Comments on: Canadian Green Party Leader Banned from Televised Debates

By: KANE PARK

KANE PARK — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:03:25 +0000

wow that sucks

By: Canadian Green Party Leader in the Debates : Red, Green, and Blue

Canadian Green Party Leader in the Debates : Red, Green, and Blue — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:48:13 +0000

[...] that raising a fuss, and threatening to go to court can pay results. As recounted earlier in this post, Elizabeth May, leader of the Canadian Green Party was being prevented from participating in the [...]

By: Amiel Blajchman

Amiel Blajchman — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:26:43 +0000

She is. See post: Canadian Green Party Leader in the Debates; http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/10/canadian-gr...

By: Al

Al — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:17:26 +0000

what is the problem? Why can she not be in the debates? Is she not running for PM? Is this not a democratic country? What's going on here? What are they afraid of? They know that she will sway votes because she wants to bring up hard subjects, which they have no good policies for! I for one want to hear what she has to say and she has every right to say whatever she wants!

By: Elle

Elle — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:43:03 +0000

I agree with you Jonna – I think the other party leaders are scared of her as they will have to deal with environmental issues and pressure that otherwise would not come up! Can't wait for the debates!

By: Jonna

Jonna — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:14:37 +0000

To allow the other leaders to decide whether or not to have an able competitor is a clear conflict of interests. Of course they don't want her alongside them at the debates – she'd blow them out of the water.

By: Amiel Blajchman

Amiel Blajchman — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:43:33 +0000

Hi J,

You make some good points. I would argue though, that if the television networks told the party leaders that she was participating, they would still show up. I mean, at heart, no political party leader has missed a televised debate (even back when there was Reform and Progressive Conservative on the right side… somewhat making Stephen Harper's comments on the Green Party being an ally of the Liberals disingenuous).

As well, what political leader is going to pass up free air time to further promote their platform, and attack their competitors?

By: J

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:39:08 +0000

I think most would agree that it is not p to party leaders to decide who gets to participate in the televised debates. It is, however, up to party leaders whether they themselves wish to participate. Here, Messrs. Harper and Layton have threatened to boycott the debates if Ms. May is included. The networks then have to decide whether to hold a debate without May, one without Harper and Layton, or a combination of the two. If the consortium had guts and/or thought there would be sufficient public interest to warrant the expense (remember TVA, Global and CTV exist to make $$), they'd go for option #3 by holding a second series of debates with May, Dion and Duceppe.