Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, left, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, take part in the federal election English-language Leaders debate in Gatineau, Que. on Sept. 9, 2021.Pool/Reuters
Michel Cormier is the executive director of the Leaders’ Debates Commission. He was responsible for federal and Québec provincial leaders’ debates, and served as the executive director of news and current affairs at Société Radio-Canada between 2012 and 2018.
With almost half of the world’s population voting in elections in 2024, this is a critical time for debates in the world’s democracies. We don’t need to look very far to see that debates can be influential; a single debate upended the U.S. presidential race just a few months ago. These events provide voters with a rare opportunity to see party leaders pitch their visions for their countries in live, unmediated environments. They also shed light on their character and abilities.
As in 2019 and 2021, the Leaders’ Debates Commission is again preparing to organize two debates in the upcoming federal election campaign – one in English and one in French. Each general election cycle offers us an opportunity to provide stability, contribute to the health of Canada’s democracy, and study other debates elsewhere to learn and improve.
We have consulted widely since the 2021 federal elections, speaking with more than 50 debate organizers, moderators, and former participants in Canada and in other countries to understand their experiences, get their perspectives and identify what makes for the most effective and informative events.
We learned a lot through these consultations, and having listened to the feedback, we are making the following changes to Canada’s debates whenever a federal election is called.
One moderator
It has become customary in debates to have a panel of journalists as well as a moderator on stage. This has ensured the participation of multiple media organizations, which has increased viewership and reach. That is a good thing, but it brings disadvantages, too: Having many journalists questioning the leaders breaks the flow of exchanges between them and provides less time for the leaders to speak.
The next leaders’ debates will take another approach. There will be only one moderator – an experienced journalist – and no other journalists on stage. A single moderator can more effectively and easily manage time, facilitate discussion, elicit meaningful exchanges, assert authority and set a consistent tone for a debate, while asking questions in a neutral way. One moderator makes it clear to both the audience at home and the leaders on stage who is in charge, which is especially important in a debate involving multiple leaders. And Canadians agree: the Canadian Election Study, a large-scale survey of citizens conducted each election year since 1965, found that a majority prefer a single moderator.
A simple format and set
The format of the debates will also be different. It must be simple and easy to follow for the audience. There should be a natural flow and open exchanges between the leaders, instead of rigid timed segments. The leaders should also have time to express their views without being cut off mid-sentence or being given only a few seconds to finish an answer.
The set should also be simple and intimate to facilitate interventions by the moderator and to allow for a strong eyeline between the moderator and each leader on stage.
The Commission, however, is not involved in the content of the debates, the choice of themes or questions. As stipulated in our mandate, we believe journalistic independence is paramount. The content will remain the prerogative of the moderators and the producers that are chosen in a competitive process.
The Commission has made important gains over the past two electoral cycles in viewership and reach. More Canadians watched the debates in 2019 and 2021 than ever before. The Commission has also provided greater predictability and stability, setting clear and transparent criteria for leaders’ participation; all invited leaders took part in the debates.
While the ultimate success of the debates depends a lot on the leaders themselves, we hope these changes will make the programs more beneficial for voters, because that is who we serve. Debates belong to the voting public.
We will continue to collaborate with the producers to present the best debates possible. We want the next ones to not only reach as many Canadians as they can, but also be more effective and informative. After all, debates are democratic exercises – and they matter now, more than ever.