Key exchanges during the televised French leaders' debate

MONTREAL -- Some of the key exchanges from Thursday's French-language televised leaders' debate.

 

On niqabs:

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper: "Our position for a long time has been when someone joins the Canadian family, we should not hide our identity and it's the reason for which we believe new citizens should take the oath without a covering, but Mr. Mulcair, I will never tell my young daughter that a woman should cover her face because she's a woman."

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair: "Attack the oppressors, don't attack women ... attack the oppressor if you believe there is oppression in there and have the courage to do so. But it's not by depriving these women of their citizenship and their rights that you'll be able to help them."

Green party Leader Elizabeth May: "This is a fake debate, we're in the middle of an election campaign and we have real challenges in Canada. What is the impact of the niqab on the economy? What is the impact of the niqab on climate change? What is the impact of the niqab on the jobless? It is a false debate meant as distraction from the real challenges for Canada."

 

Also on niqabs:

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe: "The first bill the Bloc Quebecois will introduce is forbidding voting wearing a face covering, oath of citizenship or granting services with a face covering."

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau: "Mr. Duceppe, the people at home know very well what you're doing, it's a challenge you want to push to distract them from the fact you can't make a difference in their lives. We have a plan to relaunch the economy, to invest in families, that's what we want to talk about."

 

On tax hikes for companies:

Harper: "Right now, all sectors, except the energy sector, principally, are on the rise. That's because of numerous measures our government has taken over many budgets and the manufacturing sector has been working with us to develop these programs, they support these programs. The manufacturing sector opposes to tax hikes proposed by the NDP and the Liberals and this is there position."

Trudeau: "The manufacturing sector needs roads and bridges in good health so that we can send our products to market. We regularly see the deficit in infrastructure prevents companies from investing, prevents jobs from being created."

Mulcair: "Because these companies need infrastructure like roads and bridges, they must start to pay their fair share in taxes. But Mr. Harper has .... reduced taxes by tens of billions of dollars, the taxes paid by Canada's largest companies. If Mr. Harper was right and this was the recipe, we wouldn't have 3,000 more people out of work compared to 2008, when the crisis hit. It's worse, the CIBC says the quality of work is the precarious, the worst it's been in a generation. That too, is under Mr. Harper's watch."

 

On right to die:

Harper: "Health care is delivered by the provinces and we respect their jurisdiction. As for the decision by the Supreme Court, we will continue to look at this decision. We've established a consultative committee to develop to response that respects the decision and protects the interest of doctors, patients, handicapped people, the elderly. Certainly, we must modify the Criminal Code in accordance with the Supreme Court decision and we will do so."

Trudeau: "The Liberal party supports this because we understand to what it's important to protect the most vulnerable, but also respect the rights and liberties of all. We asked the Harper government to launch the consultations right away and Mr. Harper dragged his feet and didn't want to look at the extraordinary example of Quebec that showed it could be done with respect."

Mulcair: "It's true it's a delicate case, but nothing stops the federal government from taking action, they are the ones responsible for the Criminal Code. I can guarantee you one thing, the NDP will have a free vote, never would I muzzle anyone on it. That's why it must be a consultation that is real, vast and sincere."

 

On fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Canada's military role:

Harper: "It's not necessary to choose between humanitarian aid and the military mission, we must do both and we are doing both. It's the same thing with security and liberty, it's not necessary to choose -- we must do both in this dangerous world and we have done both."

Trudeau: "Mr. Harper has always talked about this, but the reality is he's not investing properly in our armed forces, he's not getting them the proper equipment, he's not taking care of our veterans when they come home and he's not providing the humanitarian aid or assisting refugees as we should. Canada is respected the world over for its engagements and interventions and in the past ten years with Mr. Harper, we've withdrawn, we've become more mean-minded, and less Canadian on the international scale. This must change."

 

On the Syrian refugee crisis and the death of Alan Kurdi:

Mulcair: "That little boy had a name. His name was Alan Kurdi and his family had attempted to begin the process through one of our members. All of this was given to the (Immigration Minister Chris) Alexander ... the reality is Alexander did nothing ... the reality is Chris Alexander has not told the truth to journalists, has not told the truth to Canadians since the beginning. The United Nations asked us to take in 9,000 from now until Christmas, the United Nations asked us to accept 46,000 in the next four years, we will do it.

Harper: "This story from the NDP is entirely false and it has already been proven."

Mulcair: "That's not true."

Harper: "The NDP should apologize to Mr. Alexander."

Mulcair: "It's you who should apologize, Mr. Harper."

 

Liberal's Clarity Act vs. NDP's Sherbrooke Declaration:

Mulcair: "I was dumbfounded to hear Mr. Trudeau open the debate in English that he didn't have confidence with Quebecers with the normal rules of democracy. These were the rules in 1980 and 1995 referendums; I was there. I battled to keep Canada united, I don't have any lesson to be learned from anyone because I think it's better for everyone to stay together. But I respect democracy, I am a democrat and I don't accept what was sufficient to break up Great Britain is not applied here. Mr. Trudeau says it'll take a lot more than a majority, but he refuses to say how much."

Trudeau: "I've said the same thing in French and in English. Mr. Mulcair likes to talk about it in French, but he doesn't talk about 50 per cent plus one in English. For me, I follow the Supreme Court of Canada ... The Supreme Court has said unanimously that only one vote would not be enough ...

Mulcair: "Completely false ... pure invention ..."

Trudeau: "separate Quebec from Canada, a prime minister should fight for the unity of the country, and it won't surprise anyone that's what I intend to do."

Mulcair: "It's false -- the Supreme Court says it must be clear at a qualitative level -- the question, the way of counting votes, the money spent and on a quantitative terms, in a democracy, whoever wins, wins."

(Arguing ensues between Mulcair and Trudeau)

Harper: "I took positions on all these questions 20 years ago ... since this time, 20 years, Quebecers have been clear: they don't want another referendum. I don't intend to re-open these debates here. The real debate today is on the economy, on our values, on security ..."