OTTAWA — While the Liberal and Conservative leaders exchange barbs through Twitter over the prospect of a two-man debate, a public policy centre has made an earnest offer to host the two men.
“We believe that this format will allow Canadians to hear directly from you and learn of your contrasting positions on key issues as they make their voting decision prior to Election Day,” Canada 2020’s advisory board chair, Don Newman, wrote in a letter to Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper on Thursday.
Newman —a former broadcast journalist with four decades of experience — would moderate the 90-minute bilingual debate, which would take place within a week of the already-planned leaders’ debate which is hosted by a consortium of broadcasters.
...In Canada 2020’s proposal, each leader would make his opening statement, then take part in eight 10-minute debates based on questions posed by a panellist.
There would be no in-house audience, and there is still no guarantee that national broadcasters would carry the event, Newman said in a release.
“I look forward to hearing from your representatives in the coming days to discuss this invitation in greater detail,” Newman wrote to the leaders.
Do it! If no broadcaster picks it up, stream it, and YouTube the thing. Those are friendlier formats these days anyway.
Harper is back to running in a bubble. He's severely stage managing everything, and refuses to take more than a handful of questions a day from journalists. Being out in the open has never been something he's been comfortable with. Too bad. He's been PM for five years. He really shouldn't have a choice.
If he respects the Canadian people, he'll debate. As he doesn't we'll just have to shame him into it.
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