Here’s the latest as Liberal leadership candidates square off in French debate

OTTAWA — Liberal leadership candidates Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Frank Baylis are squaring off in a French-language debate in Montreal.

The event is set to run from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is being moderated by former TVA-Québec anchor Pierre Jobin.

Here’s the latest (all times Eastern):

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10:45 p.m.

In a scrum, Freeland says the leadership race was a race “inside the family” and that it was a good thing she and the other candidates agreed on several topics. Freeland says what they agree on the most is that Poilievre can’t win the next election and that he’s “not the guy” to stand up to Trump.

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10:33 p.m.

In a scrum after the French debate, Carney confirms he is “all in” on running for a seat regardless of whether he wins the leadership.

Asked about triggering an early election, Carney says there are some circumstances where it might make sense for Parliament to sit but says it’s more likely that the best thing for Canada is to have a government with a “strong and clear mandate sooner.”

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9:48 p.m.

Asked when they’d launch an election, Gould says it would depend on if Canada is in a tariff war with the U.S.

Carney says a decision should never be taken until it has to be made and that there has to be a government with a strong, clear mandate.

Freeland says she would make her decision based on what was best for the national interest, discussing with premiers, unions and businesspeople.

Baylis says that it’s important to have a stable government in place, given Trump’s threats.

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9:45 p.m.

On the government’s recently announced high-speed rail project, Freeland says she fully supports the plan because it’s good for the environment, the economy and housing. Carney says there needs to be public and private funding to support the project. Baylis says he supports the program and that it would implement new links, benefitting the economy. Gould says she also supports it and has been working on the project for about a decade.

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9:40 p.m.

Asked about pipelines and energy, Carney says it’s possible to build a pipeline from Quebec to the Maritimes from Alberta but provinces have to agree. Freeland says it’s important to diversify exports and be more resilient with homegrown energy.

Baylis says he would put into place two gas pipelines — one to bring natural gas from Alberta to eastern Canada and another to take natural gas towards the west of Canada — to diversify markets. Gould says it’s important to fight climate change while also working to protect energetic security.

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9:35 p.m.

When asked how to reinforce Canada’s sovereignty and security in the face of the threat to the Arctic, Carney calls for two military bases in the North. Gould agrees and says she would increase soldiers’ salaries and fast-track military purchasing. Baylis says Canada has to pay its military better. Freeland says Canada can no longer rely on the U.S. to defend the country and that an approach to national security has to begin with the Arctic.

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9:30 p.m.

On climate change, Freeland says she will eliminate the carbon tax on consumers as part of a larger climate plan. Baylis says the carbon tax doesn’t deal with the issue and he would reinvest the funds.

Gould says she won’t abandon the fight against climate change or concede on the carbon tax, though she promises that she would cancel the increase planned for April 1.

Carney says he would cancel the carbon tax for consumers, small and medium businesses and farms and replace it with a system which would compel big polluters to pay. He says it’s an economic imperative to reduce greenhouse gases and boost clean manufacturing.

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9:25 p.m.

When the candidates are asked if they’re ready to recognize a Quebec constitution, Freeland says she’s ready to support French and bilingualism. Gould says in French that “the Charter of Canada is the Charter of Canada.” Carney says he respects secularism in Quebec, while Baylis says he’s been opposed to Bill 21 since it was implemented because it’s a discriminatory law.

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9:18 p.m.

Asked about crime and vehicle theft, Gould says there are businesses that benefit from theft and the Criminal Code needs to be changed. She says provinces, territories and municipalities need to make sure their police forces have the tools they need to protect citizens.

Freeland says the government needs to control the border more effectively.

Baylis says problems like homelessness and a lack of housing push people into criminal lifestyles. He also says Canada needs to negotiate with the U.S. on border issues and the threat posed by illegal weapons crossing into Canada.

Carney says it’s crucial to secure the border and invest in police and surveillance. He says it’s also important to strengthen the Criminal Code and have a buyback program for banned firearms.

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9:15 p.m.

On improving the health system, Freeland says Canadian physicians working in the U.S. should be invited back to Canada.

Baylis says his goal is for Canada to build the best health system in the world by broadening the professional scope of pharmacists and leveraging nurse practitioners who can visit people at home.

Carney says it’s important to eliminate obstacles to the recruitment of nurses and physicians and build a modern health system through the use of AI.

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9:10 p.m.

On immigration, Baylis says it’s important to control the numbers and have a “smart” system. Carney, who announced his immigration plan on Monday, says there’s a housing crisis in Canada and that there needs to be a cap on immigration for some time to balance the system.

Freeland says Canada should be a country that welcomes immigrants but it needs enough social services and housing for the people it welcomes. She also says Canada needs to use the talent of immigrants and recognize qualifications that have been earned abroad.

Gould says the government has been too ambitious with immigration targets and calls for conversations with provinces and territories.

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9:08 p.m.

Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, raises concerns about Carney’s ability to communicate in French after the leadership candidate slipped up during the debate and said he was in agreement with Hamas before being corrected.

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9:05 p.m.

To support Canadians who are struggling financially, Freeland says she would reduce taxes for the middle class, limit credit card interest rates, add 100,000 daycare spots and ensure more affordable housing is created.

Baylis says he would increase productivity and implement budget discipline to allow the value of the Canadian dollar to increase and the cost of goods to go down.

Gould says she would cut taxes and create more housing to help first-time home buyers and put an end to homelessness. Carney says he would cut taxes for middle-class families and invest in programs like daycare.

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8:55 p.m.

Asked how to reduce interprovincial barriers, Baylis says he would build two east-west natural gas pipelines to diversity markets and build a trans-Canada high energy powerline.

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8:45 p.m.

The leadership candidates begin their discussion on building a strong economy. Asked when they foresee a return to a balanced budget, Carney says he plans to balance the operational budget in three years. Baylis says he would manage the budget by increasing productivity.

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8:40 p.m.

When asked how much Canada can spend to aid Ukraine, Freeland says Canada has to stand with Ukrainians and use seized Russian money to help the country defend itself. Gould says Canadians have to be allied with Europeans and that freedom is on the line. Baylis says U.S. President Donald Trump has essentially allied his country with Russia and that Canada has a role to play with regard to its other allies.

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8:30 p.m.

Asked how to address the Israel-Palestine conflict, Gould says Canada’s position should be to work towards peace and security and provide more humanitarian aid, emphasizing the need for a two-state solution. Freeland and Carney say Trump’s declarations on Palestinians in Gaza aren’t acceptable and that hostages should be returned. Baylis says Canada has to be a moral leader and formally recognize Palestine as a nation.

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8:15 p.m.

While discussing Canada-U.S. relations, Carney says Trump is more aggressive now than he has been in the past and Canada has to strengthen its economy to build up its negotiating position. Gould says the president respects force and that she knows how to engage with such people.

Asked whether exports of electricity to the U.S. should be cut, Freeland says she welcomes that idea. Gould says Americans need to understand that they depend on Canadian resources.

Asked how to ensure that Canada’s provincial, territorial and federal governments work together against Trump’s threats, Carney says premiers need to be convened to work on eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. Gould says Canada needs to have a calm leader who can unite people and agrees that domestic trade barriers need to be torn down.

Asked how to convince Canadians that they should stay united, Freeland says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre can’t unite Canada and is too weak to stand up to Trump. Carney says Poilievre is trying to divide Canadians.

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8:05 p.m.

The candidates deliver their opening remarks. Each of the candidates touch on Canada’s economy, the threats from the United States and Canada’s sovereignty.

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8:02 p.m.

The French debate begins.

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7:35 p.m.

Shortly before the start of the French debate, Liberal Party of Canada national director Azam Ishmael says in a news release that the party’s permanent appeals committee confirmed the decision of the leadership vote committee to disqualify Ruby Dhalla from the leadership race.

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6:30 p.m.

The moderator of Tuesday’s English debate, former CBC journalist Hannah Thibedeau of Global Public Affairs, says in an interview that the themes of the debate were chosen by registered Liberals.

She says candidates will be asked identical questions on the various themes and will have one minute to answer them. They will also take part in five-minute debate periods.

Thibedeau says the French-language debate is going to be interesting because big names from Quebec chose not to run and the candidates are from different parts of the country.

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6:12 p.m.

Disqualified candidate Ruby Dhalla posts on X that she loves Quebec and was looking forward to sharing her vision during the debate. The Liberal party kicked her out of the race on Friday, alleging she broke the rules. She has filed an appeal for reinstatement.

Earlier this month, the party denied Dhalla’s request for a translator for the French debate.

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6:02 p.m.

Liberal party president Sachit Mehra posts a video on X with Pierre Jobin, the debate’s moderator. Jobin says the team is ready for the debate and has been working all weekend, just like the candidates.

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5:55 p.m.

Mark Carney arrives at the debate venue to a small group of young supporters cheering and chanting his name. The supporters waited in the rain outside a security toll booth at the private event, despite not being able to enter and watch it live. Carney did not stop to take questions.

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5:40 p.m.

About 20 Carney supporters, many of them holding red signs with his logo, wait outside the debate venue for the presumed front-runner to arrive. The debate is being held at a studio in an industrial area in southwest Montreal.

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4:06 p.m.

Candidate Karina Gould posts a photo on X with a tie that’s been cut — a reference to an iconic pre-debate scene from the TV show “The West Wing.”

Leading up to the French debate, candidate Frank Baylis also posts to X stating that he’s proud of his language and is committed to protecting and promoting the French language and culture.

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4 p.m.

Liberal leadership candidates Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Frank Baylis are expected to arrive in Montreal later today for the French-language debate, set to begin at 8 p.m.

The Liberal Party of Canada has shared the list of topics up for discussion. They include Canada-U. S. relations, growing Canada’s economy, affordability, housing and health care, and climate action.

The candidates shared posts and videos on social media about their priorities ahead of the debate, with Carney’s campaign releasing policy documents Monday that flesh out his economic and housing plans.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press