MONTREAL: Organizers have dropped the topics of immigration and foreign affairs from the federal leaders’ English-language debate Thursday in Montreal.
However, the controversial subjects will be debated in French on Wednesday at the 6 pm ET debate. No reason was given as to why immigration and foreign affairs were omitted from the list of topics.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, provinces outside Québec have seen the highest rates of immigration and most opposition to record quotas.
“There are different editorial leaders in place for the two debates,” said Chuck Thompson, head of public affairs for the CBC, the producers of both debates.
“Each group established themes for their prospective debate.”
Debate subjects for the English telecast were selected by editors with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, CBC, Cable Public Affairs Channel, CTV News, Global News and Steve Paikin of TV Ontario, the debate moderator.
The taxpayer-funded Leaders’ Debates Commission that sponsored the events confirmed immigration was only to be debated in French.
“The French debate themes are as follows in alphabetical order: 1) the cost of living; 2) energy and climate; 3) the trade war; 4) identity and sovereignty; 5) immigration and foreign affairs,” said the Commission.
“The English debate themes are as follows in alphabetical order: 1) affordability and the cost of living; 2) energy and climate; 3) leading in a crisis; 4) public safety and security; 5) tariffs and threats to Canada,” it said.
The CBC’s Thompson gave no reason why immigration was omitted from the English telecast. “With a broad spectrum of subjects and an emphasis on open debate other topics may well surface over the course of the evening,” he said.
Statistics Canada data shows most immigrants live outside Québec. British Columbia and Ontario lead the nation with 39% of their workforce foreign-born followed by Alberta (31%) and Manitoba (29%), according to a 2024 report Canadian Labour Force: What Will Happen Once Baby Boomers Retire?
In-house research by the Department of Immigration indicates concerns about quotas are highest in provinces with the most immigrants. Asked in a 2025 Online Tracking Survey, “Do you feel there are too many, too few or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada?” 61% of Albertans said there were “too many” followed by residents of Saskatchewan (59%), Ontario (58%), British Columbia (56%), Manitoba and Prince Edward Island (53%), Nova Scotia (52%), Québec (44%), New Brunswick (41%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (39%).
“When the focus narrowed from their province or territory to their city or town, Canadians were almost equally split between those who feel there are too many immigrants and those who feel the number is about right,” wrote researchers.
“Forty-one percent said there were too many immigrants coming to their city or town while 39% felt the number was about right.”