Elections: Inclusion in Leaders Debates

On September 11, 2008, Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever was a panelist on "On the Line" with Christine Williams (Crossroads Television: CTS).

Canada is having a federal election on October 14, 2008. In this segment, the panelists discuss the September 10, 2008 decision of Canada's broadcaster "consortium" to include Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party of Canada, in the televised debates of party leaders.

The decision was a reversal of the one made days earlier to exclude her on the basis that 3 of the other 4 party leaders invited to the debates refused to attend if May was permitted to participate. Because those party leaders, and the broadcaster representatives of the consortium, were all male, May played the sexism card, saying she had been excluded because she is a woman. Not wanting to be falsely characterized as sexists for the duration of an election campaign, the party leaders changed their mind and said they would participate even if May were allowed into the debates. The consortium, denied of the excuse it had used to exclude her, invited her to attend.

The leaders of numerous other Canadian political parties remain uninvited.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Canada
• election
• leaders
• debate
• debates
• excluded
• included

[leetrefz]

you don't need 50% + 1 to be PM.

-Objectivism isn't taken seriously by ANY philosophy professors WORLDWIDE, son.

[PaulMcKeever]

Re: 50%+1 - no, you don't need it to be appointed PM, but if you have it, you MUST be appointed PM. With a minority, the leader of the party with the greatest number of seats is not necessarily made PM, so it is not an unequivocal basis for determining inclusion in the debates.

As to your statement about philosophy professors: A. False (e.g., Leonard Peikoff, Tara Smith, and a host of others). B. Consensus is no replacement for reason.

[PaulMcKeever]

Hey, come one guys, be nicer with Christine. Consider how rarely a pro-freedom voice is invited to be a guest on most other shows. She's one of the good guys.

[Signofthedollar]

Reason and freedom are inextricably linked.

[Nadow]

I'm on it

[grantsinmypants2]

Please read Ayn Rand.

[Nadow]

Yeah, wow

[grantsinmypants2]

wow

[Nadow]

Whatever you say...But please read Ayn Rand and you will see why what you said in your first message is absurd.

[grantsinmypants2]

You mean my sarcastic, untrue, irrational idea?  Yes yes, quite unclear.

[Nadow]

Or may be its quite difficult for you to express your ideas in a clear way. This is an endless story.

[grantsinmypants2]

Irony? I suppose you mean sarcasm? It seems that that is quite difficult for you to detect. I say that in all seriousness.