Debate will pit Ignatieff against Harper
Posted Apr 6, 2011 05:40:58 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It appears Michael Ignatieff is getting his wish. This election’s leaders’ debates will pit the Liberal and Conservative leaders head-to-head, but we’ll have to wait for it.
The format for the upcoming debates was revealed, Wednesday, and it features more one-on-one sparring between the leaders and less time for individual statements.
Each one-on-one debate will be followed by a sort of free-for-all.
“A six-minute round will be followed by about 14 minutes of all four leaders,” Executive Producer Mark Bulgutch explained. “So the other two leaders will join the debate on that same topic.”
Bulgutch says he wants the leaders to “get at each other.”
The line-ups have been chosen by random draws and the Ignatieff-Harper one-on-one won’t take place until round three in the French and English events.
There are other big changes from the last debate in 2008. Organizers have cancelled the opening statements so they can get right into the action. The closing statements will only be 45 seconds each and each leader will be standing at a podium — not sitting at a table like last time.
All of the questions being asked have been written by Candians.
The English is scheduled for April 12th and the French one on the 14th. Both are in Ottawa.
