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Premier Kathleen Wynne came under pressure Wednesday to end for good police street-checks that disproportionately target black Ontarians, creating the most raucous moments at a pre-election leaders debate that focused largely on racial issues.

As the suburban Toronto debate organized by several black-community groups began, it seemed almost as much about who was absent as who was there. Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford — who enjoys a healthy lead in the polls — decided to skip the event as he toured northern Ontario.

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The formal campaign for the June 7 vote will not actually start until early May.

Wynne was quick to blast Ford for his absence, but soon drew jeers from the audience of about 250 as she defended her government’s decision to restrict police use of “carding” — criticized as a form of racial profiling — but not to do away with it altogether.

She admitted that random carding checks banned under provincial rules are still happening, but suggested the answer is to change police culture, not eliminate the tool entirely.

“We worked to find a balance between allowing police officers to do their job and ensuring they are not overreaching,” she said.