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| Canada party leaders debate: Harper on back foot over economy – live updates | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.37pm ET01:37 | |
| Meanwhile, Elizabeth May is getting huge plaudits from the Twittocracy. | |
| I'd say Elizabeth May looks the strongest off the bat. Her lines are sharp, on-topic and well-delivered. #macdebate | |
| When it comes to question Harper..specially abt environment..Somehow Elizabeth May nails it every single time! #Macleans #Debate #MacDebate | |
| Passionate statement from @ElizabethMay on the need for #climate action that will benefit Canada's economy. #Macdebate | |
| Kinda love Elizabeth May though. #macdebate | |
| Is she Canada’s Nicola Sturgeon? | |
| 8.33pm ET01:33 | |
| Mulcair: We're in a superbad recession Harper: I'm not denying that Mulcair: Cool, why are we here then #macdebate | |
| 8.32pm ET01:32 | |
| We’re back, and a tough question for Harper. What has he actually achieved on energy exports? | |
| Harper brings up Keystone. “I’ve had many conversations with President Obama,” he says. “I’m very optimistic about the future of that project.” | |
| Do you think we have to wait for a new President for that? “That may be the case,” says Harper. “But I think whoever is the next President will approve that project.” | |
| 8.27pm ET01:27 | |
| The economic section is over, much to what must be Harper’s relief. Though his relief may be short-lived: energy and the environment is up next. | |
| 8.26pm ET01:26 | |
| The Canadian leaders debate is being simulcast in French, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Italian and English #multiculturalism | |
| 8.25pm ET01:25 | |
| "we are substantially in surplus," says @pmharper. | |
| “For five months in a row the Canadian government has shrunk,” Mulcair says in answer. | |
| He has an unerring ability to get the last word. | |
| 8.23pm ET01:23 | |
| Here’s the problem for Trudeau. He already has an image problem as young and inexperienced. He looks very presentable; but he umms and ahhs a lot; he seems nervous. He knows he has the most to prove. | |
| But Mulcair seems, or is, much calmer; he waits for Trudeau and Harper to finish, doesn’t speak over anyone, but comes off as confident and assured. | |
| 8.20pm ET01:20 | |
| If you have “middle-class” on your Canadian leaders’ debate bingo card tonight, you are already a winner. | |
| "Middle class" goes cumulo-nimbus in debate wordcloud. | |
| 8.19pm ET01:19 | |
| Trudeau tries to outflank Mulcair on the left, proposing income taxes on the richest 1%. “We think that Canadians are paying their fare share,” Mulcair answers. “We think corporations are not.” | |
| 8.17pm ET01:17 | |
| May has the floor now, and is attacking Harper again on his fiscal responsibility: | |
| We have a budget that is balanced now, other countries don't, says @pmharper is defense of his economic record. #macdebate | |
| In the scheme of things not very, says May about a balanced budget. #macdebate | |
| 8.16pm ET01:16 | |
| It’s not just Mulcair who’s Milibanding straight into the camera. Trudeau and Harper both doing it too. | |
| I hate the way they all (except @ElizabethMay ) look so creepy smiling at the camera while gritting teeth at opponents. #macdebate | |
| 8.15pm ET01:15 | |
| Mulcair: “Mr. Harper, we really can’t afford four more years of you.” | |
| The live-stream of tonight’s debate, by the way, is here. | |
| 8.13pm ET01:13 | |
| The UK comparison is an illuminating one. Like in the British leaders’ debates, Elizabeth May, the green party leader, is focussing her attacks on the incumbent Harper. Trudeau, so far, is using that alliance to keep the pressure on Harper. | |
| But it’s possible that Mulcair is the one who will really benefit. | |
| 8.09pm ET01:09 | |
| Tom Mulcair now speaks for the first time. “We want to invest,” he says, in infrastructure, families, and the middle class. | |
| Brit political aficionados: he appears to have picked up that Ed Miliband habit of staring straight down the camera. Which didn’t do Ed much good. | |
| 8.07pm ET01:07 | |
| Harper responds now, already on the back foot as he defends his record. “Non-energy experts are up,” he says, but promises “growth going forward.” | |
| “Prudent” is how he describes his economic stewardship. We can expect him to try to use the other candidates’ inexperience against them. | |
| But it bears remembering that the economy has not grown as fast as he would have liked, especially since the oil price has dropped. | |
| 8.03pm ET01:03 | 8.03pm ET01:03 |
| Justin Trudeau gets the first question, and is immediately on the attack against Harper. “Simply not working,” he says of the sitting prime minister’s economic plan. | Justin Trudeau gets the first question, and is immediately on the attack against Harper. “Simply not working,” he says of the sitting prime minister’s economic plan. |
| 8.02pm ET01:02 | 8.02pm ET01:02 |
| The economy up first. | The economy up first. |
| 8.02pm ET01:02 | 8.02pm ET01:02 |
| Here’s what’s at stake tonight. Polls are near-as-dammit showing a dead heat between Tom Mulcair’s NDP and the incumbent tories led by Stephen Harper. The big question tonight is whether anyone can move the needle in their direction. | Here’s what’s at stake tonight. Polls are near-as-dammit showing a dead heat between Tom Mulcair’s NDP and the incumbent tories led by Stephen Harper. The big question tonight is whether anyone can move the needle in their direction. |
| And we’re off. The economy, energy and environment, the state of Canada’s democracy, and foreign policy and security will be the four topic areas. | And we’re off. The economy, energy and environment, the state of Canada’s democracy, and foreign policy and security will be the four topic areas. |
| 7.56pm ET00:56 | 7.56pm ET00:56 |
| John Barber, another contributor, will be watching in Toronto and contributing his views. Last week he wrote this briefing on Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s bleak outlook. | John Barber, another contributor, will be watching in Toronto and contributing his views. Last week he wrote this briefing on Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s bleak outlook. |
| His take going into this debate is this: | His take going into this debate is this: |
| All parties and media are advising watchers to lower expectations, given the season (high summer, low viewership), the timing (so early in such a long campaign) and the competition (Trump!). But low expectations that relieve pressure could also encourage the candidates to take some chances. So I expect a surprise or two. | All parties and media are advising watchers to lower expectations, given the season (high summer, low viewership), the timing (so early in such a long campaign) and the competition (Trump!). But low expectations that relieve pressure could also encourage the candidates to take some chances. So I expect a surprise or two. |
| Trudeau’s decision to precede the debate by releasing an action video showing him throwing furious jabs in a boxing ring is pure Trumpism. Harper’s invention of a phantom “Netflix tax” with which to cudgel opponents is more Barnum-esque. If we don’t hear words that will ring repeatedly throughout the campaign, we could see some interesting new tactics. | Trudeau’s decision to precede the debate by releasing an action video showing him throwing furious jabs in a boxing ring is pure Trumpism. Harper’s invention of a phantom “Netflix tax” with which to cudgel opponents is more Barnum-esque. If we don’t hear words that will ring repeatedly throughout the campaign, we could see some interesting new tactics. |
| Trudeau’s job is to show he has “bottom.” Harper’s job is to show he’s human. Mulcair’s job is to show he is comfortingly stolid. None of those tasks quite requires the knives to come out … yet. | Trudeau’s job is to show he has “bottom.” Harper’s job is to show he’s human. Mulcair’s job is to show he is comfortingly stolid. None of those tasks quite requires the knives to come out … yet. |
| 7.52pm ET00:52 | 7.52pm ET00:52 |
| T-7 minutes to debate time. | T-7 minutes to debate time. |
| Our contributor Jessica Murphy is in Ottawa watching the debate, and has this to say: | Our contributor Jessica Murphy is in Ottawa watching the debate, and has this to say: |
| Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Green Party leader Elizabeth May will be the only two who have participated in federal election debates before, though Harper is by far the most experienced, having participated in them in campaigns since 2004. | Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Green Party leader Elizabeth May will be the only two who have participated in federal election debates before, though Harper is by far the most experienced, having participated in them in campaigns since 2004. |
| That said, the NDP’s Tom Mulcair goes in with high expectations. He’s a lawyer and has used those skills to great effect in the House of Commons during question period against Harper, often acting something of a prosecutor. | That said, the NDP’s Tom Mulcair goes in with high expectations. He’s a lawyer and has used those skills to great effect in the House of Commons during question period against Harper, often acting something of a prosecutor. |
| Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has the most to prove - hence the Tory spokesman’s comment that if he shows up with his pants on he comes in ahead. | Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has the most to prove - hence the Tory spokesman’s comment that if he shows up with his pants on he comes in ahead. |
| 7.47pm ET00:47 | 7.47pm ET00:47 |
| Welcome to our live coverage of the first Canadian party leaders’ debate, moderated by Macleans’ magazine political editor Paul Wells. | Welcome to our live coverage of the first Canadian party leaders’ debate, moderated by Macleans’ magazine political editor Paul Wells. |
| Incumbent Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper faces off tonight against National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal party leader Justin Trudeau and Green party leader Elizabeth May. | Incumbent Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper faces off tonight against National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal party leader Justin Trudeau and Green party leader Elizabeth May. |
| Harper has been PM since 2006, but polling currently puts Mulcair’s party in the lead over the Conservatives by the barest of margins, with Trudeau’s centrist Liberals relegated to third place. Trudeau, the son of former popular prime minister Pierre, has seen his party squeezed into the shrinking middle ground by the Conservatives on the right and the NDP on the left. | Harper has been PM since 2006, but polling currently puts Mulcair’s party in the lead over the Conservatives by the barest of margins, with Trudeau’s centrist Liberals relegated to third place. Trudeau, the son of former popular prime minister Pierre, has seen his party squeezed into the shrinking middle ground by the Conservatives on the right and the NDP on the left. |
| Harper, too, is having a difficult time. He lost his party’s natural base, the resource-rich province of Alberta, to the left-of-center NDP in a huge upset in the provincial elections earlier this year. However Alberta and Ontario remain crucial battlegrounds, while the NDP will look to consolidate their predicted gains in British Columbia and Québec. | Harper, too, is having a difficult time. He lost his party’s natural base, the resource-rich province of Alberta, to the left-of-center NDP in a huge upset in the provincial elections earlier this year. However Alberta and Ontario remain crucial battlegrounds, while the NDP will look to consolidate their predicted gains in British Columbia and Québec. |
| The NDP have never formed a government, and only found their way into opposition for the first time in the last election after the collapse of the nationalist Bloc Quebecois. Harper will be looking to paint them as untested and inexperienced. And while the NDP may currently be enjoying an upswing in the polls, they still lag behind the business-friendly Conservatives in fundraising. | The NDP have never formed a government, and only found their way into opposition for the first time in the last election after the collapse of the nationalist Bloc Quebecois. Harper will be looking to paint them as untested and inexperienced. And while the NDP may currently be enjoying an upswing in the polls, they still lag behind the business-friendly Conservatives in fundraising. |
| The prime minister’s job will go to whichever party wins enough districts, known as ridings. There are 338 up for grabs. With most of an 11-week campaign still to go before election night on October 19 – the longest campaign in Canadian history, though this is nothing compared to the marathon two-year election campaigns seen south of the border – there is still everything to play for. | The prime minister’s job will go to whichever party wins enough districts, known as ridings. There are 338 up for grabs. With most of an 11-week campaign still to go before election night on October 19 – the longest campaign in Canadian history, though this is nothing compared to the marathon two-year election campaigns seen south of the border – there is still everything to play for. |
| Updated at 7.53pm ET | Updated at 7.53pm ET |