PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier secured an invitation Monday to two official leadersB次元官网网址� debates in October.

The LeadersB次元官网网址� Debates Commission, formed by the federal government to organize the two debates, said BernierB次元官网网址檚 party has a B次元官网网址渓egitimateB次元官网网址� chance of electing members in more than one seat and he therefore qualifies to participate, a decision that drew immediate objections from the Conservatives and New Democrats.

Bernier has said that participating in the debates is crucial to getting his new partyB次元官网网址檚 message in front of potentially receptive voters.

He had previously been denied the chance to debate because the commission found his party did not meet at least two of three criteria for participation:

B次元官网网址� having at least one MP elected as a member of that party;

B次元官网网址� running candidates in at least 90 per cent of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 338 ridings; and/or

B次元官网网址� having won at least four per cent of the popular vote in the last election or having a legitimate chance at electing candidates

Bernier is the partyB次元官网网址檚 lone MP but he was elected as a Conservative, forming the PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party after losing the leadership to Andrew Scheer and ultimately concluding that thereB次元官网网址檚 little difference between the Tories and the Liberals.

The PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party is running candidates in more than 90 per cent of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 ridings. But the debates commission initially ruled that the party didnB次元官网网址檛 stand a legitimate shot at electing more than one candidate and told Bernier he was out.

After giving the party more time to provide further evidence and to bring the decision closer to the date of the actual election, debates commissioner and former governor general David Johnston said the party does in fact have a B次元官网网址渞easonable chanceB次元官网网址� at winning multiple seats.

B次元官网网址淭hat was the right decision,B次元官网网址� Bernier said in a video posted to Twitter soon after the news.

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Michel Cormier, executive director for the debates commission, expressed confidence in the decision-making process.

B次元官网网址淯nder the leadership of Mr. Johnston, itB次元官网网址檚 been a very reasoned and detailed and deliberate process to make sure we come to the right decision. Because itB次元官网网址檚 a decision of importance,B次元官网网址� Cormier said in an interview.

Johnston noted in a statement made public Monday the decision-making process for determining inclusion was B次元官网网址渃omplexB次元官网网址� and required interpretation of what was meant by B次元官网网址渓egitimate chance,B次元官网网址� and how to consider multiple factors B次元官网网址� some of which were quantifiable and some which were not.

Johnston also said it was difficult to predict the chance of winning in this early stage, but based on past trends, he concluded B次元官网网址渋t is possible that the PPCB次元官网网址檚 support may change positively over the course of the upcoming campaign.B次元官网网址�

On the question of more recent polling data, the debates commission worked with the research firm EKOS to survey four ridings the PPC flagged as having prominent candidates with a chance of victory.

B次元官网网址淲e decided not to poll peopleB次元官网网址檚 general voting intentions of other partiesB次元官网网址� so the commission could isolate the level of potential support for the PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party, Cormier said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not predicting victory here, weB次元官网网址檙e just trying to measure whether they have a reasonable chance,B次元官网网址� he said.

The resulting polling found substantial minorities of people in those four ridings who said it was either B次元官网网址減ossible, likely, or certainB次元官网网址� they would vote for the PPC candidate.

The level of potential support broke down to 34.1 per cent of respondents in Nipissing-Timiskaming, 29.9 per cent in Etobicoke North and 25.9 per cent in Pickering-Uxbridge, all in Ontario, and 24.5 per cent in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingly, in Manitoba.

The commission also asked polling firm Nanos Research for an opinion on what level of support was needed to win a riding. Based on past electoral results, Nanos responded that parties had a chance of winning a seat if they garnered more than 25-per-cent support.

B次元官网网址淯pon review of this opinion, I conclude that where more than one of four voters in a riding considers voting for a party, that party has a reasonable chance to elect its candidate,B次元官网网址� Johnston said.

The debates commissioner also took into account BernierB次元官网网址檚 personal popularity in his own riding of Beauce, Que., as well as a submission from the Conservatives that no party has won a seat with national support under three per cent since 1949.

The Conservatives accused Johnston of bias against them. Some Tories have accused EKOS pollster Frank Graves of being anti-Conservative as well, which heB次元官网网址檚 denied.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 no big surprise that Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 hand-picked debate panel used a Liberal-friendly pollster who attacks Andrew Scheer to ultimately justify Mr. BernierB次元官网网址檚 attendance at the debate,B次元官网网址� press secretary Daniel Schow said by email. B次元官网网址淭rudeau has been stacking the deck for months, using the power of his office to tilt the playing field in his favour for this election.B次元官网网址�

The New Democrats objected to BernierB次元官网网址檚 inclusion for a different reason.

B次元官网网址淭he rise of extremism, hate speech and white supremacy is a real threat to our country. Leaders have a responsibility to not feed this problem, but this is exactly what Maxime Bernier is doing,B次元官网网址� the NDP said in a statement.

B次元官网网址淲e think this was the wrong decision. The decision has been made independently, so there is nothing else that we can do, but we hope other leaders will join us in denouncing any hate speech from Maxime Bernier.B次元官网网址�

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The Liberals also offered a statement: B次元官网网址淥ur Liberal team appointed former governor general, the Right Honourable David Johnston, to lead the new debate commission so decisions on participation for the two official debates would be made independently. We look forward to continuing to share our positive, forward-looking and inclusive vision with Canadians.B次元官网网址�

Bernier will join the leaders of the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, Bloc Quebecois and Greens in two debates: one in English on Oct. 7 and a French-language debate Oct. 10.

Christian Paas-Lang, The Canadian Press

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