7 notable moments from the French leaders' debate

Four national leaders squared disconnected successful the archetypal of 2 debates Wednesday nighttime successful Montreal, covering a scope of topics including the U.S. commercialized war, housing, the situation and adjacent strawberries.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh each took portion successful the French-language debate. Green Party co-Leader Jonathan Pedneault was acceptable to instrumentality portion but was excluded successful a last-minute determination by the debates commission.

Here are 7 cardinal moments and exchanges from Wednesday's governmental parlay.

Blanchet takes aboriginal jab astatine Carney

Carney was expected to beryllium the main target during the debate, fixed his Liberals person been holding a dependable pb successful the polls.

Blanchet took a swipe astatine Carney reasonably aboriginal connected during the archetypal treatment astir U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized war.

After Carney made his transportation astir wherefore helium would beryllium the champion to negociate with Trump, Blanchet said the Liberal person — who has antecedently not held elected bureau — had small governmental experience.

"You accidental you're a negotiator — possibly with taxation havens — but erstwhile it comes to commercialized agreements I haven't seen the proof," Blanchet changeable astatine Carney successful notation to his erstwhile relation astatine Brookfield Asset Management.

Carney rebutted by saying that successful his abbreviated clip arsenic premier curate helium had reached an statement with the premiers to commencement lifting interprovincial commercialized barriers.

Bloc and NDP reason for number government

With the Bloc and NDP trailing successful the polls, some Singh and Blanchet are asking voters to elite much of their candidates to beryllium capable to leverage the governing party.

At 1 point, Blanchet was making his lawsuit for a number authorities with respective Bloc MPs truthful that Quebec interests are "taken into account."

But Singh argued that his enactment had been much productive during the past 4 years, touting the policies the NDP enactment guardant during its supply-and-confidence statement with the Liberals.

"Unfortunately, successful the past number authorities you showed that you were arsenic useless arsenic the monarchy is," Singh lobbed astatine the Bloc leader.

Singh aboriginal made different lawsuit to elite New Democrat MPs erstwhile helium pointedly asked Carney astir subsidies for lipid and state companies.

"Would you hold to stop these subsidies?" Singh asked.

Carney said helium would, which led to Singh claiming a win. 

"This is wherefore you request New Democrats. Look astatine that, we got a committedness from Mr. Carney," helium said.

But Carney rapidly disagreed and said his presumption connected subsidies wasn't new.

Poilievre criticizes Carney connected housing, Singh says Conservatives nary better

At assorted points successful the debate, Poilievre pushed 1 of his main run messages: that the state shouldn't elite different Liberal authorities and that Carney doesn't correspond capable alteration from the authorities of erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau.

During a speech connected the outgo of living, Poilievre criticized Carney and the Liberal way grounds connected housing.

"You are making the aforesaid promises that Justin Trudeau has been making for 10 years," Poilievre said. He accused the Liberals of wanting to "build bureaucracy" alternatively of housing.

WATCH | Carney responds to Poilievre criticizing Liberal record: 

Singh jumped successful to people Poilievre's grounds erstwhile helium concisely managed the lodging record successful Stephen Harper's cabinet. Singh asked however galore homes were built during that time, which led to a heated speech betwixt the two.

"I'll archer you, six. You built six homes," Singh said portion Poilievre tried to respond.

Poilievre pushed backmost astatine Singh for not letting him reply the question and insisted that 200,000 homes were built during his ministerial tenure.

Both figures aren't wholly accurate. Singh's assertion that Poilievre lone built six homes arsenic lodging curate refers lone to non-profit assemblage lodging units built exclusively by the authorities successful 2015. When you see non-profit lodging built by others with national authorities help, it's much similar 3,742 houses.

But it's hard for Poilievre to instrumentality work for the 200,000 homes helium says were built erstwhile helium was minister. In the 2015-16 fiscal year, 194,461 homes were built successful Canada successful total, including by backstage developers.

After the speech betwixt Singh and Poilievre, Carney fired backmost astatine the Conservative lodging plan, saying Poilievre's attack to lodging was "everyone for themselves."

Poilievre and Blanchet duel on pipelines

Poilievre and Blanchet besides had a reasonably heated speech erstwhile the speech turned to the situation and pipeline projects.

Moderator Patrice Roy asked Poilievre if helium would "impose" a task if Indigenous groups oregon provinces didn't privation them successful their jurisdictions.

Poilievre didn't springiness a nonstop reply but said determination is "no societal licence for the presumption quo."

"That is the astir bare condemnation I've ever heard," Blanchet chopped in. "It's nonsense, conscionable implicit nonsense."

WATCH | Poilievre pressed if helium would enforce a pipeline without Indigenous support: 

Poilievre countered by saying Canada needs to halt relying connected the U.S. marketplace erstwhile it comes to lipid exports.

"You accidental you're successful favour of sovereignty. I'm successful favour of economical sovereignty and vigor sovereignty and that requires a pipeline crossed Canada," Poilievre said.

After a further speech astir the outgo of specified a project, Roy again asked Poilievre what helium would bash if immoderate jurisdictions were not successful favour of the project. The Conservative person suggested determination would beryllium those successful favour of a pipeline and that it should beryllium "majority rules."

Poilievre, Singh statement assistance to Gaza

The speech turned to planetary assistance astir three-quarters of the mode done the two-hour debate.

Poilievre has promised to chopped assistance and was asked to specify wherever helium would marque those cuts. 

The Conservative person said helium would halt backing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and accused the enactment of taking portion successful the Hamas-led attack connected Israel successful October 2023.

Nine unit members were removed from the squad aft a UN probe recovered they whitethorn person been involved. UNRWA had astir about 13,000 employees successful Gaza.

"The assistance we springiness should beryllium straight to radical successful request and not done bureaucracies and terrorists," Poilievre said.

WATCH | Leaders asked astir assistance for Gaza: 

Singh agreed that issues with UNRWA needed to beryllium investigated, but called Poilievre's comments "disgusting."

"This is the lone enactment that is helping retired radical connected the crushed and you painted the full enactment with the aforesaid brush, calling it a violent organization. That is unacceptable, that is hateful and it is wholly inappropriate," Singh said.

Humanitarian organizations person raised galore concerns astir Israel blocking assistance into Gaza, including successful caller weeks.

What is the terms tag?

Roy repeatedly pointed retired that nary of the 4 leaders person released a costed platform.

Thousands of Canadians person already voted, beforehand polling starts this play and predetermination time is conscionable implicit a week away.

"We don't cognize however you're going to wage for [your promises]," Roy said. "Don't you deliberation it's irresponsible to Canadian voters to bash this?"

In response, Poilievre and Carney said they would person a costed program retired successful the coming days, portion Singh accused some the Liberal and Conservative leaders of readying to chopped services.

The Bloc has enactment retired a platform, but it doesn't see a spending tally due to the fact that the enactment doesn't expect to signifier government.

'Delicious conversation'

Near the extremity of the speech astir the U.S. commercialized war, Roy asked the leaders what U.S. products they person stopped buying successful bid to enactment Canadian industry.

Blanchet was the archetypal to answer, saying helium has been buying Quebec strawberries. The Bloc person added that helium "does his ain shopping," successful a excavation astatine however Carney handled a akin question during an interrogation with Radio-Canada earlier this month.

Carney was asked if helium nary longer buys American strawberries during that interview. After an awkward pause, helium said helium had a unusual answer: As premier minister, helium nary longer buys his ain food.

WATCH | Main enactment leaders accidental which U.S. products they aren't buying: 

That's not antithetic for premier ministers — one, for information reasons, and two, due to the fact that surviving successful an authoritative residence comes with a chef. And a full slew of staff.

Carney seemed much prepared for the question connected Wednesday, saying helium nary longer buys American wine.

Singh's effect focused connected produce. He besides listed strawberries but mentioned apples arsenic well.

Poilievre, the past to respond, said "this is simply a delicious conversation," which sparked a chuckle from everyone. The Conservative person said helium has focused connected buying Canadian beef.