The Committee for Leaders’ Debates has published rules for leaders’ debates in English and French to be held during the next federal election period.
The commission, a government agency established in 2018 to organize federal leadership debates, says leaders of registered political parties can only participate if they meet at least two of three criteria: said.
The first requirement is that the party leader must be represented in the House of Representatives by MPs elected under the party’s flag on the day the election is held.
The rules prohibit party leaders from claiming to have complied with the rules if their only member changes parties during parliament.
The second criterion is that the leading party must have the support of at least 4% of voters by 28 days before election day.
The commission says voting intentions will be determined using the latest results from “major national polling organizations.”
The third requirement is that candidates must be endorsed in at least 90 per cent of federal elections across Canada within 28 days of the federal election.
To meet this requirement, the party’s chief agent must submit a list of the candidates endorsed in the federal election no later than 28 days after the election.
After reviewing the 2021 Census results, Elections Canada announced that the number of seats for the 2025 federal election will increase from 338 to 343.
The commission says the rules are “simple, clear, objective and measurable”
If at least two criteria are met, the commission will issue invitations to party leaders to participate in the debate 27 days before election day.
“These standards balance the possibility of electoral success with the possibility of achieving it,” Michel Cormier, executive director of the Leadership Debates Commission, said in a statement.
“Elections measure both electoral potential and viability, ensuring that the leaders invited to the debate stage represent the current state of the country’s political forces operating during the next general election. “By doing so, we serve the public interest and our constituents,” Cormier added. .
“They are simple, clear, objective and measurable.”
The committee consulted and received input from representatives in the House of Representatives before issuing the rules. We also contacted 30 debate organizers in North America, Europe, and around the world to compare notes.
The commission announced in October that unlike the 2021 debate, where journalists were able to ask questions of leaders, the next debate would be limited to one moderator and the leaders themselves.
The committee selected CBC/Radio-Canada as the venue for the debate, with longtime TVO journalist Steve Paikin serving as moderator for the English debate, and Radio Canada’s Patrice Paikin as moderator for the French debate. Roy was nominated.
Both Mr. Paikin and Mr. Roy have hosted leadership debates in the past.
Other broadcasters and media organizations can also stream the debate for free on their platforms, the commission said.