Jamie Clinton: If the Greens can debate, why not the PPC?
It looks like the debates commission is making up the rules specifically to exclude Maxime Bernier's People's Party of Canada.
By: Jamie Clinton
The Leaders’ Debate Commission announced Monday that People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier will not be allowed to participate in either of the leaders’ debates. The commission specified that in order for a party leader to be allowed into the debates, they must meet one of these three criteria:
The party has at least one MP in the House of Commons who was elected as a member of that party.
The party's candidates in the 2019 federal election received at least four per cent of the total number of valid votes cast.
The party has a national support level of at least four per cent, five days after the date the election is called. That is measured by leading national public opinion polling organizations, using the average of those organizations' most recently publicly reported results.
Bernier lost his seat in the riding of Beauce in the 2019 federal election, thus ensuing the PPC does not meet the first criteria. The PPC received 1.6 per cent of the vote in the last election so they don’t come close to the second criteria either.
The third part is a matter of some debate, excuse the pun. According to the official Leaders’ Debate Commission polling numbers, the PPC received an aggregate of 3.27 per cent in federal polls.
However, before the commission came out with their announcement, the People’s Party had polled at or above four per cent in 13 out of 20 polls. It has only looked worse for the commission since the decision was made. The PPC has averaged five per cent in the six polls done since then. Including one poll that had them at 6.6 per cent, exactly double the floundering Green Party’s numbers.
It is very likely that if the Leaders’ Debates Commission had made their decision a few days later they would have allowed Maxime Bernier to be at the debates. Or, at least, they would have using the criteria they ultimately settled on.
For reference, in the 2008 federal election, Elizabeth May, then leader of the Green party, was allowed to participate in the debates even though her party did not have a seat. And yes, this time the rules are different. But it’s not as if MP’s voted on the debates’ rules or anything. The rules are completely arbitrary decisions that change every election cycle based on the whims of the Leaders’ Debates Commission.
In the 2019 federal election, with a different set of rules, the commission gave Bernier the benefit of the doubt and allowed him to participate in the debates. This time around, that is no longer needed.
Even if the PPC is technically under the four per cent threshold, the fact that they are outpolling both the Green party and Bloc Québécois in an increasing number of polls should be enough. Or at should at least raise the question as to whether or not the Greens and Bloc should remain in the debates.
The Bloc’s position is unique, on the basis of their geographically efficient vote. The Greens are another matter. Often, when an election rolls around, the media and Debates’ Commission go out of their way to distinguish the Green party as a major party. This has been true even when the GPC is polling at and receives under four per cent of the national vote. This happened in 2011 and 2015.
By this consideration, the People’s Party should definitely be allowed at the debates. It seems there are two different sets of rules, one concerning the Greens and the other for the PPC.
There are other grounds to deny the PPC a place, or some have suggested. A video circulated showing NDP leader Jagmeet Singh suggesting that Maxime Bernier should be excluded from the debates because of his “hateful speech.”
The fact that Singh suggested that the PPC be excluded, not because they didn’t meet the polling threshold, but because of their supposedly hateful speech, should raise red flags for what Singh and the NDP are really all about.
According to Singh, there should only be a few variations of the exact same beliefs in Canadian politics. It wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest that Singh would be a proponent of excluding the PPC even if they outpolled the NDP. After all, he believes that anyone who fundamentally disagrees with him should have their voice taken away.
My point isn’t to defend every comment Bernier or any other member of the PPC has made, but to simply note that it isn’t up to politicians to decide what views deserve to be heard. The only way forward is a clear, consistent rule … and the one being used this time sure seems like one written just carefully enough to keep Bernier and the PPC out.
Jamie Clinton is a sports writer and occasional political commentator. He is a member of the People’s Party of Canada so this article should be viewed from the perspective of a PPC supporter.
The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Follow us on Twitter @the_lineca. Fight with us on Facebook. Pitch us something: lineeditor@protonmail.com
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.