The B.C. Leaders’ Debate: 5 Takeaways From Horgan, Wilkinson and Furstenau
British Columbia held its only debate of the snap election campaign Tuesday night, and those looking for the fireworks of the recent U.S. presidential debate were likely disappointed by the relatively polite and calm discourse on stage.
Where the Donald Trump-Joe Biden battle was full of interruptions, outrage and very little substance, Tuesday’s event, broadcast from the University of British Columbia’s Chan Centre, was a civil and comparatively fireworks-free affair from the province’s three main party leaders.
With a hearty lead in the polls, NDP Leader John Horgan was tasked with not rocking the boat too much. Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson was looking to ignite some kind of spark in a listless campaign marked by controversy, while newly elected Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau made her debate debut less than a month after taking on the job.
Moderated by Angus Reid Institute president Shachi Kurl, the debate still proved to be interesting, with a fair share of key back-and-forths and memorable moments including a hot-button question on white privilege for the three leaders.
Here are five takeaways you need to know
The calm moderation was a far cry from the “garbage fire” in the U.S.
A big win for the night was certainly the debate’s structure and moderation, particularly after the poorly moderated mess of the U.S. debates.
Kurl kicked off the evening by warning the leaders they must keep to their allotted times, not interrupt each other and would be prompted if they don’t answer the specific question.
WATCH: Debate commission cancels second U.S. presidential debate. Story continues below.
And she kept to that script. At several key moments, Kurl offered more time to leaders to answer the specific question they were asked, such as when Wilkinson avoided a question around pipeline protests.
And when giving leaders time to ask each other questions, Kurl also stepped in several times to remind Furstenau to actually ask a...
