New Blues green with debate envy

As the four main party leaders get ready to hit the debate stage, those who did not make the cut will have to watch from the sidelines.

It happens every election cycle, at least one party is left frustrated by not getting an invitation to the official debates.

In a release announcing this debate — the one and only official debate of the Ontario campaign — the Ontario Provincial Leaders Debate Broadcast Partnership had said it was to be open “to all major party leaders running candidates in all Ontario ridings that currently have an elected MPP sitting in the provincial legislature.”

“But the New Blue Party was not invited despite the fact we have a great MPP up for re-election in Cambridge in Belinda Karahalios and we were the first party to register 124 candidates, a full slate, in this election campaign,” said New Blue Party of Ontario leader Jim Karahalios.

The New Blue Party says debate organizers are breaking their own rules.

“Not invited the New Blue Party of Ontario even though we have an elected MPP in Belinda Karahalios and a full slate of candidates, but they've invited the Liberal Party of Ontario to the debate even though the Liberals aren't running a full slate in this campaign,” Jim Karahalios said.

Debate organizers have since come out to say parties only need to be running candidates in “all or almost all” ridings, adding the 'spirit' of the rules is to ensure all parties with a valid shot at winning can take part.

They also say Belinda Karahalios, while a New Blue MPP when the legislature was dissolved, was originally elected under the Progressive Conservative banner and so does not count as New Blue Party elected member.

The New Blue leader, meantime, says he would look to argue his way into the debate but the clock has run out.

“Well we'd have some good arguments but even if we went to court, by the time we'd get a hearing in front of court the debate would be over,” said Jim Karahalios. 

This is also a very similar position to the one Ontario Party leader Derek Sloan is in.

The Ontario Party also claims to have had an MPP in the legislature at the time it was dissolved in Rick Nicholls though, like Belinda Karahalios, Nicholls was elected in 2018 as a Progressive Conservative.