What would be the greatest political debate of all time? Or just this election? As part of the promotional efforts for Monday’s leaders debate, all five moderators were asked to answer some debate-themed questions — favourite moments from past faceoffs between Canadian leaders, for instance. One of the questions called upon us to pick any two people, living or dead, anywhere in the world, who we would like to see in debate. Here’s what I answered: I’d like to see any of the current federal leaders in Canada, at their present age, debating their younger selves. When you think about it, that’s been a running theme of this federal election for many of the political leaders — matching the politicians they are today with the people they were in their past. Justin Trudeau, the 47-year-old vying to keep his job as prime minister, could confront the 20-something man who found it amusing to dress up in blackface or brownface in his exuberant youth. Beyond just asking him what he was thinking, the Liberal leader of today could tell the younger Trudeau just how wrong his dress-up preferences were. The younger one could remind the older one that the same caution should be applied to clothing choices during prime ministerial trips to India. Andrew Scheer, the 40-year-old Conservative leader, could have it out with the rookie MP who stood in the Commons in 2005 and said that same-sex marriage wasn’t really marriage — more like calling a dog tail a dog leg. The older Scheer could tell the younger Scheer that Canada and the world were already in the midst of a transformation about notions of marriage and equality in the early 2000s, and these sentiments wouldn’t age well. The older Scheer could also warn the younger Scheer that his dual Canada-U.S. citizenship would come up in 2019, so perhaps he might want to figure out what to do about it, or at the very least practise judicious silence on dual citizenships of other politi ...
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