil and gas as “clean.”
“You are telling fairy tales. Clean oil and gas is a fairy tale,” Blanchet said.
What the leaders say on international security
Asked if Canada should ramp up support for Ukraine if the United States withholds support, Poilievre said, “I believe we should continue to support Ukraine. Our party supported donating missiles that the Canadian military was decommissioning, we supported funds and other armaments to back the Ukrainians in the defence of their sovereignty.”
He added, “We don’t need to follow the Americans in everything they do. When they’re wrong, then we will stand on our own and with other allies.”
Poilievre added that he would work to end Europe’s dependence on Russian energy by exporting more natural gas to Europe.
“I would rapidly approve those projects on national security grounds so that we can actually ship Canadian natural gas over to Europe, break European dependence on Putin,” he said.
Carney said Canada has been a “steadfast ally” for Ukraine and challenged Poilievre’s position on the war.
“Mr. Poilievre voted against a free trade agreement with Ukraine. It means aid for Ukraine,” he said.
Blanchet said, “I will support any initiative which will make Canada aligned with Europe and NATO in order to be stronger in facing new threats.”
He added, “Our main ally is removing himself from the stage, so we have to step up.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attacked both Poilievre and Carney for their stances on the conflict in Gaza.
“Your treatment of Palestinians has been frankly disgusting. Your treatment of people who provide care and service to people in Gaza has been disgusting,” he said to Poilievre.
Poilievre said people should “leave foreign conflicts behind” when they come to Canada.
Carney called for the return of the hostages by Hamas and resumption of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
The English debate kicked off at 7 p.m. Eastern and was moderated by TVO journalist Steve Paikin.
The Leaders’ Debates Commission rescinded its invitation to the Green Party of Canada Wednesday for failing to meet the criteria to qualify for the debate.
Comments