There will be no English-language leaders’ debate in this provincial election.
Why Quebec needs an English-language leaders’ debate
Quebec’s next premier will govern nearly nine million people, including more than a million English-speaking Quebecers. They deserve the opportunity to hear directly from those asking for their vote.
Quebec’s English-language media organizations stood ready to host a debate, as they successfully did in 2018. But after the Coalition Avenir Québec and Parti Québécois declined to participate, and the Quebec Liberal Party indicated it would only attend if all five major parties were present, the debate was cancelled.
This is about more than a television event. Leaders’ debates give voters a rare opportunity to hear those seeking to govern answer the same questions, defend their policies, and present competing visions for Quebec’s future. That democratic accountability should not depend on the language spoken by the audience.
We are not asking for a different conversation about Quebec’s future. We are asking to be included in it. An English-language debate is not about special treatment. English-speaking Quebecers have legitimate questions about health care, education, economic opportunity, community institutions, and their place in Quebec’s future.
TALQ has written to Quebec’s major political parties, urging those that declined to participate to reconsider. With time running short, TALQ is also exploring other formats to ensure the parties remain accountable to Quebec’s English-speaking community.
The principle is simple: if you are asking for the confidence of all Quebecers, you should be prepared to answer questions from all Quebecers.