Don Martin: This is the candidate who stole the show in my view
The abortion question was dealt with in less time than the revelations about the candidate’s favorite music and the book they are currently reading.
We also learned their most binge-worthy television series, their personal hero and which historical figure those vying to become a future Conservative prime minister would want to join them for dinner.
Controversial defining issues like supply management, no-fly zones over Ukraine, massive defence spending boosts and immigration were all dispatched in the "lightning round" of "yes" or "no" answers while yesterday stories like the Freedom Convoy and vaccine mandates hogged the spotlight.
It wasn’t until closing statements that the youth-preoccupation of affordable housing was raised as a focus of concern for Conservative party’s leadership candidates on Wednesday night.
No wonder a party diehard in my four-person focus group adjourned to her patio after half an hour, the better to take in the warmest May 11 evening in Ottawa in more than 100 years.
There’s no debating this was, as moderator Tom Clark described it, “challenging.”
Far from giving candidates the latitude to compare and contrast their positions, they were shoehorned into soundbites with strictly-enforced time limits. You simply can’t beat a clock which divides one minute into multiple answers from competing candidates and expect a vote-swaying answer from anybody.
It was, for those forced to watch out of party loyalty, morbid political curiosity or a journalistic paycheque, a jaw-dropping disappointment guaranteed to prevent voters disenchanted with the Trudeau Liberals from rushing inside the true-blue Conservative tent.
But, then again, was it any worse than a debate where candidates jump for the jugular, shrieking a soundtrack of liar allegations, fabricated policy positions or embellishing the failures on their rival’s resume?
Perhaps, if the goal was to discourage discussions from the constant quest for a knockout blow for the campaign ads, all that’s left to make a show of it are game show questions.
So let’s try to make something of substance from very little and look at how did they did in Edmonton, if you weren’t distracted by the lousy audio or busily vibrating blue-wave background.
Pierre Poilievre dropped news on his opening statement by pledging to fire the Bank of Canada governor and replace him with someone who would "reinstate our low inflation mandate”, whatever his increasingly-alarming intervention actually means.
But after that he was stoic by his usual high-octane standards, muzzling himself from the caustic quips and trying to appear almost, gulp, prime ministerial.
HOW DID THE CANDIDATES DO?
Veteran Tory Jean Charest still can't shake loose from his 1995 national unity superstar moment to deliver an updated campaign narrative.
He keeps warning the country is on the verge of imploding on itself and appears spitting mad even when there seems to be very little justification for his fury.
Patrick Brown, who dodged the unofficial debate last week, seemed more formidable when he wasn’t there. The thought of him selling thousands of memberships while his rivals wasted a night in front of already-committed Conservatives seemed to suggest a potential upset was in the making.
But seeing him reduced to a limp uninspiring figure on the stage suggests the odds of him thwarting the Poilievre coronation are remote.
Leslyn Lewis seemed to stumble more than usual, but did no harm to her campaign as the only anti-abortion candidate on the stage.
Ironically, one of the two nobodies, a cottage country Ontario MP named Scott Aitchison, stole the show in my view.
He cannot win, of course, but his pragmatic positions, party unity pledge and sense of humour made him shine on a stage of uninspiring hopefuls.
As for moderator Tom Clark, he had his hands full keeping track of paddles being waved by those who wanted to speak and a countdown clock ticking down in 15-second increments while silencing crowd reactions.
He was so ruthlessly efficient with time control and keeping order with his trombone-bleating buzzer, he finished the event ten minutes early.
That, sadly, was a debate highlight.
That’s the bottom line.
Replay the live blog from the debate below:
IN DEPTH
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
opinion Don Martin: Pierre Poilievre's road to apparent victory will soon start to get rougher
Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives appear to be on cruise control to a rendezvous with the leader's prime ministerial ambition, but in his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin questions whether the Conservative leader may be peaking too soon.
opinion Don Martin: The Trudeau lessons from Brian Mulroney's legacy start with walking away
Justin Trudeau should pay very close attention to the legacy treatment afforded former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who died on Thursday at age 84, writes columnist Don Martin.
opinion Don Martin: ArriveCan debacle may be even worse than we know from auditor's report
It's been 22 years since a former auditor general blasted the Chretien government after it 'broke just about every rule in the book' in handing out private sector contracts in the sponsorship scandal. In his column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin says the book has been broken anew with everything that went on behind the scenes of the 'dreaded' ArriveCan app.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Local Spotlight
Conservation officers seize 9-foot python from Chilliwack home
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Ontario auto-insurance changes could leave some vulnerable, says expert
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A tiny critter who could: Elusive Newfoundland Marten makes improbable comeback
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
Ontario man loses $12K to deepfake scam involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Record-setting pop tab collection for Ontario boy
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
'I was just like, holy cow!': Saskatoon dumpster divers reclaim wasted valuables
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario to balance budget ahead of 2026 election, citing delay due to 'economic uncertainty'
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.