The Commission of Debates of Leaders of Canada is defending its decision to invite the CO -leader of the Jonathan Pedneault Green Party to this week’s debates, despite the fact that the party is well below a complete list of candidates.
The parties must comply with two of the following three criteria to be invited to the debates: to have at least one deputy sitting that has been chosen as a member of that party; have at least four percent national support in opinion surveys; and directing candidates in at least 90 percent of all heads.
The commission, an independent agency in charge of organizing the debates, invited the greens earlier this month, saying that the party had fulfilled the first and third criterion.
But that invitation was sent a week before the deadline through which the candidates had to finish their nominations with the Canada elections.
The commission said the Green Party had presented a list of 343 names in March, but the Canada elections only list 232 candidates that are executed under the green banner, which means that the party has candidates that extend in approximately 68 percent of all heads.
“The Commission made its decision regarding which political parties complied with the criteria for debate participation 27 days before the day of the election. The deadlines were established to ensure that the producer of debates has enough time to produce a high quality debate,” said a commission spokesman in an email to CBC.
Pedneault said Monday that it should be included in the debates even though its party has a smaller list of candidates.
“I think it simply benefits Canadian democracy to have the greens on the table and have so many voices to discuss the future of our country,” he told reporters.
The co-leader of the Green Party, Jonathan Pedneault, speaking in Montreal on the 23rd of the electoral campaign, explains why the Green Party and all other parties should be welcome in the next federal electoral debates.
Pedneault argued that the Popular Party of Canada (PPC), which did not receive an invitation and has not won a seat in the house since its formation, must also be included.
“Even the PPC should be on the table because those are problems and opinions that Canadians really have,” he said.
On Sunday, the leader of the Québécois block, Yves-François Blanchet, disagreed that Pedneault would allow him to participate.
“I have nothing against the Green Party, but if the rules disqualify it, how can we explain why you are invited to the debate? The main effect is to reduce the speech time of others,” Blanchet wrote in a publication of French social networks.
The French debate is Wednesday at 8 pm et. The English debate takes place the next night at 7 pm et.
