Broadcasters Set Federal Leaders Debates, Rule Out One-On-One Format

The English- and French-language debates will go ahead on April 12 and 14, respectively.

Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff traded shots over Twitter Wednesday, with both party leaders saying they’d be willing to debate with each other without any other candidates present. However, that option appears to have been ruled out by the media consortium in charge of the debates, which set the dates for the debates last night and said there will be no head-to-head format. The consortium also stood by its decision to exclude Green party Leader Elizabeth May, on the grounds that her party hasn’t won a seat in the House of Commons. That decision has reignited controversy over how the debates are organized, with many critics arguing that the criteria for inclusion are arbitrary, and that the process lacks transparency.