Amid Pandemic, Leaders’ Debates Vital to BC, Saskatchewan Elections

(L-R) Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson, Green Leader Sonia Furstenau, NDP Leader John Horgan, before the start of the election debate at the Chan Centre in Vancouver on Oct. 13, 2020. The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

Leaders’ debates may be unlikely to change election results in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, but experts say the exercise is invaluable for 21^st-century voters, especially during the pandemic.

Following the Oct. 13 televised debate in British Columbia, pollster Angus Reid found that 49 percent of voters would vote NDP, 33 percent Liberal, and 14 percent Green. The 16-point NDP lead remains within the 7- to 18-point spread the party has enjoyed since the writ was dropped.