An absent Justin Trudeau was the primary target for opposition leaders Thursday during the first debate of the federal election campaign but his rivals managed to bloody one another as well.

Trudeau gave the Maclean91裸聊视频檚/Citytv debate a pass, preferring to spend his time at a rally in Edmonton. Even before they took to the debate stage in Toronto, his rivals accused Trudeau of cowardice, afraid to defend what they described as his abysmal record.

But some of the sharpest exchanges during the debate saw opposition leaders attacking each other, particularly the NDP91裸聊视频檚 Jagmeet Singh and the Greens91裸聊视频� Elizabeth May, who, polls suggest, are locked in a potentially existential battle for third place.

Both portrayed Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 Liberals and Andrew Scheer91裸聊视频檚 Conservatives as establishment parties that cater to the wealthy and vied to present themselves as the real progressive alternative.

Scheer, for the most part, kept his sights trained on Trudeau, lambasting him for running up massive deficits despite promising in 2015 that he would return the federal budget to balance after a few years of modest red ink. He warned that a re-elected Liberal government will raise taxes to pay off the accumulating debt and promised a Conservative government would 91裸聊视频渓ive within its means91裸聊视频� and return to budgetary balance within five years.

91裸聊视频淏y getting back to balanced budgets, we can lower taxes and put more money in your pockets, so that you can get ahead,91裸聊视频� Scheer said. 91裸聊视频淭hat is what this election is all about: who do you trust to make life more affordable and help you get ahead?91裸聊视频�

But both Singh and May countered that Scheer would cut taxes for the wealthy and cut services for the rest. And, on foreign policy, they accused him of being a clone of U.S. President Donald Trump.

91裸聊视频淚 realize if anyone wants to know where you stand, just figure out what Trump wants, 91裸聊视频� said May. 91裸聊视频漎ou will do what Trump wants. He might as well be the ventriloquist and you91裸聊视频檙e Charlie McCarthy.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 just false,91裸聊视频� countered Scheer.

DON91裸聊视频橳 MISS:

Charlie McCarthy was the doll in U.S. entertainer Edgar Bergen91裸聊视频檚 act, which was big from the 1930s to the 91裸聊视频�50s.

Scheer dodged several questions from the debate moderator, Maclean91裸聊视频檚 columnist Paul Wells, about whether he still supports Brexit now that the United Kingdom91裸聊视频檚 move to leave the European Union is mired in chaos. But Singh took the opportunity to tie Scheer91裸聊视频檚 pro-Brexit sentiment with a broader anti-immigration sentiment, accusing Scheer of using 91裸聊视频漝efamatory language91裸聊视频� about refugee claimants arriving in Canada through unofficial border crossings and of having 91裸聊视频漵ome association91裸聊视频� with anti-immigrant Yellow Vesters.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 just not true. You91裸聊视频檙e just making things up,91裸聊视频� Scheer said, insisting that Conservatives want a fair, orderly and compassionate immigration system.

Both Singh and May went after Scheer over Conservative senators91裸聊视频� blocking a bill that would have ensured Canadian laws conform to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. It stalled in the Senate and died with the election call.

Scheer defended his senators, arguing that Conservatives were concerned the bill would have required free, prior, informed consent of Indigenous communities for any resource project, effectively giving a veto to a single community that could hold all the others 91裸聊视频渉ostage.91裸聊视频� May and Singh chided him for what they called disrespectful and inappropriate language.

Despite their jabs at one another, the three opposition leaders rarely lost a chance to pummel their primary target: Trudeau. Debate on Indigenous issues veered into the SNC-Lavalin affair, with Scheer taking the opportunity to remind viewers that Trudeau is the only prime minister to have been found to have broken ethics law.

91裸聊视频淎nd now we find out that the RCMP is looking into this case with a view to possible obstruction of justice charges and he is obstructing their attempts to get the truth,91裸聊视频� Scheer said, referring to reports this week that the RCMP probe has been stymied by the refusal to waive cabinet confidentiality on matters surrounding former attorney general that she was improperly pressured to stop the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

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Earlier in the day, Trudeau stuck by his decision to participate only in two official debates next month and a third in French hosted by TVA. And he suggested he91裸聊视频檇 prefer to be on the campaign trail in B.C. and Alberta anyway.

91裸聊视频淭he opportunity to get out across this country, speak with Canadians, listen to them, and talk about how we are going to build a better future for everyone and how we91裸聊视频檙e going to choose a better future for everyone is at the core of what this election is all about for me,91裸聊视频� he said in Victoria, where he announced an expansion of a program to help first-time homebuyers.

That night, he was revving up party faithful at a rally in Edmonton, reminding Albertans of his government helping them to weather the plunge in world oil prices, including buying the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

The Canadian Press

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