Harper won't take part in media consortium debates

PIK · May 22, 2015

Do people here understand what a debate is. It is not 3 people vs 1. We need debates between the leaders, not onesided CBC debates. And I will bet harper will destroy both in a debate.

Bob Macadoo · May 22, 2015

Do people here understand what a debate is. It is not 3 people vs 1. We need debates between the leaders, not onesided CBC debates. And I will bet harper will destroy both in a debate.

Yeah a debate is 4 people on a stage discussing their policies and visions with rebuttals and refuting of characterizations made by other panelists. Seems pretty standard to me......been that way for as long as I can recollect...same old same old. I seem to remember somethig with a Stockwell, Duceppe, Charest, McDonough.....hmmmm.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Bob Macadoo

cybercoma · May 22, 2015

Do people here understand what a debate is. It is not 3 people vs 1. We need debates between the leaders, not onesided CBC debates. And I will bet harper will destroy both in a debate.

Do you understand our electoral system? Harper's not running for President against one other viable candidate like they do in the United States. But who knows....give him some time.

It's ok. If Harper needs special conditions to take part in a debate, he can have his own special Harper Debates. Don't worry about it. I'm sure the electorate will see it for what it is. Poor Stephen Harper is being picked on by the other party leaders and needs to have special circumstances set up, so that it's "fair" for him.

I say give him his special debates. Mulcair will be there with bells on. Trudeau's busy asking his "advisors" what he should do, since apparently he can't make decisions for himself.

WestCoastRunner · May 23, 2015

Looks like Harper is again displaying his tight control:

"The Conservatives are keeping their grip on the pre-election steering wheel, agreeing to a third national debate — one to be held on Stephen Harper's home turf in Calgary and focused on the economy.

The party announced Wednesday that it has accepted a proposal for a third federal election debate sponsored by the Globe and Mail and Google Canada."

I can see this will be a particularly boring debate focused only on the economy. What about topics such as: the environment, healthcare, women's issues, education etc. This debate will cast Harper in a favourable light, not surprising that this is the topic he chose.

Keepitsimple · May 23, 2015

Looks like Harper is again displaying his tight control:

"The Conservatives are keeping their grip on the pre-election steering wheel, agreeing to a third national debate — one to be held on Stephen Harper's home turf in Calgary and focused on the economy.

The party announced Wednesday that it has accepted a proposal for a third federal election debate sponsored by the Globe and Mail and Google Canada."

I can see this will be a particularly boring debate focused only on the economy. What about topics such as: the environment, healthcare, women's issues, education etc. This debate will cast Harper in a favourable light, not surprising that this is the topic he chose.

Education and Healthcare are the responsibility of the Provinces......take it up with them.

cybercoma · May 24, 2015

Education and Healthcare are the responsibility of the Provinces......take it up with them.

Guess we can just rip up the Canada Health Act, eh?

Smallc · May 24, 2015

Guess we can just rip up the Canada Health Act, eh?

Funding issues have already been broadly agreed upon by all parties. Other than that the federal government doesn't have a role.

jacee · May 24, 2015

Probably true, mulcair is just representing the wrong party imo, but i dont think you can doubt his ability

It's funny how people misrepresent the NDP as not being business 'friendly', when the primary focus of their organized labour supporters is on JOBS, and businesses succeeding so workers can have stable employment and spin off small businesses have customers.

If you listen to what Rachel Notley is saying about Alberta oil, you are hearing the NDP platform: Refine and manufacture locally to provide good jobs and boost economies.

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Edited May 24, 2015 by jacee

cybercoma · May 24, 2015

Funding issues have already been broadly agreed upon by all parties. Other than that the federal government doesn't have a role.

That's not even remotely true. The money comes with strings.

cybercoma · May 24, 2015

It's funny how people misrepresent the NDP as not being business 'friendly', when the primary focus of their organized labour supporters is on JOBS, and businesses succeeding so workers can have stable employment and spin off small businesses have customers.

If you listen to what Rachel Notley is saying about Alberta oil, you are hearing the NDP platform: Refine and manufacture locally to provide good jobs and boost economies..

When people say the NDP aren't business friendly, what they really mean is that they're not friendly to businesses owners that put themselves above their workforce nor should they or any other party be.

WestCoastRunner · May 24, 2015

Mulcair has agreed to a debate that includes women's issues. We can be sure Harper won't participate in that one given his track record with women.

cybercoma · May 24, 2015

Mulcair has already said that he will take part in any and all debates. The same can't be said for Trudeau and Harper needs special debates because he's too fragile to defend himself anywhere. Who wants a Prime Minister who's not willing to defend his platform and policies anywhere and everywhere? Does Canada really want that kind of weak leadership? Absolutely not.

Keepitsimple · May 24, 2015

Mulcair has agreed to a debate that includes women's issues. We can be sure Harper won't participate in that one given his track record with women.

Perhaps I really am out of touch.....but can you name 4 or 5 Women's Issues at the Federal level that are not issues for men? I would think it would take that many to have a substantive debate.

Smallc · May 24, 2015

That's not even remotely true. The money comes with strings.

Strings that were agreed upon decades ago and aren't being changed. Leave the healthcare discussion where it belongs.

jacee · May 24, 2015

Perhaps I really am out of touch.....but can you name 4 or 5 Women's Issues at the Federal level that are not issues for men? I would think it would take that many to have a substantive debate.

There's already a thread for that discussion.

But just off the top of my head ... breastfeeding in the workplace ...

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Edited May 24, 2015 by jacee

PIK · May 25, 2015

Cyber I cant wait until the election, and see what harper does to the 2 of them.

Keepitsimple · May 25, 2015

If you listen to the critics - and the apologists for the Consortium, it would appear that they are refusing to cover Election Debates unless they control them. Does that seem fair? After all, they've bragged that they offer it as a Public Service. If it's not the case, then they should say it - and get away from the foolishness that says 14 million people won't have access to the debates.

Je suis Omar · May 25, 2015

Who wants a Prime Minister who's not willing to defend his platform and policies anywhere and everywhere? Does Canada really want that kind of weak leadership? Absolutely not.

The PMO has confirmed that Harper is willing to debate anyone in his Parliament hill cubbyhole.

overthere · May 25, 2015

It's funny how people misrepresent the NDP as not being business 'friendly', when the primary focus of their organized labour supporters is on JOBS, and businesses succeeding so workers can have stable employment and spin off small businesses have customers.

If you listen to what Rachel Notley is saying about Alberta oil, you are hearing the NDP platform: Refine and manufacture locally to provide good jobs and boost economies.

.

I do wish you'd stop pretending that organized labour- unions- have some altruistic national or regional interest at work.

It is really quite silly and juvenile.

The purpose of a union is to advance the interests of its members. If union leaders forget this, they lose their jobs. Of course, they love to pretend they are some kind of social evangelists who know best for everybody, but fortunately very few people believe this baloney any more

And of course organized labour loathes small business, which is very rarely unionized and very often owned and operated by entrepreneurs- their sworn enemies.

And you and others had best wake the f*** about the reality of oil economics in 2015. Whether it is heavy oil or upgraded heavy oil, what is needed is not Canadian refining because we already have enough capacity for the refined products. There is no market in Canada for the refined products. What is urgently needed is infrastructure to get our product to any country not named the United Sates. They have us by the short and curlies because they are our only customer, and increasingly do not need our energy products.. The name of the infrastructure is pipeline. Pipeline to salt water, and ideally very big pipelines to both coasts. Now. It's obvious. Let's stop talking and get it done.

Keepitsimple · May 26, 2015

As I said, the biggest issue in this whole Debate Kerfuffle is why the major TV networks are refusing to televise the alternate debates. Why is that not a leading news item?

PIK · May 26, 2015

Because it proves harper right about the CBC and the media, it is all about them and their control. It will be thgem that looks foolish for not showing a debate with the PM.

PIK · May 27, 2015

Harper is a very smart man, I did not think of this. Let them go and have a debate with out harper. That way the liberals and NDP will just have to rip each other apart. And the fact tom will come out ahead of trudeau, can only help harper.