The Leaders’ Debates Commission has confirmed that leaders of five political parties will be invited to participate in the upcoming election debates — but People’s Party of Canada Leader, Maxime Bernier, will not be one of them.
According to LDC rules, leaders must meet one of three criteria to participate: In order to be eligible as a participant, the leader must meet one of these three criteria; have at least one MP in the House of Commons, received at least four per cent of the total number of valid votes cast for their party, or a national support level of at least four per cent, five days after the date the election is called.
The Leaders’ Debates Commission calculated the People’s Party of Canada’s average level of national support at 3.27 per cent, slightly below the four per cent threshold established by the commission.
Bernier was quick to call out the bias of the ruling:
When “reputable” pollsters come out with polls that are so wildly and irreconcilably varied (from 0.7% to 5.2% support), they are not “reputable”. They are random. Intended only it to achieve the desired outcome, and not reflect reality. #LetMaximeDebate pic.twitter.com/MXWwoIXN9I
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) August 21, 2021
“I do not blame the commission, whose criteria were clear and objective,” he said. “Rather, I blame the political establishment cartel, which refuses to debate the crucial issues we raise and has done everything to marginalize us since the founding of the PPC.”
“I can make this promise to Canadians today: debate or no debate, you will keep hearing from us!” he added.
Earlier today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also said he did not think Bernier should be invited to the debates on the grounds that he is “opposed to science” and has put out “dangerous rhetoric.”
It was going to be an uphill battle for Bernier to convince the LDC that he should participate in the September 8th and 9th debates.
The PPC has continually polled lower than 4%, and with no MPs in the House of Commons, it was pretty much a done deal for Bernier.
It will now be up to Erin O’Toole and the Conservative Party of Canada to carry the torch for conservatives nationwide and call out the dismal policies that the Liberal Party have put forward.
(Photo credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
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