The Leaders’ Debates Commission has announced that Canada’s official federal leaders’ debates will take place next month in Montreal, with the French-language debate scheduled for April 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by the English-language debate on April 17 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Both events will be held at Maison de Radio-Canada and will be produced by CBC/Radio-Canada.
The Commission confirmed Monday that party leaders will only be invited if they meet at least two out of three eligibility criteria:
- Representation in the House of Commons at the time of Parliament’s dissolution,
- At least 4% support in national polls 28 days before voting day, and
- Nomination of candidates in at least 90% of Canada’s 338 federal ridings.
An official list of eligible participants will be released by the Commission on April 1.
This year marks a shift in approach for the Commission, which has adopted a streamlined debate format intended to foster “meaningful exchanges” between leaders. Each debate will feature a single moderator—Steve Paikin for the English debate and Patrice Roy for the French—rather than a panel of journalists. The format aims to move away from the rigid, journalist-heavy structure of the 2021 debates, which the Commission found to be too complex and ineffective in helping voters evaluate party platforms.
Meanwhile, a separate debate hosted by TVA, a private French-language network, is generating controversy. The network has proposed a “Face à Face” debate that requires participating parties to pay $75,000 each to help fund production. While the Bloc Québécois, Conservative Party, and NDP have confirmed their participation, the Liberal Party has declined.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, when asked about the TVA debate at a press conference Monday, initially responded with a noncommittal “Why not?” However, the party later clarified its position, confirming Carney will not participate in the TVA event.
“He looks forward to participating in the official debates organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission,” said Liberal campaign spokesperson Guillaume Bertrand.
The TVA debate has drawn criticism for its pay-to-play model. The NDP, while agreeing to take part, has publicly expressed concern that requiring payment to join a national debate could set a troubling precedent in Canadian democracy.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, campaigning in Brampton on Monday, challenged Carney to join him on the TVA stage. “If he thinks the Liberals deserve a fourth term after a lost decade, he should say yes,” said Poilievre in French.
The federal election is scheduled for April 28, and with campaign momentum building, the mid-April debates are expected to be a pivotal moment for voters seeking clarity on party platforms and leadership vision.