Calgary mayor addresses voters ahead of federal debate

Speaking later, in a live video address on Facebook, Naheed Nenshi called cities the drivers of economies, not the passengers.

May is muscling her way into the conversation, thanks to Twitter.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has no public events scheduled before the debate, at which he is expected to spend much time touting his handling of the country’s finances.

Thursday evening’s leaders’ debate will be moderated by David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail.

The hope is national and regional media will report on May’s responses during the debate.

Green Leader Elizabeth May, who is seeking reelection in Saanich-Gulf Islands, today (September 16) announced that the party will work to end postsecondary tuition fees.

While Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper battled it out over whose economic vision would best lead Canada to prosperity, May provided her own take on economic policy and fact-checked some of her opponents’ claims.

Despite May’s exclusion, Sean Humphrey, the Globe and Mail’s vice-president of marketing, has defended the debate’s format.

“The Green Party’s use of Twitter and other forms of social media are examples of the increasing use of social media to further grassroots democracy”, May said.

Harper said he won’t participate in the English-language debate, which is organized by a consortium of broadcasters, including CTV, but will participate in a French one.

May intends to respond to questions posed by the debate moderator in real time through a Twitter video feed.

She would consider it party crashing if she turned up in Calgary and banged on the door to get in.

“I’m not the most technologically savvy person”, she said.

Tweets supporting May’s guerilla-style debating flooded in by the hundreds during the forum, with the search term “Elizabeth May” neck and neck with the #GlobeDebate hashtag in terms of activity.

“We’re falling behind and we do not have job equity”, she said.