Niqabs and Quebec separation highlight latest leaders’ debate

More from L. Ian MacDonald available here.

But covering one’s face is one of those issues that is wrapped in symbolism.

If Uber were a ballot question it would sweep the country.

Polls indicate the proposal is popular in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, where there are longstanding tensions over how tolerant Quebecers should be towards the customs and traditions of migrants.

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”.

He’s appealing to the Supreme Court.

Coderre was speaking not just as mayor of Montreal, but as a former immigration minister in the federal government. He also promised to scrap parts of Bill C-24 that give the government the right to strip citizenship from dual nationals – or those with a claim to dual nationality – if they commit serious crimes.

As for Mulcair, as he was wrapping up his visit with Coderre he was about to make a major address on the niqab matter over at Bonsecours Market.

Even though the controversy surrounding the niqab risks dealing New Democrats a body blow in Quebec, the NDP leader doubled down on his opposition to banning women from wearing the veil during citizenship ceremonies. “We must reject this divisive approach and look for ways to engage with each other“. “We want new citizens that take the oath with their faces uncovered”, he said in his speech. Of the remaining four leaders on the podium, Trudeau seems to have the best chances of cutting into the NDP’s Quebec base. And it means the Conservatives would be looking at no less than 10 seats in Quebec, where only a week ago they would have won no more than five.

Too many Canadians have become economically marginalized.

Faced with a surge of support for the left-leaning parties, Harper could be in a position again to see an attempt to topple the government should he be successful on election night. “And that is something widely supported by Canadians”.

The question, however, also appears to resonate beyond Quebec.

The Bloc Québécois has played a role in moving poll numbers with its frankly disgusting animated attack ad in which spilled pipeline oil morphs into a woman wearing a niqab. He has proven to be quite astute at keeping his party’s grasp on government, and furthermore, the opportunity exists for plenty of instances of vote-splitting to burst the bubble both the Liberals and NDP have sat upon for months now.

Because immediate implementation isn’t an option, though, the NDP’s offer is that of hope – ruled out by the Liberals and Conservatives – that important programs carefully and thoughtfully constructed over the course of an election cycle or two will benefit Canadians for decades to come.

But in Quebec, the NDP still leads with 32.8 per cent voter support.

Most of that movement to the Conservatives is in the 418 region of Quebec City and surrounding ridings on the North and South Shore of Quebec.

“We have the leadership and experience to replace Stephen Harper with a government that is more like us and brings us together”, Mulcair said during the televised debate, held at the headquarters of Radio-Canada. But no one shook Mulcair enough to damage him outright. He accused Duceppe of grandstanding and splitting the vote. In the first debate, Mulcair was the personification of valium.

Harper wasn’t going there.

I guess you could chalk it up to a victory for traditional debate media.

But the Bloc leader agreed with Harper once more, on the military mission.

Duceppe had some moments; his best came when he asked aloud whether Mulcair delivers different political messages in English and French: “I wonder if Tom Mulcair talks to Thomas Mulcair”.

As in previous debates, Harper was again the picture of calm-a smiling emitter of talking points.

Trudeau: “I’ve said the same thing in French and in English”. More than a few support his anti-terrorism agenda.