French leaders’ debate offers Canadians more of the same: May

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Green party Leader Elizabeth May said she heard more of the same on the second night of the televised leaders’ debates.

May, who was excluded from the debates because the Greens don’t have a seat in the House of Commons, was no more impressed in French than she was in English.

She said much of the discussion was recycled from the previous night, and the format no more engaging than before.

May says excluding the Greens has done more damage than merely keeping the party’s position out of the spotlight.

She said it sends the message that the party, which attracted nearly one million votes in 2008, when she was included in the debates, isn’t a legitimate choice.

She cited Libya and climate change as two issues she felt were largely overlooked in the debates.

“I was surprised by how many of the debate scenes were repetitions of what happened (Tuesday),” May said. “I would have wished that the media consortium had ensured that different issues were covered.”

May acknowledged, however, that the French-language debate was more animated and confrontational than its English predecessor.

“I do think there’s been more of a sense of energy and fire in this one,” she said.

Of course, there was one glaring omission, she added: her.

“I think that it’s damaged the Green party to have excluded us from the debates,” May said. “Their decision-making to deny a serious federal political party participation in the single most important television event in a federal election campaign is outrageous.”

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