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Leaders, Location and Moderators Confirmed for Upcoming Canadian Federal Leaders' Debates

Tuesday, 20 August 2019 02:55 PM

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 20, 2019 / The Canadian Debate Production Partnership (CDPP) is pleased to announce that all federal political party leaders, invited by the Debate Commission, have confirmed participation in the upcoming Canadian federal leaders’ debates. Justin Trudeau (Liberals), Andrew Scheer (Conservatives), Jagmeet Singh (New Democratic Party), Yves-François Blanchet (Bloc Québécois), Elizabeth May (Green Party), have agreed to take part in an English debate on October 7 and a French debate on Oct. 10.

The CDPP is also announcing today that both debates will take place at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec overlooking the Ottawa River and Canada’s Capital Region.

“The Canadian Museum of History’s purpose is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge and understanding of the events, experiences, people and objects that shape Canada’s identity,” noted Jennifer McGuire of the CDPP. “It is a meaningful and beautiful space to hold these debates.”

The English debate will be moderated by Rosemary Barton from CBC News, Susan Delacourt from the Toronto Star, Dawna Friesen from Global News, Lisa LaFlamme from CTV News and Althia Raj from HuffPost Canada. Each moderator will guide a distinct section of the debate.

The French debate will be moderated by Patrice Roy from Radio-Canada with the participation of Hélène Buzzetti from Le Devoir, Patricia Cloutier from Le Soleil, François Cardinal from La Presse and Alec Castonguay from L’actualité.

Canadian interests will be well represented by these distinguished journalists. In the coming weeks the CDPP will be releasing more details about the debate production itself.

The CDPP group is made up of: CTV News, CBC News, Radio-Canada, Global News, Toronto Star and the Torstar chain, La Presse, Le Devoir, L’Actualité, HuffPost Canada and HuffPost Québec.

Last week, the CDPP announced it has expanded its membership to include distribution partners OMNI Television, APTN, CPAC, Groupe Capitales Médias, Groupe V Média and Yahoo! Canada.

About the CDPP

The CDPP comprises a group of partners who are able to offer the highest-quality journalism on television, radio, print and digital platforms. Together, the partnership brings a rich history of presenting high-quality, national-level event television, and innovative new methods to reach Canadians via platforms they choose. The CDPP includes:

  • CBC News
  • Radio-Canada
  • Global News
  • CTV News
  • Toronto Star and Torstar chain
  • HuffPost Canada and HuffPost Québec
  • La Presse
  • Le Devoir
  • L'Actualité

Additional Distribution Partners include:

  • OMNI Television
  • APTN
  • CPAC
  • Groupe Capitales Médias
  • Groupe V Médias
  • Yahoo! Canada

About the Debates

The debates will be:

  • Free to access and distribute: It can be broadcast for free. Anyone can stream it, for free. Anyone can host a live viewing party, for free. Access requests will be fulfilled through a release process managed by the CDPP.
  • Widely distributed on television, radio, digital and social streaming platforms to ensure access to a broad cross-section of Canadians across the country, on the platform of their choice.
  • Available in ASL, LSQ, closed captioning and described video.
  • Available in English, French, some Indigenous languages and non-official languages.
  • Produced by a large partnership with strong values of public service journalism, integrity and production quality.

For more information:

Chuck Thompson, [email protected], 416-205-3747

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Moderators

English Debate

Canadian Debate Production Partnership, Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Press release picture

Rosemary Barton is the co-host of CBC’s flagship new program, The National, and chief correspondent of political coverage and live specials.

An award-winning journalist Barton was the host of CBC News Network's political show, Power & Politics. She has interviewed many high-profile politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former prime minister Stephen Harper, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde.

During the 2015 Canadian federal election campaign, Barton guided viewers through 11 weeks of election issues, interviewing all main party leaders through the course of the campaign, and broadcasting six days a week. Her incisive and engaging interviewing style was recognized with a Canadian Screen Award for best news host in 2016.

Prior to becoming host of Power & Politics, Barton was a national reporter with CBC's Parliamentary bureau, covering federal elections, as well as a number of federal leadership campaigns. Rosemary is bilingual.

Canadian Debate Production Partnership, Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Press release picture

Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa columnist and bureau chief with the Toronto Star, who has been covering politics on Parliament Hill since the late 1980s.

A political science graduate of Western University, she's written four political books; her latest, Shopping for Votes, was a finalist for the 2014 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust prize in non-fiction.

Susan is also a regular commentator on CBC and CTV, and has taught journalism and political communication at Carleton University. Susan has a working knowledge of French.


Canadian Debate Production Partnership, Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Press release picture

Award-winning journalist Dawna Friesen is the anchor of Global National, the flagship national newscast for Global News.

In her 30+ years as a journalist, Friesen has reported everywhere from small towns across Canada to the front lines of breaking news around the world. She has been at the forefront of federal elections north and south of the border, natural disasters, and international events such as royal weddings, inaugurations and numerous anniversaries of historical events. Prior to joining Global National, Friesen was a senior foreign correspondent for NBC News in London.

Most recently, Friesen’s work earned her the prestigious Canadian Screen Award (CSA) for Canada’s Best News Anchor in 2018. In 2013, Global National was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Overall Excellence Award for Network Radio and Television, becoming the first Canadian program to earn that recognition in the award’s 42-year history. She also won the 2009 Emmy for her part in the coverage of Barack Obama’s U.S. Presidential victory.

She is a passionate advocate for journalism as a pillar of democracy and is regularly called upon to share her experiences.

Canadian Debate Production Partnership, Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Press release picture

Lisa LaFlamme is chief news anchor and senior editor for CTV National News. Since her appointment in 2011, she has led the top-rated newscast in Canada while covering some of the most compelling stories of a generation.

Never far from the heart of the story, LaFlamme brings Canadians an up-close look at the biggest stories unfolding around the world. She’s known for landing exclusive interviews with leading global figures, including; Bill Gates; Malala Yousafzai; UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and Prince Harry.

LaFlamme has covered every Canadian federal election since 1997 for CTV News; has led CTV News’ live coverage of the inauguration of Donald Trump and reported on the death of Fidel Castro. Prior to assuming the Anchor chair in 2011, LaFlamme spent a decade on the road, covering everything from wars and elections to natural disasters from some of the world’s most dangerous locations.

A multiple award-winning journalist, a passionate advocate for democracy in journalism, and recently named an Officer of the Order of Canada (O.C.), LaFlamme is a trailblazer for women in Canadian news broadcasting. Lisa is bilingual.

Canadian Debate Production Partnership, Tuesday, August 20, 2019, Press release picture

Althia Raj is the Ottawa bureau chief for HuffPost Canada. As a live moderator, she has led digital-only broadcasts including leaders’ debates with the federal NDP, and the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, as well as a global town hall with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on foreign affairs.

As one of the few experienced millennial journalists on Parliament Hill, she has the pulse of the largest group of eligible voters in this election. Prior to HuffPost, Raj worked for Postmedia, Sun Media, CTV, and CBC. She hosts the bi-weekly Follow-Up politics podcast and is a regular panellist on CBC's Power and Politics and At Issue on The National.

SOURCE: The Canadian Debate Production Partnership

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