University professors in New Brunswick are asking St. Thomas University to withdraw its offer to host CTV's leaders' debate on Thursday unless the leaders of all five political parties in the New Brunswick election campaign are allowed to participate.

St. Thomas University professor Jean Sauvageau is the president of the Federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations. He says STU should withdraw from hosting a leaders' debate on CTV unless all five provincial parties are invited to attend. (CBC) The debate format will see only the leaders of the Progressive Conservative, Liberal and New Democratic parties take part.

Jean Sauvageau, the president of the Federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations, has asked CTV to also invite Green Party Leader David Coon and People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin to take part in the debate.

If CTV doesn't open the debate to all the party leaders, Sauvageau asks that "STU refuses to partake in this undemocratic undertaking and withdraws its offer to host the debate."

"STU's decision to accept the request of CTV to host a debate which limits the number of leaders to three, as opposed to all five, flies in the face of the true spirit of democracy," states Sauvageau in a letter to St. Thomas University president Dawn Russell.

"In light of the extremely varied electoral platforms advocated by the parties, each one having crucial implications for the future of New Brunswick, there are no valid reasons that justify CTV's arbitrary decision to exclude two leaders nor are there any reason that justify STU's decision to host such an undemocratic debate," says Sauvageau, who is also a professor at STU.

Universities are places where debates are allowed to flourish and where all voices can express their point of view - Jean Sauvageau, president of Federation of Faculty Associations of New Brunswick

"It is most egregious to see STU, an institution of higher learning, accept to host this debate on its campus. Universities are places where debates are allowed to flourish and where all voices can express their point of view," states Sauvageau.

"CTV’s arbitrary exclusion of two legitimately recognized party leaders sends an unsavoury message to everyone about the value and desirability of democracy in New Brunswick.

"More to the point about hosting the debate on a university campus, what message does it send to students about democratic participation, critical thinking and inclusiveness? Those are values that cannot be parsimoniously promoted, solely on the basis of mercantile considerations, i.e., viewership ratings for the television network and a rental fee for the host institution.

"In short, freedom of speech simply cannot become an empty concept."

STU spokesman Jeffrey Carleton said the university is not receiving a fee for use of its space.

Carleton said the matter of CTV inviting only three of the leaders was discussed at the university, but it was determined it isn't the university's place to play a role in determining the participants in the CTV event, or in any of the 400 other events staged on campus each year.

"We decided to proceed because we didn't want to be in a position of dictating to anybody what the content or format of their event should be," said Carleton.

"We're very reluctant to start saying to groups that use our facilities and on-campus groups, `What is your format? Who is speaking? Do you have balance?'

"We feel that would just cross a line that we don't think is appropriate," said Carleton.

Freedom of speech simply cannot become an empty concept. - Jean Sauvageau, president of Federation of Faculty Associations of New Brunswick

Earlier in the campaign, the Progressive Conservative party initially said it would not take part in the CBC English debate on Sept. 9 unless participation was limited to the Tories, Liberals and New Democrats. However, the debate remained open to all five party leaders and the Conservatives eventually relented and participated.

The French-language debate did not include the Green or People's Alliance leaders due to language proficiency considerations.

In debates last week on Rogers television, all five party leaders participated.