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MONTREAL — The leaders of Canada’s four main political parties will square off for a second and final leaders’ debate tonight in Montreal, after an initial French-language faceoff on Wednesday.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and the Bloc Québécois’ Yves-François Blanchet will meet onstage for a final time before the April 28 vote, after a first debate that saw them spar on pipelines, the economy and U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war.
Carney is leading in the polls and was the frequent target of attacks from his rivals on Wednesday.
Poilievre accused Carney throughout the evening of being just like his Liberal predecessor Justin Trudeau, and promised to reverse Liberal economic policies he said had halted resource development and weakened the country.
Carney noted several times that he’d only been prime minister for a month, and said that in that time he’d already reached an agreement with Canada’s premiers to work on developing a national energy corridor and removing trade barriers.
The leaders were challenged by moderator Patrice Roy on why they haven’t yet presented costed platforms and were asked how they would pay for tax cuts and other spending promises.
The English-language debate will be moderated by TVO’S Steve Paikin and will be focused on the themes of affordability, energy and climate, leading in a crisis, public safety and security, and tariffs and threats to Canada.
Political strategists said Carney would remain a target during Thursday’s debate after he emerged mostly unscathed from Wednesday’s event.
“The pressure is squarely on Pierre Poilievre because if he doesn’t have a knock-our punch (in the English debate), I don’t know what he’s left with,” said Jonathan Kalles, a consultant at McMillan Vantage and a former Quebec adviser to former Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau.
The first debate took place without the Green Party’s Jonathan Pedneault, after the Leaders’ Debate Commission announced early Wednesday that it had rescinded the party’s invitation to participate in the two debates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2025.
Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press
