Roundup: A tire fire of a debate

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Last night was the third and final leaders’ debate in the Ontario election, and it was…terrible. Painful to watch. And yet here we are. Doug Ford promised all kinds of increased spending, and promised not a single layoff, while he offered no specifics on any promise, and a false version of history of when he was at Toronto City Hall. Andrea Horwath promised some different spending than the Liberals, that she would end “hallway medicine,” while being overly generous on the hole in her party’s platform and the fact that she doesn’t stand for Hitler memes (while not having actually rebuked or dumped the candidate accused of posting one). Kathleen Wynne was sorry that people don’t like her personally, but isn’t sorry for her record, and she offered detailed policy in a format that didn’t let leaders fully answer questions and where Horwath in particular kept interrupting and aggressively talking over everyone else. In all, a demonstration that this whole election is absolutely terrible.

In reaction, Chris Selley remarks on Ford’s performance – that the only place he stood out was his promises around childcare (though he didn’t offer specifics, which are that his tax credit won’t amount to much for parents), while David Reevely noted Horwath’s aggressive challenges around Ford’s lack of platform or Wynne’s stance around collective bargaining, showing more fire than Wynne, who was building an intellectual case in a lawyerly tone for much of the debate, only really finding her own fire when she pushed back against accusations around the Hydro One sale.

Good reads:

  • Here’s a look at the possible effects of Trump’s new auto tariffs threat.
  • Ahmed Hussen is using more pointed language in saying that irregular migration is “not welcomed or appreciated,” and they’re trying to get that message across.
  • Jody Wilson-Raybould won’t say if they’re preparing a bill around the Trans Mountain pipeline, but one imagines they would only table a bill if necessary.
  • Ruh-roh! There was a small Kinder Morgan pipeline spill near Kamloops on Sunday.
  • CTV had a sit-down interview with new RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki.
  • CP Rail may be in a strike position this week, so expect some drama around that in the House of Commons.
  • Ever hear the story of Lepord tanks being pulled off of concrete slabs and sent to fight in Afghanistan? Turns out those tales, sometimes told by soldiers, are false.
  • Here is a look at the loneliness of anti-pipeline protesters in Alberta, who don’t attract too many people to their demonstrations.
  • Here are a few more details on the controversy surrounding Michaëlle Jean as she prepares to run for a second term as leader of the Francophonie.
  • The Maxime Bernier–Celina Caesar-Chavannes slap-and-hairpull fight continues.
  • Yesterday marked Andrew Scheer’s one-year anniversary as leader of the Conservative Party.
  • My weekend column takes issue with the points that Senator Peter Harder made before the modernization committee on changing the Senate’s rules.

Odds and ends:

Here is a look at the leaders’ speeches at Saturday’s Press Gallery Dinner.

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