Media Room | Munk Debates

The Munk Debates are announcing today the membership of its national academic advisory council for the first ever election debate on Canada’s foreign policy.

Chaired by Stephen Toope, Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs, the council advised the Debates on the topics and themes that will form the basis of tonight’s election debate. Made up of leading scholars of international affairs from across Canada and overseas, the council also advised the debate’s moderator, Rudyard Griffiths, on the framing of the questions that will be put to leaders at Roy Thomson Hall.

Statement by Rudyard Griffiths, Chair of the Munk Debates:

“I am pleased to announce that Mr. Harper, Mr. Mulcair, and Mr. Trudeau have accepted our final proposal for the rules and format for the Monday, September 28 Munk Debate on Canada’s Foreign Policy. We are looking forward to hosting all three leaders at a debate where participants can speak in either official language when they want and for as long as they want. We also look forward to providing the audience at Roy Thomson Hall, those watching on television and the Internet, or those following the Munk Debates social media feeds with simultaneous translation of the entire debate proceedings."

“This morning we provided the participating parties with the final rules and format for the Munk Debate on Canada’s Foreign Policy. The parties have until noon tomorrow to indicate their acceptance of the debate’s rules and format. Parties who do not respond within the allotted time will forfeit their place in the debate."

« Nous avons fourni ce matin les règles et le format définitifs du débat Munk sur la politique étrangère du Canada aux partis politiques qui participent à cet événement. Les partis ont maintenant jusqu’à demain midi pour confirmer qu’ils acceptent les règles et le format du débat. Les partis qui ne répondent pas dans le délai prévu perdront leur droit de participer au débat.

In all of our public and private communications with the three party leaders invited to take part in the Munk Election Debate on Canada’s Foreign Policy, we indicated that our event would have “bilingual components”. The draft format that we proposed to the parties last week includes components conducted in both official languages. At no time did we state that the debate would be bilingual.