Overview

• Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre faced off in a French-language debate, focusing on strategies to address President Trump’s tariffs and annexation rhetoric.
• Carney emphasized his economic expertise and crisis management experience as key to negotiating with Trump, while Poilievre criticized Liberal policies for weakening Canada’s economy.
• Polls now show the Liberals leading by eight points, a dramatic turnaround from the Conservatives’ 25-point lead in January, with a potential Liberal majority government in sight.
• The Green Party was excluded from both debates after failing to meet the Leaders’ Debates Commission’s criteria for participation.
• The second and final English-language debate is scheduled for the evening of April 17, with themes including affordability, energy, and Canada’s response to U.S. trade challenges.