THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL 鈥� The first French-language leaders鈥� debate gave a somewhat subdued Justin Trudeau a platform to sharply defend his stand on one of the most divisive and emotional issues of the federal election: the niqab.
But Trudeau also used that heated discussion 鈥� and almost every chance he got during the two-hour exchange 鈥� to redirect attention back to his key messages on the economy and growth.
鈥淚 think that if a man can鈥檛 impose his will on how a woman should dress, we shouldn鈥檛 let the state impose how a woman shouldn鈥檛 dress,鈥� the Liberal leader told his four opponents.
Polls say an overwhelming majority of Quebecers 鈥� and many Canadians across the country 鈥� disagree a woman should be allowed to wear religious face coverings during citizenship ceremonies.
But when Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe portrayed Trudeau as out of touch with Quebecers on the issue, the Liberal leader stuck to his position.
鈥淢r. Duceppe,鈥� Trudeau said, 鈥渢he people at home know very well what you鈥檙e doing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenge you want to push, to distract them from the fact you can鈥檛 make a difference in their lives. We have a plan to relaunch the economy, to invest in families, that鈥檚 what we want to talk about.鈥�
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Duceppe oppose allowing veils during the ceremony, while Trudeau, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Green party Leader Elizabeth May do not.
The debate was a night where Trudeau often stayed on the sidelines, as the strongest exchanges involved Mulcair, who was the main target due to his party鈥檚 dominating lead in the polls in French sa国际传媒.
The Liberal leader also took a softer approach, acting calmer and interrupting his opponents much less than he did during the first two English-language debates of the election campaign.
Trudeau frequently stuck to talking points, hammering home his party鈥檚 platform of cutting taxes for the middle class, increasing child-benefit cheques and running deficits to pay for billions of dollars worth of infrastructure spending that he says will stimulate the economy and create jobs.
鈥淲e put together a plan that will help you directly,鈥� he said staring directly into the television camera. 鈥淎nd we will be a better partner to the provinces than Harper has been.鈥�
His attack strategy was clear: to paint his strongest opponent in Quebec 鈥� Mulcair 鈥� as a centralizing figure who would impose an Ottawa-centric vision on the provinces.
Trudeau said the New Democrat wanted to give transfers to the provinces but with strings attached 鈥� a line that works in Quebec, a province leery of a strong central government.
鈥淚t鈥檚 surprising that the NDP wants to act like a centralizing government,鈥� Trudeau said.
Trudeau also brought up the 鈥渃entralizing鈥� theme again on the issue of controlling greenhouse gases, when he criticized Mulcair for wanting to impose a cap-and-trade system created by Ottawa on the provinces.
The Liberal leader said provinces such as Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia have their own systems in place and the federal government should act as a partner, not as a dominant figure.
Trudeau also talked about his plan to run three years of what he called 鈥渕odest deficits鈥� of $10 billion in order to invest in infrastructure.
Mulcair said Trudeau鈥檚 plan would put debt on the backs of future generations.
Trudeau shot back saying, 鈥淎 new (subway)isn鈥檛 debt, Mr Mulcair.
鈥淭he manufacturing sector needs roads and bridges in good health so that we can send our products to market,鈥� Trudeau said, defending his pledge to borrow billions to invest in projects across the country. 鈥淲e need a partner that invests and that鈥檚 what we are proposing. The others say balanced budgets at any price 鈥� and the austerity that comes with it.鈥�
The word austerity has a special ring in Quebec, a province that has seen thousands of people protest the provincial government鈥檚 plan to cut public spending in hopes of balancing the budget.
The debate also touched on the fight against terrorism, military spending and refugees, with Trudeau repeatedly accusing Harper of destroying sa国际传媒鈥檚 reputation on the world stage.
Trudeau said Harper has failed veterans and hasn鈥檛 provided enough money for front-line military resources, especially for the Royal Canadian Navy.
Twice the Liberal leader said he would cancel the program to purchase the F-35 fighter jet, buy a cheaper aircraft and put the savings into shipbuilding.
He also criticized Harper for missing what he said was the Conservative leader鈥檚 鈥渕odest鈥� target for welcoming Syrian refugees and added that a Liberal government would bring in 25,000 Syrians by the end of the year.
鈥渟a国际传媒 is respected world around for its engagements and interventions and in the past 10 years with Mr. Harper, we鈥檝e withdrawn, we鈥檝e become more mean-minded, and less Canadian on the international scale,鈥� Trudeau said. 鈥淭his must change.鈥�
