OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Mark Carney lost the first French-language debate before it even started.
The Liberal Party of Canada announced its leader will not participate in the all-important French language TVA debate, raising yet another question on his ability to speak to francophones across the country and especially in Quebec.
The most-watched French-language network in Quebec organizes a parallel event to the French and English-language debates organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission . It has become a must-see event during every election.
For example, former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer’s performance in this debate in 2019 was widely panned, while Justin Trudeau’s Liberals were able to regain momentum and win a second term.
However, TVA announced a few days ago that it was asking the four main political parties to contribute $75,000 each to participate, due to a lack of funding. Now, the absence of a single party means the debate won’t go ahead.