By Canadian Press

The Latest on the federal leaders’ English-language election debate

Sep 9, 2021 | 8:14 PM

The Latest on the English-language leaders’ debate among Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul (all times local):

9:45 p.m.

Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh had a heated exchange about their party’s climate change policies.

Trudeau said the NDP’s climate change policy rates an F while saying that experts have given the Liberal plan high marks.

Singh accused Trudeau of presiding over the worst record on fighting climate change in the G7 during his six years in power.

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Annamie Paul said Canada could become a renewable energy superpower, and all parties need to work together to combat the shared threat.

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9:25 p.m.

Foreign policy has been injected into the English leaders’ debate with questions about the fall of Afghanistan and the ongoing imprisonment of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China igniting sparring among the leaders.

Erin O’Toole, Jagmeet Singh, Annamie Paul and Yves-François Blanchet piled on Justin Trudeau for calling an election while Afghanistan was falling to the Taliban.

Trudeau shot back at his opponents for talking down the work by the military and diplomats to get 3,700 people out of Afghanistan, and 43 more with the help of Qatar earlier today.

Trudeau also said his government is doing everything it can to get Kovrig and Spavor out of China, but that work can’t be done by lobbing tomatoes at the People’s Republic.

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9:15 p.m.

The debate kicks off with a discussion about leadership and accountability as the debate’s moderator, Shachi Kurl, asks all five leaders different and challenging questions that put all of them on the defensive.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh deflected a question about his party platform, while Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau talked past a question about his decision to call an election during the pandemic.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet shot back at a suggestion that his party backs discriminatory laws against minorities.

Green Party Leader Annamie Paul is asked whether she can lead a country when she has such internal strife in her party and says she has crawled over a lot of broken glass to get to debate night.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says he is a pro-choice ally of LGBTQ people when about his party members’ differing stances on those issues as well as climate change and vaccination.

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8:30 p.m.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has arrived at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., in a blue minivan.

He stopped to talk to reporters about the need to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Singh says all leaders agree that getting vaccinated is one of the most important things they can do to fight the pandemic and keep people safe.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is already inside the museum, having entered through another door.

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8:20 p.m.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has arrived at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., in a black SUV, surrounded by RCMP vehicles.

A supporter of the People’s Party of Canada screamed into a megaphone: “You’re not my prime minister.”

Trudeau, wearing a red tie, waved to journalists but did not come to speak to them.

A protester says through a megaphone: “Quebecers are sick of you.”

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8:05 p.m.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole has arrived at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., for tonight’s debate.

O’Toole stepped out of a black SUV and flashed a thumbs-up, replying “good” when someone asked him how he feels.

O’Toole carried on into the museum without answering questions, as he did on Wednesday before the French-language debate.

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8 p.m.

Green Party Leader Annamie Paul has arrived at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., for tonight’s debate.

Paul didn’t answer a question about whether she needs a good night to save her leadership, saying she is focused on the debate.

She says she felt the need to jump into Wednesday’s French-language debate when child care was being discussed because she was the only woman on stage and that’s an issue that impacts women.

The other leaders have yet to arrive.

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7:25 p.m.

A group of People’s Party of Canada supporters have gathered on the street outside the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., across from Parliament Hill, where tonight’s debate is being held.

Dressed in purple, they are holding signs with slogans supporting Maxime Bernier, the party’s leader, while others have anti-Justin Trudeau slogans.

A speaker at a microphone is calling out the names of local candidates.

The sun is setting and the leaders have not yet arrived at the museum for the debate, which is set to begin at 9 p.m.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2021.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version misspelled Green Party Leader Annamie Paul’s first name in an introductory paragraph.

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