Canada’s party leaders faced off in their second and final debate ahead of the general election, with Liberal leader Mark Carney surviving despite repeated questioning from his opponents. The big question heading into the forum was whether Carney would stumble, given his less-than-stellar performance in Wednesday’s French debate.
Five Takeaways from Canada’s Party Leaders’ Big TV Debate
Trudeau’s Ghost Haunts Carney
The leaders of Canada’s four major federal parties faced off in their second and final debate ahead of this month’s general election. The big question heading into the two-hour forum was whether Liberal leader Mark Carney would stumble, given his less-than-stellar performance in Wednesday’s French debate. However, Carney managed to survive despite being placed on the spot repeatedly by his three opponents: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet.
Carney‘s opponents were quick to hone in on the mistakes of his unpopular predecessor, former Prime Minister ‘Justin Trudeau.’ Conservative leader Poilievre made references to the ‘lost Liberal decade,’ citing issues like housing affordability and the high cost of living to drive his point home. Blanchet also threw down the gauntlet to Carney, saying he needed to prove himself as different from ‘Trudeau.’
A Softer Approach to Trump Tariffs
The leaders were asked about how they would negotiate with US President Donald Trump and respond to his tariffs on Canada. The US president has implemented blanket 25% tariffs on goods from Canada, with an exemption on products covered by the USMCA – a North American free trade deal. Canada is also hit with global US tariffs on steel and aluminium and cars.
The Liberal leader said the focus would shift to targeted tariffs designed to maximize pain on the US and hurt Canada as little as possible. Carney acknowledged that the US economy is more than 10 times the size of Canada’s, but emphasized the need for a more nuanced approach. Trump appears to have softened his language on Canada in recent weeks, with Carney saying their conversation was ‘constructive’ after a phone call.
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and later served as a real estate developer and businessman.
Trump's entry into politics began with his presidential campaign in 2015, where he won the Republican nomination and eventually the presidency in 2016.
As president, Trump implemented policies such as 'tax cuts' and 'deregulation'.
His term was marked by controversy, including impeachment proceedings in 2019.
Devil in the (Policy) Details
For Canadians tuning in to issues facing the country beyond Trump and his tariffs, the debate offered substantive policy discussions on topics from housing to crime to immigration. Conservative leader Poilievre frequently championed his vision of a small government that would keep taxes low to drive up economic growth and affordability for Canadians.
Poilievre is a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament for the riding of Carleton.
Born in 1979, he has been involved in politics since his early 20s.
He served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development from 2013 to 2015.
Poilievre has also held various leadership positions within the Conservative Party of Canada.
New Democratic Party leader Singh pushed for stronger social programmes in Canada, including expanding the country’s national dental care and pharmacare programmes and other healthcare spending. Carney stuck close to the centrist point of view of his party, emphasizing the need for government intervention but also acknowledging its limitations.
Smaller Parties Fight for Air Time – and Survival
Canada’s political system has a few major parties: the centrist Liberals, the right-leaning Conservatives, the left-leaning New Democrats, and the Bloc Québécois. However, polls show this election the bulk of Canadians are opting to support either the Conservatives or the Liberals, leaving third-place parties fighting for survival.
National polls have Singh‘s New Democrats polling at 8.5%, which could roughly translate to just five seats out of 343, a major loss from their current 24 seats. The Green Party was disqualified at the last minute from the debate for not running enough candidates.
Singh is a common Indian surname that translates to 'lion' in English.
It is predominantly found among the Sikh community, where it is considered a sacred name.
The suffix '-singh' is often added to the given name to signify strength and courage.
In Hinduism, Singh is also used as a title of respect for kings and warriors.
According to the 2011 census, over 2 million people in India bear the surname Singh.
Canadian Civility on Display
Despite the frequent crosstalk and heated exchanges, the tone overall was rather cordial. The general sense of decorum was apparent when the leaders were discussing the housing crisis. In a rebuttal to Poilievre, Carney appeared to stop himself before laying into his opponent, saying ‘A misunderstanding… I’ll be polite.’
Even after some heated exchanges, Carney and Poilievre were filmed shaking hands and laughing afterwards. It was strikingly different from some recent presidential debate cycles in the US and even friendlier than some past Canadian federal debates.
