Days ahead of Canadian elections, four of Canada’s political leaders gathered on Thursday (Apr 18) for a debate during which issues including Canada's immigration curbs, US President Donald Trump's annexation threat, Gaza war, and former PM Justin Trudeau's legacy were discussed. While Liberal Party leader Mark Carney and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre highlighted the need for continued immigration restrictions, a war of words began between the two over While Liberal Party's economic policies, with Poilievre criticising Carney for being "just like Justin Trudeau."

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The other candidates in the debate were Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party and Yves-François Blanchet, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, a party that promotes Quebec’s independence and runs candidates only in that province. Challenges posed by Trump's trade policies and his stance on Canada were discussed at length in the debate. At one point in the debate, it was the three candidates taking on the incumbent Prime Minister Mark Carney, the former central banker of Canada and England took the office last month after being elected the leader of the Liberal Party.

The Canadian federal elections are scheduled for April 28.

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Here are key takeaways from the two-hour debate

Legacy of Justin Trudeau

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Justin Trudeau's shadow did not seem to leave Carney as the others in the debate slammed him for being "just another Trudueu." However, Carney sought to distance himself from his predecessor. Poilievre criticized what he called the “lost Liberal decade” under Trudeau. "Mark Carney is asking for a fourth Liberal term repeating exactly the same Liberal promises that priced you out of the house," Poilievre said. 

"It may be difficult for Mr. Poilievre...You spent years running against Justin Trudeau and the carbon tax, and they are both gone...I am a very different person than Justin Trudeau."

US President Donald Trump's policies

All the candidates agreed that President Trump’s economic policies and his proposal to annex Canada have created a furore and that they would negotiate toughly with the US. But none of them offered any specific details about how they would get the American president to change course. Poilievre blamed the Liberal government for putting Canada “under the thumb” of the United States. Carney presented himself as a tough negotiator by mentioning his track record as the Governor.

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Immigration 

Speaking on immigration, Carney stated, "The system isn't working, especially after the pandemic. Our population has gone up at about three per cent because of immigration and that's why we need to have a cap for a certain period of time." This cap, according to Carney, would remain in place for "a couple of years". Poilievre advocated for reduced immigration levels to ensure the population doesn't grow faster than available housing, jobs, or healthcare. "I think we should go back to immigration levels so that the population never grows faster than the number of houses, jobs or healthcare available," he said.

Gaza War

The New Democratic Party's Jagmeet Singh was the only one to call the war in Gaza as "genocide." Carney described it as "horrific" but did not specifically used the word "genocide." Poilievre said he would cut off foreign aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and accused their employees of participating in the attacks of October 7, 2023.

Building oil and gas pipelines

Poilievre called for a rapid approval process to build oil and natural gas pipelines across Canada that would enable the country to sell those resources to Europe. Carney also spoke about building more pipelines but said he would create a new single approval process that involves provinces and Indigenous people. 

The debate also touched upon other issues, including public safety and security, border security, crime and gangs, among others. 

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