Chantal Hebert concludes that last night's debate makes a Liberal minority government more likely. Having six leaders on the stage tends to muddy the waters:
With six leaders on stage — a record in a Canadian federal election — and almost as many moderators, the opportunities to size up the two men most likely to become prime minister as a result of the Oct. 21 vote were, to put it mildly, too few and far between to really set the stage for a decisive match.
Overall, viewers were treated to a cacophony that saw the various leaders spend more time speaking over each other than articulating coherent ideas. Substance was sacrificed to a cumbersome format.
Given the time constraints they were operating under, all six strove for clean clips liable to endure beyond the evening’s broadcast. They all worked hard to make their rivals’ comments unintelligible by interrupting them every step of the way.
Trudeau didn't knock out Scheer and Scheer didn't knock out Trudeau. The real question is which of the four other parties did the best. Cross the People's Party off the list. Maxime Bernier offers few and simple solutions.
Jagmeet Singh did well. His supporters will be pleased. The race is now between Singh's NDP and Elizabeth May's Green Party.
But, as an old Quebecer, I'd keep an eye on Mr. Blanchette. He hit a number of themes last night which will play well with a significant number of Quebecers. Elizabeth May predicted that the final result will be either a Liberal majority or a Liberal minority.
If the result is a minority, the party which holds the balance of power will be absolutely critical.
Image: CP24
