The CBC is reporting that we'll get twice as many televised leaders' debates as we did in the last federal election campaign. Doesn't that just make your day?
Leaders of the Liberals, Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and NDP have agreed to two English and two French debates to hammer at issues surrounding the Jan. 23 vote.The first set, in Vancouver, will be broadcast Dec. 15 in French and the following day in English. Each will be broadcast between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST and include videotaped questions for the leaders from voters across the country.
The moderator can ask follow-up questions if necessary.
The second set of debates, in either Gatineau or Montreal, will be Jan. 9 in English and the following day in French, during the same two-hour time slot. In these debates, all the questions will be posed by the moderators.
Tony Burman, editor-in-chief of CBC News, said there have been changes in the format over the last election in 2004.
Those debates were criticized for the cross-chatter and interruptions among the leaders, the result of each candidate's microphone being kept on at the same time.
However, said Burman, "closed mikes" will be used this time out.
The big winner last year was Gilles Duceppe. Even in the provinces he doesn't care about. And this time we get twice as much of it and they're taking extra precautions to ensure we can hear every word.
My cup runneth over.
That's Gilles Dusexy to you, buster!
-sigh- Why must the traitorous separatist shill be the most eloquent? Damnit.
He's got great hair tho, I must admit. When it's not in the net, that is. ;)
I quite enjoyed the interruptions and cross-chatter last time. When Martin turned to Layton and said, "Do your handlers teach you to interrupt?" that was a moment that ruptured all facades, and we need more of those. Might shame them into being a little less scripted.
I wonder whether Duceppe knows he could be elected in much of the rest of the country.
I'm an NDP supporter for the most part but I find it pretty pathetic that the Green Party wasn't invited to this debate.
Peter is right. The Greens deserve to be there.
The Greens lose out for lack of a seat in the HoC. So what should the criteria be?