Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau took aim at the Conservatives on Sunday for not releasing their election platform as the majority of federal party leaders spent the day cramming for Mondaysa国际传媒檚 critical English-language debate.
The debate is in Gatineau, Que., within sight of Parliament Hill. Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh were the only two leaders to spend the day on the hustings shaking hands and, in Trudeausa国际传媒檚 case, attacking the Tories, though neither strayed far.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and Green Leader Elizabeth May were either in or en route to the national capital to prepare for Monday nightsa国际传媒檚 televised debate, arguably the most important event of the campaign so far.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier are also taking part, the first time all six leaders will square off on the same stage.
Mondaysa国际传媒檚 debate is also be the last time any of them will debate each other in English, meaning each will be looking to make a mark and gain momentum heading into the last two weeks of the campaign.
Trudeau made a quick bus trip to a conservative-friendly area just outside Belleville, Ont., where he planted trees to highlight his environmental plan, including a promise to plan two billion trees if re-elected to power.
He then went on the offensive, attacking Scheer for promising to cancel the Liberalssa国际传媒� price on carbon before comparing the Toriessa国际传媒� refusal to release their platform to that of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
sa国际传媒淚 can talk about whatsa国际传媒檚 in our platform because we have released our full platform,sa国际传媒� said Trudeau, whose party and the Greens have released cost estimates for most promises and how they intend to pay for them.
sa国际传媒淎ndrew Scheer is keeping his full platform and itsa国际传媒檚 costing a secret. You know who else did that? Doug Ford. He kept it secret from Canadians and then turned around and cut health care, cut education, cut services for people who need it.sa国际传媒�
After promising a fully costed platform, Fordsa国际传媒檚 Progressive Conservatives instead released a list of promises about a week before Ontarians went to the polls in June 2018. The list did not include details on how the PCs would pay for the promises.
Upon taking office, the Ford government sa国际传媒� a constant target for Trudeau sa国际传媒� moved to cut funding for public-health services, new childcare spaces and autism support. It also announced increases to class sizes, among other things.
Many of those measures were met with strong criticism and anger.
Scheer has refused to be pinned down on the timing of the Conservative platform release, saying only that it will be unveiled sa国际传媒渨ith plenty of time for Canadians to make decisions, to go through it.sa国际传媒�
The NDP released their platform in June, several months before the election was even called. However, Singh has not yet released a costing of the platform or a fiscal plan. A party spokesman has said that will come in the next few weeks.
The Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Party of Canada has similarly announced some tax measures, but not year-by-year fiscal estimates.
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Even as Trudeau was attacking the Conservatives on Sunday, Singh was enlisting one of his partysa国际传媒檚 most respected elder statesmen, Ed Broadbent, for a tour of an Ottawa farmerssa国际传媒� market.
The market is in Ottawa Centre, which Broadbent represented in his short second stint in politics from 2004 to 2006. Liberal Catherine McKenna won it from Broadbentsa国际传媒檚 NDP successor Paul Dewar in 2015 and the New Democrats would like to take it back.
Under grey skies, Singh and Broadbent, who led the federal New Democrats from 1975 to 1989 and remains a force within the party even at age 83, shook hands with marketgoers who were eager for selfies with the two men.
Broadbent praised Singh for his performance during last weeksa国际传媒檚 French-language debate. Asked what advice he would give Singh ahead of Mondaysa国际传媒檚 English-language debate, Broadbent responded: sa国际传媒淭o be himself.sa国际传媒�
Singh, who at times seem to be more readily recognized by shoppers than Broadbent, described the former leader as sa国际传媒渁 great mentor,sa国际传媒� and that when it comes to the debate: sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 going to try my best.sa国际传媒�
The NDP leader wasnsa国际传媒檛 the only one getting some advice ahead of Mondaysa国际传媒檚 debate. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who was in Ottawa last week campaigning on behalf of Scheer, said the Conservative leader needs to avoid becoming defensive.
Scheer emerged as the main target for the other leaders during last weeksa国际传媒檚 TVA French-language debate.
sa国际传媒淗esa国际传媒檒l be under attack because I think hesa国际传媒檚 leading in this campaign,sa国际传媒� Kenney said Friday. sa国际传媒淪o my advice to him would be: Donsa国际传媒檛 become too defensive. Get out there, communicate your message. Thatsa国际传媒檚 what I did and it worked for us.sa国际传媒�
In a fundraising letter to supporters, Bernier described Mondaysa国际传媒檚 debate and the French-language debate that will be held on Thursday as a potential sa国际传媒渢urning pointsa国际传媒� in the campaign. Bernier has been betting that a chance to speak to a national audience will give him a critical boost.
sa国际传媒淢illions of Canadians will be hearing about the Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Party for the first time,sa国际传媒� said Bernier, who was excluded from the first English-language debate held last month by Macleansa国际传媒檚 and Citytv as well as the TVA debate.
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Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
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