Provincial leaders debate preview

Well, we are just an hour away from the provincial leaders debate. Keep it here on CKNW because this is where it is going to be broadcast as well as on global news. Tonight, the leaders of the three main parties will be facing off. And this is going to be a big test for conservative leader Lorne Dirksen. Given he's new to the job, he's untested as a leader, and he's also leading a party that has had internal strife and tension. just a few weeks ago, was cannibalizing itself. NDP leader David Eby, a lawyer by trade, is seasoned in politics, but he's facing backlash for calling an early election, lagging behind in the polls. And then there's the daycare controversy. Well, let's bring in Michael Gardiner. He's senior partner with Current Public Affairs, a former NDP strategist from the John Horgan era. Michael, thank you so much for joining us.

Robin, thank you for having me.

Okay, how much of this debate is going to be an attack on David Eby?

Well, look, I think David Eby is in the unenviable position of being sandwiched in the middle with a record to defend, two decisions you referenced in your opening notes to defend. One is the decision to go to an election and the other is to stay in $10 a day childcare. And on top of that, he is going to be attacked both by Lauren Dirksen on economy, on other issues, but also on the issues you raised. And he's going to be attacked on the left by Emily Lowen, who probably has the easiest task tonight in terms of how her debate performance will be judged, because she can simply call the NDP and the Conservatives two sides of the same coin and pitch some virtue signaling ideas that could never be implemented, but that David Eby will, in a way, have to answer for, because there will be some voters that he has who will find that appealing.

Yesterday, two polls came out and the conservatives have the edge, so to speak, but one of the polls indicated that there was a preference for David Eby as premier, but that was before all of this daycare stuff came up. If this poll were done today, would the numbers be worse for him?

I think he obviously has to answer for his use of $10 a day childcare. I don't think dwelling on the question of the donation that he made is sufficient. Most people understand that programs should be universal and they don't differentiate who should and shouldn't have access. But the problem with this is he also stalled funding for the program this year. So I think he has to come out strongly either tonight or in the days ahead and commit to an expansion of eligibility for families that need it and a recognition that it was a mistake to pause funding for the program, particularly while he was taking advantage of it.

OK, let's turn things over to Lauren Dirksen. You know, just a few weeks ago, he was not the leader. There was a very different leader. We had conservative MLAs quitting the party, going to another party, coming back. What does he have to do in this debate to convince voters he's he's a premier in waiting?

Well, as you said, Dirksen is largely introducing himself for the first time, and he doesn't have a record to defend. So that gives him a bit of an advantage going in, in fact, in a