It’s disappointing that NDP leader Thomas Mulcair has decided to hide from key televised election debates.
Mulcair’s disregard for a large and important television audience is surprising. The broadcast consortium debates would have allowed 10 million Canadians to see what Mulcair and the NDP have to offer, via direct comparison to other leaders and their parties.
It’s obvious why Mr. Harper has backed out of debates (the sagging economy and the Duffy trial). However, those debates are significant indicators of future performance in the minds of many Canadians. If Mulcair actually has a solid platform to offer, one would think he’d want to present it in debate venues with the largest possible audience, and expose that platform to public review and assessment. Endless rallies and photo ops simply don’t accomplish that. That is cheerleading, but it’s no measure of real leadership.
Most recently, a debate on women’s issues was cancelled because Mulcair and Harper would not participate. One can understand that a progressive segment of women are leery of voting for Stephen Harper, but is the women’s vote not important to the NDP?
Is Mulcair just worried about questions surrounding the feasibility of his campaign promises? Or, is he just not ready?
Loraine Stephanson
Penticton