OTTAWA—The leaders of the five main federal parties have all agreed to participate in a second televised French-language debate, a consortium of broadcasters working with Montreal newspaper La Presse announced Tuesday night.

“The leaders of all the invited political parties expressed a desire to participate in debates in French, and we heard them,” said a statement from Michel Cormier, director general of information at Radio-Canada Tuesday night.

“This debate will be unique in its reach from coast to coast and its diversity of voices,” said Cormier in a release announcing the participation of Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May at a debate in Montreal Sept. 24.

The debate is being organized by Radio-Canada, Tele-Quebec, CBC News, CTV News and Global News, in partnership with La Presse.

The news came after Mulcair confirmed he would participate in a bilingual debate on foreign affairs hosted by the Munk Debates, which was followed by confirmation from both the Conservatives and the Liberals, although Trudeau has asked that May be invited to that debate as well.

There are now five debates the Conservatives, the NDP and the Liberals have committed to.

“We’ve said from the beginning that Tom Mulcair will debate Stephen Harper anytime, anyplace,” NDP campaign director Anne McGrath said in a statement emailed to media Tuesday.

The NDP and the Conservatives had originally agreed to participate in the Munk Debate, which would take place Sept. 28 at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, but Mulcair later added conditions that put his participation in this and several other debates in doubt.

One of those conditions was that Conservative Leader Stephen Harper also participate, which appeared to rule out the traditional televised English and French debates proposed by consortium of broadcasters.

The NDP also said it would participate in an equal number of debates in French and English.

Since a debate proposed by Quebec-based broadcaster TVA was the only French-language debate Harper had agreed to, this condition suggested Mulcair was considering abandoning the English-language Munk Debate and the one proposed by the Globe and Mail with Google Canada.

The NDP confirmed the new development means their participation in the Globe debate is no longer in doubt.

In her statement announcing the Munk Debate decision Tuesday, McGrath also urged the Conservatives to agree to a second French-language debate, and the NDP is now describing the latest development as a victory.

“We’re very pleased that Tom Mulcair’s efforts have increased the number of debates Mr. Harper is going to participate in as well as the French-language content in the debates,” NDP senior campaign adviser Brad Lavigne said in an interview Tuesday night.

Liberal campaign spokeswoman Kate Purchase said in an email that Trudeau would take part in the Munk Debate now that it is bilingual.

“Yes we have confirmed, but are asking that Elizabeth May be included as well,” said Purchase.

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May and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe had not been invited.

Rudyard Griffiths, organizer of the Munk Debates, said he was pleased Mulcair had reconfirmed his commitment to a bilingual version of the debate proposal.

“I think there is an important potential here for innovation in terms of how Canada stages political debates. We’ve often had this, I think, artificial and maybe unnecessary division between ‘French-language debates’ and ‘English-language debates,’ ” Griffiths said.

Griffiths said that while Harper had agreed to participate in the original proposed debate, the Conservatives have not yet confirmed their participation in the bilingual version.

A spokesman for the Conservative campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Mulcair, who has been facing criticism for his decision not to take part in a debate unless Harper is there, said Monday the Conservative leader must be there because “he’s the person I want to defeat and replace.”

DATES OF THE DEBATES

Aug. 6: In English, hosted by Maclean’s

Sept. 17: On the economy, hosted by Globe and Mail and Google Canada

Sept. 24: In French, hosted by a broadcast consortium with La Presse, in Montreal

Sept. 28: Bilingual, on foreign policy, hosted by the Munk Debates, in Toronto

Oct. 2: In French, hosted by TVA.

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