Debates commission looking at changes after 'perfect storm' clouded last leaders' showdown
CBC
The head of Canada's Leaders' Debates Commission says the independent body should stop organizing post-debate news conferences and will make changes to how it decides what leaders to invite after this spring's leadership debate was surrounded by controversy.
Michel Cormier, the commission's executive director, appeared before a committee of MPs on Thursday to highlight recommendations from its recent report on the 2025 federal leadership debates.
The commission organized two leadership debates during the April federal election campaign. While Cormier said the debates themselves ran smoothly, he acknowledged a "perfect storm" of issues that created controversy around the events.
"I admit freely that there were shortcomings — and now our desire is to fix those problems," Cormier told the committee.
The commission abruptly cancelled a news conference that was scheduled to take place after the English-language debate where leaders were meant to take turns answering questions from reporters.
The cancellation happened after Rebel News and other right-wing media outlets dominated the question-and-answer sessions following the French debate the night before.
Then prior to the English debate, there were a number of tense interactions in the media room, including a shouting match between a Hill Times reporter and a Rebel News personality.
The commission called in extra RCMP security but ultimately cancelled the question and answer period over concerns about the "environment" in the media room.
"We had more than 200 journalists … I think part of what happened in terms of tension in the room was also explained by the fact that everything was centred in one single space," Cormier told the MPs.
The commission faced questions in the past for accrediting some media outlets. During the 2019 and 2021 elections, Rebel News was part of a legal challenge that ultimately allowed it to obtain accreditation to cover the debates.
The commission decided not to take up another court challenge over accreditation this spring, but Cormier admitted in an interview prior to the English debate that he "wasn't aware" Rebel News Network Ltd. had registered with Elections Canada as a third-party advocacy group.
Cormier said at the time that had he known, it might have changed his calculations on the accreditation decisions.
On Thursday, Cormier told MPs that the commission would still be responsible for media accreditation for the debates, but it would be up to party leaders to hold their own news scrums if they wish.
There was also a bit of controversy in the lead up to the debates over the initial inclusion of the Green Party, which is pushing the commission to change how it determines which leaders to invite.
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