Tabling of Leaders’ Debates Commission report on 2019 federal election

The Government of Canada is committed to making federal leaders’ debates, which are an important part of federal election campaigns, even more transparent and accessible to all Canadians.

Ottawa, June 1, 2020 – The Government of Canada is committed to making federal leaders’ debates, which are an important part of federal election campaigns, even more transparent and accessible to all Canadians. Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, issued the following statement:

“Leaders’ debates play an essential role in Canada’s federal elections. These debates engage Canadians in electoral campaigns, and help inform how Canadians vote by providing them with a forum to compare prospective prime ministers while also giving them more information on different political parties and their platforms. That is why we welcome the release of the Leaders’ Debates Commission report on the 2019 federal election, which I was pleased to table in Parliament today.

“This report provides important reflections on the Commission’s work during the 2019 election and a set of recommendations that will be a critical tool in determining how future leaders’ debates should be handled. The Leaders’ Debates Commission has played an important role in making leaders’ debates a more predictable, reliable, and stable element of federal election campaigns, and in supporting more open and transparent debates that reach a greater number of diverse Canadians.

“We are actively reviewing the report, which includes a principal recommendation to establish a permanent, publicly funded entity to organize leaders’ debates, to ensure that federal leaders’ debates remain a central part of our elections. I look forward to looking closely at the Commission’s findings, lessons learned, and recommendations. I will be working with Parliament and political parties as we move forward to make leaders’ debates even more valuable to Canadians at the ballot box in the future.”

Associated links

• Democracy Matters, Debates Count: A report on the 2019 Leaders' Debates Commission and the future of debates in Canada

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Contact

For more information (media only), please contact:

• Corinne Havard
  Director of Communications
  Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada
  613-943-2044
• Media Relations
  Privy Council Office
  613-957-5420