Federal NDP leadership debate in city

Candidates eyeing the party’s top job are in the city Tuesday

The four candidates vying to replace Thomas Mulcair as the next leader of the federal NDP will be in Saskatoon on Tuesday for the fifth of eight scheduled debates.

The two-hour debate will take place at TCU Place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is the only debate scheduled for the Prairies in advance of the party’s October leadership vote and NDP spokesperson Guillaume Francoeur said some of the questions lobbed during the broadcast event will be of regional interest.

Each of the candidates will deliver 60-second opening statements and be given 60 seconds to answer questions that Canadians have submitted online through the NDP website.

A brief debate between candidates will follow each question. Candidates will also be given two opportunities to ask a question of another candidate.

The event will predominantly be in English; just one question will be asked in French.

The candidates:

Charlie Angus

Angus has been the member of Parliament for the northeastern Ontario riding of Timmins-James Bay since 2004. Prior to that, he worked as a journalist, carpenter and First Nation negotiator. His platform items include creating an Indigenous children’s ombudsman position, adopting a carbon budget to reduce emissions and creating a federal government code of conduct to promote permanent jobs over temporary contract ones.

Niki Ashton

Ashton, a former instructor at Manitoba’s University College of the North, has represented the province’s northern riding of Churchill-Keewatinook in Ottawa since 2008. She wants to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthiest people, opposes the Kinder Morgan pipeline that would carry oil from Alberta to B.C. and would increase access to preventive dental care.

Guy Caron

Caron has represented the federal riding of Rimouski- Neigette Temiscouata-Les Basques in Quebec since 2011 and has previously worked as an economist. If he becomes NDP leader, he wants to introduce a basic income plan, create a dedicated unit in the ministry of justice to ferret out those who cheat on their taxes and put forward a plan for electoral reform.

Jagmeet Singh

Singh, a former lawyer, was elected as the member of provincial Parliament for the Ontario riding of Bramalea-Gore-Malton in 2011. He wants, among other things, to implement a $15-perhour minimum wage for federal workers, adopt more ambitious carbon emission targets, and increase wages for corporations and the wealthiest.