On Wednesday, March 25, CBC News looks at the state of politics and democracy in Canada
@CBCNews #CBCAsks
Does the political process work for Canadians? Can it still solve the big issues of our time? Can people exert more influence on society by working for businesses, NGOs, and other interest groups? As many citizens seem to have grown cynical of politics, what does political leadership really mean anymore? In this important year in Canadian politics and as we approach the 2015 federal election, CBC News will debate these and other provocative questions, beginning with a special Oxford-style live debate on Wednesday, March 25, titled, CBC Asks: Is Politics Broken?
“How Canadians engage with our political process and institutions has been evolving over the years,” said Jennifer McGuire, General Manager and Editor in Chief, CBC News and Centres. “These issues are fundamental to our democracy, and CBC Asks: Is Politics Broken? will help redefine the role that politics plays in the lives of Canadians. Leading up to the 2015 federal election, this debate will be one of the many ways that CBC News will engage Canadians in conversations about politics and democracy.”
CBC Asks: Is Politics Broken? will be live streamed on CBCNews.ca, and Canadians can engage in conversation using #CBCAsks. Beginning at 7 p.m. ET, the debate will take place in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto in front of a live audience.
*** Tickets are free, and it’s open to the public. For further details, and to RSVP for the event, click here.
How it works: On stage, two teams of three debaters will argue a motion moderated by CBC News’s chief correspondent, Peter Mansbridge. The audience will vote on the motion before and after the debate, and the team that is able to sway more voters to their side wins.
The Motion: The political process is no longer the most effective way to enact real change.
Debaters include:
TEAM YES:
Alison Loat is an author, university instructor, and co-founder of Samara
Dave Meslin is a writer, community organiser and trainer
Andrew Coyne is Editorials & Comment Editor of the National Post, and a columnist for Postmedia News
TEAM NO
Sheila Copps is a former Liberal MP and author
Aisha Moodie-Mills is an American progressive strategist, policy analyst, and social entrepreneur
Monte Solberg is a former P.C. MP, and is currently a columnist and advisor
Steve Patterson, host of CBC Radio One’s THE DEBATERS, will MC the evening.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on
new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions,
CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada’s strategy to transform the public broadcaster, and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians, now and for future generations. Through to 2020, the Corporation will increase its investment in prime-time television programming and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.
For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre atcbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.
For further information, or to request interviews, contact:
Corey Black, News and Current Affairs publicist, CBC
416.205.8710
(office)/647.221.4133 (mobile)
Corey.Black@CBC.ca
