Hold debates with or without PM
Re Confused about leaders debates?
It’s Harperology 101, May 16 I’m surprised Stephen Harper isn’t insisting the election debates be hosted by 24 Seven, his self-promoting videostreaming website. His heavy-handed refusal to participate in debates hosted by a media consortium of CBC, CTV, ICI Radio-Canada and Global reeks of the fear he may not be able to exercise adequate control over the form and, perhaps, the moderator of those debates.
If Harper wants to accept invitations to debate at events hosted by others, that’s up to him — though the rules and the decision of who is to moderate should be carefully scrutinized by every leader before going along with this scheme.
The debates hosted by the consortium Harper rejects out of hand have been free of biased moderating to date. I am unsure the same impartiality will govern in all other venues Harper favours. Penny Gill, Dundas, Ont. I urge the consortium to hold their debates as planned and scheduled and issue formal and public invitations to all the federal political parties. Whether the leaders attend or not is their problem, not the consortium’s nor the voters.
An empty space at a debate would be a very telling message on the interest, concerns and respect the absent leader has for voters of this country. The control freak Conservatives must be shown that they are no better than anyone else.
Canadians are getting very tired of their antics and this may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back if they continue on their path of arrogance and false sense of entitlement and superiority. I believe most voters would agree with and support my suggestion. Gerald McIvor, Winnipeg Susan Delacourt concludes, “The televised leaders debates, as they once were, are now another relic of the political past.” Not so fast, please.
The consortium, which in 2011 reached 10 million English and four million French viewers, is fighting back. Opposition leaders still have the option to participate or settle for a Conservative-directed list of stations, which will optimistically reach about half of the 2011 numbers. Or do both. Ongoing, secret discussions continue. It will be interesting to see if the opposition, representing some 61 per cent of the 54 per cent of adults who voted last time, will go along with a Conservative format during a crucial election. Hopefully not. Richard Ring, Grimsby, Ont. An Ottawa columnist writes regarding the debates, “Harper is free to pick and choose the bouts he likes. That’s how it works in Ottawa.” But that is not how it should work. It smacks of Nazi Germany or North Korea where the leader dictates the terms of everything. Canada is not a dictatorship and our media shouldn’t let this happen. Joe Spence, Kanata, Ont. I wondered how long it would take Stephen Harper to try to game the televised leaders’ election debates so they advantage the Tories. After all, previous Harper-initiated electoral changes, including the “Fair” Elections Act, dropping the per-vote subsidy and making it more difficult for Canadian expats to vote, all demonstrably help the Tories.
The Conservatives claim they want to change the debating format to “level the playing field.” Sure! Just like robocalls, muzzling civil servants and scientists, the “in-and-out” scandal, the overuse of omnibus bills and closure — or the fact that this government is the only one in history to have been held in contempt of Parliament? As always, this latest political manoeuvre will end up giving the Tories a political edge, while doing little if anything to improve the debating or democratic process. Alex Roberts, Halifax In Harper’s new undemocratic society called Canada, Czar Harper now gets to dictate the rules of the game regarding federal leaders’ debates. If it’s not his way, he doesn’t participate. Just as one thinks he’s seen it all, more effrontery surfaces. What next: Conservative MPs and their minions bowing before him or, God forbid, kissing his hand? Philippe Chartrand, Lafontaine. Ont.