2021 Federal Election Coverage

The two-hour-long event hosted by the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce allowed each candidate one minute to answer questions emailed in by the audience.

The call of a snap federal election last month put candidates into campaign overdrive during a polarizing time in world politics, and the result has shown a high occurrence of campaign signs being vandalized in the Banff-Airdrie riding.

Watch out for the 'September surprise,' says MacEwan University professor

The debate was the only English language federal leaders' debate before the Sept. 20 election.

“I knew what he was really asking. What he was saying. In that moment, I knew he wanted me to lie — to attest that what had occurred had not occurred. ... Lie to protect a Crown government acting badly; a political party; a leader who was not taking responsibility,” said Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Elections Canada said early estimates show more than 1.3 million voters cast their ballot in-person on the first day of advance polls on Friday, which is more than what was recorded during the 2019 election.

The St. Albert-Edmonton district has an area of 104 square kilometres and a population of 121,313, based on 2016 census data. There are 93,763 electors on the preliminary federal election lists, according to data from Elections Canada.

The five leaders frequently talked over one another. Leaders on the receiving end of accusations or loaded questions from rivals were often given no chance to respond.

This week’s French- and English-language debates come as opinion polls suggest the Liberals and Conservatives are stuck in a tight two-way race, with the NDP and Bloc poised to determine which of the two main parties emerges victorious.

The topics discussed Wednesday included climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Indigenous Peoples and cultural identity.