The Greens shouldn’t be in the debate either. Their level of support doesn’t justify it, they’ve shown no ability to grow their national support over several elections, and they’re currently in the middle of a bizarre fight where their national executive is trying to oust their own leader.
I don't know why anybody cares about the "debates". They aren't debates; they are collaborative infomercials. I attended the 2019 debate in Gatineau in hopes of determining whom I might vote for. It was a surreal waste of my time.
First it was announced that the questioners were not selected because of their talent, but because of they met the Leaders' Debate Commission's gynaecological requirements within 5 days after the announcement of the election (just in case Rex Murphy was considering pulling a Jenner to qualify).
Next, the answers were forced to be timed short answers with a large digital countdown like a continuous round of final Jeopardy. I appreciate the contemporary Youtube business model aimed at Twittered attention spans, but their scripted short answers didn't come with an option to skip the ads and I didn't have a paid subscription.
Then the only person on stage to lose track of how many times he's worn black face called Maxine Bernier a racist for his suggestions for adjusting immigration levels and thought-policed Andrew Sheer as a racist for ideas he undoubtedly had but never said out loud.
The icing on the cake was Elizabeth May finger-wagging at Yves-Francois Blanchet for les Québécois having the Gaul to judge people based on race, ethnicity, and what they look like via Bill 21 -- which was a provincial bill, but all Quebeckers are the same to May -- and, oh yes, all of you white people have white privilege, you bastards.
The only things I learned were that Blanchet was a funny guy, that he wasn't one of the ushers, and that I couldn't vote for him as an Ontarian. Not that I wanted to.
I witnessed more obtuse behaviour at that event than could be inscribed in a heptogon.
No thank you this time. I'd read their platforms, but what political party every lived up to their pre-election platform? I think I'll just vote based on which leader acts the most professionally and least like a schoolyard bully. At least I know what to do with bullies, even the ones that are invited by the cool kids to come to the party. I have to wash my hair that night anyway.
I am a firm believer that you shouldn't try and hide stupid and/or hate speech, and allow it to fester under a rock, instead always expose it to the clear light of day. This will allow everyone to see it what it is.
The debate should only have 3 leaders involved, Cons, Libs, and NDP. Every single debate over the last several elections has been marred with insignificant leaders talking over the people that most Canadian want and need to hear speak. Elizabeth May did great things for her party, but she sure knew how to ruin a debate.
I agree with the author that the Greens shouldn't be allowed, but I don't see why PPC should be either. Make the rules consistent, and stick by them.
Being neither a supporter of the Greens or PPC there is a huge difference between the two regardless of the discord the Greens find themselves in. The committee set down the rules with a pretty low bar for parties without incumbents to gain access to the debates. By Jamie's own admission his party did not reach that bar while the Greens easily clear the first two.
The rest of the post comes across as finger pointing and a bit of sour grapes.
I have no dog in this hunt, if the PPC are allowed on the stage their ideas as they've articulated them should ensure another fruitless election, but if you can't consistently make 4% after an election where your party received less than 300,000 votes and your leader couldn't hold onto his own seat then perhaps it's not the debate commission out to get you.
Please stop giving blatant partisans a platform. the MSM and the punditry shows do enough of this. I appreciate the variety of voices that The Line usually has but active party membership or overtly shilling for one party over the next really shouldn't be the focus here. Just my two cents (or $5 per month as it where)
As an aside I expect the PPC party support to evaporate as voters go to the polls, especially as there is a real chance of the Conservatives getting elected. I know I changed my vote (non resident voter). Personally I'd like to see a few PPC MPs elected.
I'm concerned more than that the PPC will use their exclusion as a tool to garner further support. I'm overly interested in who is at the debates, personally I find them hard to watch, and they have little impact on my opinion. The impact of the debates on voting or opinion poll would have been an nice piece of data to include with the article.
If anyone in the PPC had a clue, they would realize that having the Greens in the debate is a good thing for those that want a chance that the Liberals will be voted out of government. Members of the PPC may mean well and be honest and earnest in their beliefs, but they clearly all failed at mathematics. The PPC's very existence cuts the throat of their nearest ideological cousins, the Conservative Party, taking votes away from them and essentially handing them to the Liberals in general, the NDP in some ridings, and the Liberals or the Bloc in Quebec. Rational left leaning political party operatives who did not fail mathematics should be (and likely are) quietly cheering on and financially supporting the continued existence of the PPC to undermine the Conservative Party vote. Conservatives should learn from this, and quietly prop up NDP and Green candidates in ridings where they are competitive with the Liberals, and attempt to sneak up the middle of vote splits on the left in these ridings. They won't, because they, like their PPC cousins, also apparently failed at mathematics and/or seem content to lose to the Liberals yet again. Understanding vote splitting in the Canadian electorate on a riding by riding basis should be lesson #1 for political operatives in all parties.
The Greens shouldn’t be in the debate either. Their level of support doesn’t justify it, they’ve shown no ability to grow their national support over several elections, and they’re currently in the middle of a bizarre fight where their national executive is trying to oust their own leader.
I don't know why anybody cares about the "debates". They aren't debates; they are collaborative infomercials. I attended the 2019 debate in Gatineau in hopes of determining whom I might vote for. It was a surreal waste of my time.
First it was announced that the questioners were not selected because of their talent, but because of they met the Leaders' Debate Commission's gynaecological requirements within 5 days after the announcement of the election (just in case Rex Murphy was considering pulling a Jenner to qualify).
Next, the answers were forced to be timed short answers with a large digital countdown like a continuous round of final Jeopardy. I appreciate the contemporary Youtube business model aimed at Twittered attention spans, but their scripted short answers didn't come with an option to skip the ads and I didn't have a paid subscription.
Then the only person on stage to lose track of how many times he's worn black face called Maxine Bernier a racist for his suggestions for adjusting immigration levels and thought-policed Andrew Sheer as a racist for ideas he undoubtedly had but never said out loud.
The icing on the cake was Elizabeth May finger-wagging at Yves-Francois Blanchet for les Québécois having the Gaul to judge people based on race, ethnicity, and what they look like via Bill 21 -- which was a provincial bill, but all Quebeckers are the same to May -- and, oh yes, all of you white people have white privilege, you bastards.
The only things I learned were that Blanchet was a funny guy, that he wasn't one of the ushers, and that I couldn't vote for him as an Ontarian. Not that I wanted to.
I witnessed more obtuse behaviour at that event than could be inscribed in a heptogon.
No thank you this time. I'd read their platforms, but what political party every lived up to their pre-election platform? I think I'll just vote based on which leader acts the most professionally and least like a schoolyard bully. At least I know what to do with bullies, even the ones that are invited by the cool kids to come to the party. I have to wash my hair that night anyway.
I am a firm believer that you shouldn't try and hide stupid and/or hate speech, and allow it to fester under a rock, instead always expose it to the clear light of day. This will allow everyone to see it what it is.
The debate should only have 3 leaders involved, Cons, Libs, and NDP. Every single debate over the last several elections has been marred with insignificant leaders talking over the people that most Canadian want and need to hear speak. Elizabeth May did great things for her party, but she sure knew how to ruin a debate.
I agree with the author that the Greens shouldn't be allowed, but I don't see why PPC should be either. Make the rules consistent, and stick by them.
Being neither a supporter of the Greens or PPC there is a huge difference between the two regardless of the discord the Greens find themselves in. The committee set down the rules with a pretty low bar for parties without incumbents to gain access to the debates. By Jamie's own admission his party did not reach that bar while the Greens easily clear the first two.
The rest of the post comes across as finger pointing and a bit of sour grapes.
I have no dog in this hunt, if the PPC are allowed on the stage their ideas as they've articulated them should ensure another fruitless election, but if you can't consistently make 4% after an election where your party received less than 300,000 votes and your leader couldn't hold onto his own seat then perhaps it's not the debate commission out to get you.
Please stop giving blatant partisans a platform. the MSM and the punditry shows do enough of this. I appreciate the variety of voices that The Line usually has but active party membership or overtly shilling for one party over the next really shouldn't be the focus here. Just my two cents (or $5 per month as it where)
As an aside I expect the PPC party support to evaporate as voters go to the polls, especially as there is a real chance of the Conservatives getting elected. I know I changed my vote (non resident voter). Personally I'd like to see a few PPC MPs elected.
Hey friend - this will allow the meanest and most hateful party on the scene to now claim victimhood. Well done.
I'm concerned more than that the PPC will use their exclusion as a tool to garner further support. I'm overly interested in who is at the debates, personally I find them hard to watch, and they have little impact on my opinion. The impact of the debates on voting or opinion poll would have been an nice piece of data to include with the article.
If anyone in the PPC had a clue, they would realize that having the Greens in the debate is a good thing for those that want a chance that the Liberals will be voted out of government. Members of the PPC may mean well and be honest and earnest in their beliefs, but they clearly all failed at mathematics. The PPC's very existence cuts the throat of their nearest ideological cousins, the Conservative Party, taking votes away from them and essentially handing them to the Liberals in general, the NDP in some ridings, and the Liberals or the Bloc in Quebec. Rational left leaning political party operatives who did not fail mathematics should be (and likely are) quietly cheering on and financially supporting the continued existence of the PPC to undermine the Conservative Party vote. Conservatives should learn from this, and quietly prop up NDP and Green candidates in ridings where they are competitive with the Liberals, and attempt to sneak up the middle of vote splits on the left in these ridings. They won't, because they, like their PPC cousins, also apparently failed at mathematics and/or seem content to lose to the Liberals yet again. Understanding vote splitting in the Canadian electorate on a riding by riding basis should be lesson #1 for political operatives in all parties.
Nobody cares.
The PPC have zero seats!