The Latest: Four federal leaders face off in French language leaders’ debate

OTTAWA – The French language leaders’ debate in Montreal started at 6 p.m. EDT.

It’s the first of two national debates featuring Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet. The English debate is on Thursday night.

The start of the French debate was moved up by two hours to accommodate a Montreal Canadiens game that could decide whether the team makes the NHL playoffs.

Here’s the latest (All times eastern):

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8:51 p.m.

Blanchet answers questions from reporters. As he walks to the mic, he says “3-1 Canadiens” – the score of the hockey game that led to the debate getting pushed earlier by two hours.

He speaks about the need for the government to build affordable housing but says he’s not committing to doing that because he won’t be prime minister. 

Answering a question from Rebel News about pipelines, Blanchet says Canada needs to reduce its consumption of oil because it’s destroying the planet.

Blanchet says the lack of debate about climate change during the election campaign has been “harmful” and accuses Carney of trying to be more conservative than Poilievre.

The Rebel News reporter asks him a second question about pipelines, noting that many Quebecers now support their construction. Blanchet, smiling, says, “Have a nice evening.”

Blanchet also speaks about violence in Canada and the Middle East and acknowledges the lack of discussion on Indigenous issues during the debate.

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8:38 p.m.

Poilievre speaks to media. He says his party agrees with Carney’s proposal to increase francophone immigration outside of Quebec. Responding to a question from Rebel News, Poilievre says his party is the only one willing to protect the freedom of the press. He says he stands for free speech and respects the right of Canadians to have access to the media they choose. Asked about the violence in the Middle East, Poilievre said Hamas started the war and is maximizing the suffering of Palestinians.

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8:26 p.m.

Singh takes questions from media. He refuses to answer several questions from Rebel News, saying the organization spreads disinformation. 

Asked how he feels he did tonight, Singh says he’s proud he was able to make the case that the NDP will stand up for Canadians.

Singh, who argued during the debate that he didn’t have enough time to speak about health care, says he brought it up because he’s passionate about the issue.

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8:15 p.m.

Carney answers questions from the media. He says he will deliver his platform this weekend but that most programs have been announced.

Carney calls a question from a Juno News reporter “odd.” The reporter said Carney’s campaign is based on putting the Liberal leader in front and “hiding” people that were close to former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

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8:00 p.m.

The leader’s debate concludes. Press availabilities will begin soon.

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7:53 p.m.

Asked about women’s rights, Poilievre says he won’t pass legislation to restrict the right to abortion. He says he’ll address crime against women. Singh says his party believes in women’s rights and the NDP is the only party running an gender-balanced candidate slate. Blanchet says no Bloc member will be able to table a bill or motions against abortion and that preventive MAID also won’t be allowed. Carney says the Liberal party defends the rights of women and that he’s concerned about the use of the notwithstanding clause.

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7:51 p.m.

Asked about his plans to cut CBC, Poilievre says the CBC can operate within its own revenues. He says the government should do what the market can’t do.

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7:45 p.m.

Asked if Quebec has the right to defend the French language by using the notwithstanding clause, Poilievre says it needs to be protected. Carney says the proper use of the clause is for the Supreme Court to decide. He says he will increase the number of francophone immigrants outside of Quebec and also strenghten CBC and Radio-Canada. Poilievre says he’ll increase funding to help youth take part in French immersion and ensure that Quebec has more control over immigrant selection.

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7:42 p.m.

Singh says he tried to bring up health care several times during the debate but was cut off by the moderator. He worries about the time he has left on the clock and that the question of health care is crucial. 

Singh’s mic gets cut. 

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7:40 p.m.

Blanchet says counter-tariffs on the U.S. are harmful to Quebec and that he’d like the province to be at the negotiating table.

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7:37 p.m.

Poilievre says there are divisions across Canada and the government needs to help unite Canadians. Singh says he has seen a wave of solidarity across the country and Canadians don’t want to be a U.S. state. Blanchet says instrumentalizing Trump’s threats in service of nation-building in Canada isn’t acceptable.

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7:36 p.m.

The leaders begin a discussion on identity and sovereignty.

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7:30 p.m.

Speaking about international aid and whether it should be cut, Poilievre says he’d cut support for China. He says Canada should not fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, and that aid should be given directly to people in need and non-profit groups.

Poilievre says the federal government has to cut spending to help reduce the cost of living.

Carney says he would keep funding UNRWA to deliver aid in Gaza and calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Singh urges Carney to call the situation in Gaza a genocide. Carney says he never uses that word in a political way.

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7:25 p.m.

Carney says the immigration system isn’t working, especially after the pandemic. He says an intake cap is needed.

Singh says he spoke with public servants who say there aren’t enough people to work on immigration files coming in. Poilievre says “bogus” claimants are slowing things down. Carney says there is a productivity issue in the department.

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7:20 p.m.

Quebec is seeking funding for asylum seekers. Poilievre says the government needs to work with Quebec to fix the damage done to the immigration system and return to previous immigration levels. Carney says there needs to be a cap on all types of immigration in order for Canada to continue welcoming people. He says he will maintain the cap on immigration for a number of years. 

Singh says immigration is needed in Canada and that he’d base the level on the findings of an expert panel.

Blanchet says foreign students are needed by post-secondary institutions. He says asylum seekers should be welcomed based on capacity.

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7:18 p.m.

Carney says there are limits to immigration capacity and that Canada can’t accept everyone. Speaking about Haitians seeking to cross the border in Quebec, he says most asylum seekers would be sent back to the U.S. Blanchet says if Quebec is able financially to welcome them, he is sympathetic, but the province’s welcoming capacity is at its limit. Singh says the government should do its part but that if Canada can’t accept people, he doesn’t want them to have a bad life. Poilievre says they have to be returned because the immigrant population has grown too quickly.

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7:17 p.m.

The leaders begin a discussion on immigration.

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6:55 p.m.

Blanchet says he wants less reliance on oil and that Canada should invest more in Quebec’s green energy.

Carney says his government is maintaining the industrial carbon tax. He says he has an agreement with Canada’s premiers to pursue an energy corridor and that a solution is possible through a process that works with Indigenous leaders. Asked by Singh if he would end subsidies for oil companies, Carney says yes.

Carney also says Canada needs to speed up the development of nuclear power. Blanchet says Quebecers don’t want nuclear energy, while Poilievre says he is in favour of it.

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6:52 p.m.

Asked if they want the government to increase its oil production, Singh says he would be in favour of investing in clean energy with public money. He proposes an east-west clean energy grid.

Carney says he’d like to see more oil produced to reduce imports, including from the U.S. In order to be competitive, he says, Canada needs to have pipelines and invest in carbon capture. Poilievre also says he’d like to see more oil production and that it needs to be brought to market through pipelines. He says he would never subsidize pipelines.

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6:52 p.m.

The leaders begin their discussion on the topic of energy and climate. 

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6:48 p.m.

On health care, Carney said the government needs to catalyze private investment to create new and good jobs. He says there are limits to the government’s activity in transfers to provinces for health care.

Singh says health transfers need to increase to help provinces, adding that Canada is in the midst of a health-care crisis. He says the government should work with provinces to hire more health-care workers. Blanchet responds by saying that deciding on Quebec’s priorities is Quebec’s problem but “everyone agrees” on health transfers.

Poilievre proposes a voluntary program that the government could coordinate to allow immigrants to be licensed to work in hospitals.

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6:41 p.m.

Speaking about how to balance Canada’s budget, Poilievre says he would cut consultants and the cost of bureaucracy through attrition. Carney says technology and attrition will help slow operational spending. Blanchet says these are “Harry Potter” financial frameworks and that magic is needed to make them work. Singh says the NDP is the only party that has talked about ways to increase government revenues.

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6:40 p.m.

Carney says that, in this election, the question is who can face down Donald Trump.

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6:31 p.m. 

The leaders are asked how to improve access to housing. Blanchet says the answer is access to capital and that people need a “boost.”

Poilievre and Carney speak about their proposed tax breaks, while Singh says his party would stop corporate landlords from buying up affordable housing. 

The leaders speak about their plans to speed up the construction of homes. 

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6:30 p.m.

The leaders begin their discussion on the cost of living. 

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6:28 p.m.

The leaders are asked to name a U.S. product they’ve left behind. 

Blanchet says he buys Quebec strawberries. Carney says he no longer buys American alcohol. Singh says he buys Canadian produce, including apples and strawberries. Poilievre says he buys Canadian beef. He says he doesn’t buy American strawberries either.

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6:20 p.m.

Asked what they wouldn’t give up in face of Trump and a trade war, Poilievre says he will defend supply management, the French language, the country’s health-care system and sovereignty. Carney also says he won’t sacrifice supply management or Quebec culture.

Speaking about how to support workers, Poilievre says he’s proposed a fund to help companies keep workers in their jobs and that EI would protect people. Blanchet says he supports a wage subsidy, while Carney speaks about his plan to redistribute counter-tariff funds to workers.

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6:06 p.m.

Leaders discuss the first theme of the debate ⁠— the trade war. They speak about how to protect workers and if there needs to be a majority government to deal with Trump.

Asked why they’re the best leader to deal with Trump, Poilievre says he will put Canada first and restart negotiations to accelerate a deal to put an end to U.S. tariffs. Carney says the president respects strength and people who know how the private sector works, and that he knows how to negotiate.

Blanchet says Quebec should have the right to have its own economy to control natural resources, while Singh prioritizes health care.

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6:02 p.m.

The debate begins with a question about two things leaders would do to change the lives of Canadians that have nothing to do with Trump. Carney says he would double the rate of construction of new homes and strengthen cultural institutions in Canada. Poilievre promotes his affordability plan, while Blanchet speaks about Quebec’s right to its own identity. Singh speaks about expanding pharmacare and dental care.

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6:00 p.m.

The debate begins. It’s being moderated by Patrice Roy, Radio-Canada journalist and news anchor.

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5:50 p.m.

The leaders enter the debate studio. They pose for a group photo before making their way to their podiums to write notes and get ready for the debate.

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5:10 p.m.

Blanchet is the last to arrive. He walks over to greet his supporters, many of them waving Quebec flags. Speaking with reporters before entering, he says that tonight will provide an opportunity to discuss Quebec’s distinct institutions and culture and ways to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump.

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5:00 p.m.

Carney arrives in a Liberal-branded bus. His supporters chant his name as he exits the bus. He waves to them before entering the building.

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4:48 p.m.

A truck displaying anti-Carney ads on screens drives by the event site. Authorized by ForCanada — which describes itself as a registered third-party campaign group and was founded by Rebel Media’s Ezra Levant — the truck displays messages suggesting Carney has been compromised by China and the World Economic Forum. Rebel News has multiple staffers at tonight’s debate.

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4:45 p.m.

Singh arrives in an NDP-branded bus, preceded by supporters carrying campaign signs. Singh acknowledges the crowd before walking into the building.

Singh says he’s looking forward to sharing his vision for Canada tonight. Before walking inside, he says, “Go Habs, go!”

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4:35 p.m.

Poilievre is the first to arrive at the debate site, driving up in a Conservative-branded bus. His supporters chant “bring it home” over the shouts of pro-Palestinian protesters. Poilievre waves to his supporters before acknowledging the group of journalists and making his way inside. He says a few words in French about Canada needing change and hope.

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4:30 p.m.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault says this is a “sad day for democracy” after the Leaders’ Debates Commission decided to exclude him from the federal leaders’ debates.

Speaking outside the debate venue in Montreal, he maintained that his party met the official criteria to be included in the debate, including having endorsed candidates in at least 90 per cent of ridings 28 days before the election, even if only 232 are now running.

He said the party has tried to reach out to the commission to get the decision reversed, but had not received a response as of 90 minutes prior to debate time.

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4 p.m.

Dozens of party supporters are standing outside the CBC/Radio-Canada building in Montreal where the debates are taking place this evening. Many of the Liberal supporters have appeared with signs bearing the slogan “Là pour les Canadiens,” a nod to signs that were placed around the city this week to celebrate Canadiens player Ivan Demidov.

Most of the Conservative supporters showed up wearing hockey jerseys sporting the party’s “common sense” slogan. A group of protesters has gathered in front of the event space, many waving Palestinian flags.

The leaders are expected to arrive soon, beginning with Poilievre, followed by Singh, Carney and Blanchet.

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3 p.m.

Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May rejects a claim that her party made a “strategic decision” not to nominate candidates in certain ridings. May says this was a “misunderstanding” and that she and Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault spent all day Tuesday trying to explain it to the debates commission.

The Green Party has sent a letter to the commission asking to be reinstated in the French and English debates, the first of which begins in Montreal at 6 p.m. EDT.

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1 p.m.

Carney says that while the commission’s decision to disinvite the Green Party to the debates is “unfortunate” and “surprising,” it’s an independent body.

He says what’s important is that issues like climate change, the energy transition, nature and biodiversity are appropriately aired during the debate.

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10 a.m. 

Pedneault says in a statement to media that he’s the youngest leader on the federal scene and has spent his life “standing up for those who the world is trying to silence.”

Pedneault says the Leaders’ Debate Commission is trying to silence the Greens and calls the commission’s decision unjust and undemocratic.

He accuses commentators for the Bloc Québécois and Conservatives of campaigning to remove the Greens because they are afraid, and says the commission admits that its decision infringes on the right of Canadians to be informed in this election.

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8 a.m.

The Leaders’ Debate Commission announces it is rescinding its invitation to the Green Party to take part in the leaders’ debates, just hours before the French debate is set to begin.

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The ruling says that the Green Party no longer meets two of the three necessary criteria for participation.

The criteria are: having at least one seat in the House of Commons at dissolution, having at least four per cent national support in opinion polls 28 days before election day, and nominating candidates in at least 90 per cent of ridings.

The Green Party is not fielding candidates in 90 per cent of ridings, despite having told the commission it would have a full slate of candidates.

Instead of 343 candidates, Elections Canada lists 232 people running for the Green Party in this election.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2025