Party leaders in Montreal ahead of this week’s election debates

OTTAWA — Federal party leaders are campaigning in the Montreal area ahead of the two election debates that will take place Wednesday and Thursday.

It will be the first time Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre square off in a debate.

This morning, Carney is scheduled to make an announcement and hold a press conference in Saint-Eustache, Que., near Montreal, while Poilievre will hold a press conference in Montreal.

Carney’s personal popularity has risen over the course of the campaign, with a new poll from Abacus Data finding his favourability ratings among Canadians are higher than Poilievre’s.

The poll, which was conducted online and so can’t be assigned a margin of error, found Carney has a favourable rating of 48 per cent positive and 28 per cent negative, compared to Poilievre’s 40 per cent positive and 45 per cent negative.

But Carney is also a political newcomer, and his French-language skills will be under the microscope in Wednesday’s French-language debate.

This is the third election for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who is also scheduled to make a morning announcement in Montreal.

Federal officials warned Monday that Canadians should be on the lookout for online disinformation tied to the debates.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2024.