5 key takeaways from the final Liberal leadership debate
CBC
The four candidates vying to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the debate stage for the final time as the Liberal leadership contest enters the home stretch.
Former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, former government House leader Karina Gould and former MP and businessman Frank Baylis squared off in an English debate Tuesday night.
It is the last time the four will share the same stage before the Liberals announce their new leader on March 9. Here are five key takeaways from Tuesday's debate.
Canada-U.S. relations was the first topic that the candidates dug into, but U.S. President Donald Trump's name was continually mentioned as the conversation moved to other topics like the economy and the environment.
Freeland — who has spent most of the campaign painting herself as the best person to take on Trump given her role in negotiating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) — brought up Trump several times.
"Trump is posing the gravest challenge our country has face since the Second World War," Freeland said during her opening statement.
"Trump is unleashed and empowered. As your prime minister, I will be too," Freeland said. She stated several times that Trump's tariff threats give Canada an opportunity to strengthen the economy.
Baylis suggested his experience in the business world gave him the "expertise" to handle Trump.
"I can predict what he'll do and then I can help build our defences to stop him from doing those things and also counterattack," Baylis said in reference to Trump's tariff threats.
Carney fell back on his experience running the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and heading the Bank of England during Brexit negotiations.
"In a situation like this you need experience in terms of crisis management, you need negotiating skills, but you also need economic expertise," he said.
Gould said "men like Donald Trump" have underestimated her in the past and argued that her time as government House leader has given her skills to handle people with whom she disagrees.
"You can't bring a calculator to a knife fight. You have to fight very strongly and with the right tools and that's exactly what I'm going to do as prime minister," she said.
At multiple points, Carney made some effort to differentiate himself from the Trudeau Liberals.
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The four candidates vying to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the debate stage for the final time as the Liberal leadership contest enters the home stretch.
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