Trudeau, Canadian, defensive for election calls, produced few major blows in the first debate

MONTREAL, Sept. 2 (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was fighting ahead of the Sept. 20 election, was the subject of concerted fire in a debate Thursday by opponents who said he had no business convening elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau and the leaders of three other parties took part in a sometimes heated two-hour debate in French, often talking to each other. But unlike previous encounters, none of the four seemed to land.

Trudeau activated the vote last month just two years on a four-year term, saying Canadians should decide whether the Liberal government was right to spend billions of dollars to protect people and businesses from the pandemic. .

Trudeau’s liberal rulers had a minority government, which left him dependent on other parties to govern. Polls show that the Liberals’ first big advantage is gone, leaving them with Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives.

“We can work to do great things during a pandemic, but we need a clear mandate … to understand what Canadians want for years to come,” Trudeau said.

“This is not the time for an election, during a pandemic,” O’Toole replied. Yves-Francois Blanchet, leader of the Quebec separatist bloc, told Trudeau that Parliament could easily have lasted four years.

A few minutes later, Trudeau said that if he only got another minority, there could be other elections in 18 months, making it the eighth federal vote in 19 years.

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the left-wing New Democrats, said after the debate that Trudeau’s observation showed he did not want to work with other parties. Liberals often relied on new Democrats for support over the past two years.

The debate, the first of three, took place in Montreal, the largest city in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec.

Liberal informants say public unhappiness with the election, which takes place two years earlier, is partly responsible for the party’s slow start.

They also cite voter fatigue with Trudeau, who took power in late 2015 and held office with a minority in 2019.

Quebec represents 78 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons and is crucial to any party seeking office.

The four leaders spent considerable time discussing Quebec issues, including a 2019 secular law that prohibits public employees from wearing religious symbols such as hijabs and turbans at work.

Polls show that the law, which is currently being challenged in Quebec courts, is popular. But critics denounce him as a racist, and Trudeau said he would be prepared to challenge him federally if necessary, which could cost him political support.

O’Toole made it clear that as prime minister he would not act.

Debates can be decisive. During the 2019 VAT debate, Trudeau and other leaders accused then-Conservative leader Andrew Scheer of plotting the limits of abortion. Scheer became stunned and his campaign never recovered.

Next week, Canadian Broadcasting Corp will host an English and French debate.

Report by David Ljunggren; Edited by Peter Cooney and Michael Perry

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