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IPFS News Link • Canada

Trudeau's first Canada election debate a slugfest

• https://www.france24.com, AFP

The French-language dustup hosted by broadcaster TVA is the first of several leaders debates ahead of the September 20 ballot.

It saw the one-time golden boy of Canadian politics square off against his principal rival, rookie Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, whom he now trails in public opinion polls, as well as New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh and Yves-Francois Blanchet at the reins of the separatist Bloc Quebecois.

They sparred over mandatory Covid vaccines, child care, taxation and the economy, oil and climate change, gun violence, the #MeToo movement and racism.

"You do not know the issues, Mr. O'Toole!," Trudeau said. "You have not costed any of your policy proposals. It is not a serious plan."

He also accused the frontrunner of supporting "two-tier" private and public health care, which a majority of Canadians reject.

Alternately, Trudeau found himself on the back foot for having called the snap election only 18 months after the last general election, which he defended by saying a new mandate was needed to steer the nation out of the pandemic.

"We must give Canadians the choice," he shot back at challengers.

In the first two weeks of the campaign, Trudeau stumbled as the leftist New Democrats siphoned off voter support from his Liberals, allowing the Tories to slip into the lead despite making few inroads themselves.


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