The country’s three major political parties battled it out during Thursday’s leaders’ debate in the midst of a three-way tie.
With the NDP, the Liberals and the Conservatives all polling at around 30 per cent, The Globe and Mail’s debate could have ended the stalemate that has pretty much entrenched itself since the writ was dropped in August.
Centering on the economy, the debate was fittingly held in Calgary – the “barometer” of the country’s financial health.
Leaders Thomas Mulcair, Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper fielded questions about tax plans, immigration policies, carbon emissions, infrastructure spending and more.
Not one to stand down from a fight – even when she was not invited to – Green Party leader Elizabeth May responded to each question through a series of Twitter videos filmed at a Victoria church.
According to CTV News, her responses, retorts and fact-checks received 14,000 re-tweets and she gained 3,900 new followers.
To determine whether the leaders’ performances, and more importantly substance, managed to put any one party ahead, the Gazette asked members of the St. Albert Poliwings – an informal monthly political discussion group – to weigh in on the debate.
Here’s what they had to say:
Kevin Malinowski
Malinowski is a born and raised St. Albertan. He works as an I.T. manager for a federal government agency and is a proud and active member of the community – co-founding the St. Albert Poliwings group and serving on the St. Albert SMARTcity Master Plan Steering Committee.
None of the leaders came out shining above the others, unless of course you were following Elizabeth May on Twitter at the same time. She did a great job of counterpoint during the entire debate.
The three leaders gave us nothing new in what they had to say; it was a pure regurgitation of talking points they have been playing to death in the press already.
Surprisingly, Thomas Mulcair was able to tone down the NDP plan, I wouldn't be surprised if he was able to win over some of the Conservative leaning voters that are no longer comfortable with the Harper government.
Mulcair probably had the one winning statement when commenting on how the home renovation tax credit does nothing to help the middle-income population because they can't afford to buy a house.
In the end we were left wanting more. There was nothing new; I have been given no reason to vote for any of their parties.
Let’s see what the next 30 days bring.
Natalie Mikus
Mikus is a portrait photographer operating in St. Albert, and formerly worked as a technical writer and trainer/manager at companies that manage medical insurance programs and public funding for medical services. She is a regular member of St. Albert Poliwings. She also ran for city council in a recent byelection.
Can a "winner" title for our national leaders debate be awarded to the leader who wasn't invited, but who participated online with dignity, wit, and candour?
The embarrassing lack of inclusiveness aside, the debate was lacklustre and disturbingly reminiscent of the synchronized shouting heard in a classroom of toddlers.
Justin Trudeau's canned speeches were often only loosely related to the topics being discussed and his shouted interruptions made listening to the other leaders impossible. Thomas Mulcair came across as being the most reasoned and balanced, but he also participated in the frustrating interruptions that made this debate tedious to watch.
Stephen Harper was the most polite of the group, generally choosing to stand quietly while the other two shouted unproductively over the other, but he didn't provide any information that isn't widely available in generalized promotional material.
Trudeau repeatedly talked about his short term plans for deficits to invest in infrastructure to support a struggling economy. Mulcair drove home that living wages and affordable childcare should be a priority. Harper reminded everyone that the economic times have been a roller coaster globally, and suggested that we're on track as a country. All the same rhetoric that has been heard throughout the election likely doesn't have Albertans feeling any more confident that a quickly recovering economy is possible.
Shayne Kawalilak
Shayne Kawalilak is a self-professed 'super-geek and all-round great guy' who runs his own IT consulting business in St. Albert. He is a father of nine through two marriages to the same woman and volunteers relentlessly with organizations like Scouts Canada whenever he finds a free moment.
I am not sure that many people changed their votes due to this debate but there were a few moments like Justin Trudeau's first comment where he asked several questions about whether I was better off than when Harper first took office? (yes), were my job prospects better? (yes), did I believe that my kids (and I have three times as many as Justin does) have a brighter future? (yes). So I guess he is OK with my voting Conservative? Not sure that opening was the best way to go.
I have been quite pleased with where Canada has ended up after looking at how the rest of the world has handled rough economic times.
Justin Trudeau continually brought up Mr. Harper's job creation record and Thomas Mulcair got right on him as well and I couldn't help but remind myself several times through the debate that it is not the government's job to make jobs. The only jobs a government can create are government jobs and this country needs less government, not more. The government can build a favourable environment for businesses to grow, or not.
The "energy" questions held a couple surprises like when the NDP tried to make the prime minister look bad by pointing out that Harper's PC government led Canada to be the only country to ever leave the Kyoto Protocol (which the Liberals signed us up for). Is there anyone in our country that believed that it was a good idea to pay billions of dollars to China to help them reduce pollution that they have no intent on reducing?
If I heard Thomas Mulcair talk about $15-a-day daycare one more time I was going to cry. We all know that his daycare plan is being funded 40 per cent by provincial governments that already struggle to balance budgets?
And did I hear Mulcair say that he would raise someone's minimum wage to $15 so they could afford a house in West Vancouver? Where did he learn his math?
The Liberal and NDP candidates should have done some research because the past decade has seen both major centres in Alberta build ring roads and train expansions and other infrastructure projects on every major corridor.
Justin, if you want any chance of swaying my vote, tell me that you are cancelling all infrastructure projects so I could have just one summer free of road construction, then we will talk.
