In 2011, when I was an Ottawa Citizen columnist, I argued that while I didn’t support Green Party leader Elizabeth May, I felt she should be included in the leaders’ election debates. Eight years later, my sentiments are exactly the same with respect to People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier’s recent exclusion by the Leaders’ Debate Commission.

I’m aware that Bernier, like May, didn’t meet the specific requirements to participate in the leaders’ debates. However, I’ve always felt the rules for participation are too restrictive, and the process of eligibility isn’t completely democratic.

For instance, a party is required to have an elected MP who ran under its banner to win a seat. Bernier, the only PPC MP in Parliament, doesn’t qualify because he was elected as a Tory and didn’t give the seat up when he started his new faction.

Some argue he would have lost in a byelection and avoided jumping back into the fray. It’s possible, although he and his father, Gilles, have held the Beauce riding for most of the past 35 years. (Former Liberal MP Claude Drouin, who held it between 1997-2006, never ran against the Berniers.)

There’s another reason. Previous by-elections have cost upwards of $1 million. The expense to taxpayers that would have been incurred for Bernier to resign his seat, and win it again to join the leaders’ debates, seems costly and unnecessary.

The commission also argued polling data puts the PPC at around 3 per cent, which would translate into 0-1 seat(s). But if Bernier produces three to five candidates who could win seats, and the commission independently verifies them, the ruling could be adjusted.

I doubt it, however.

The PPC is struggling at the polls, but it’s a new party experiencing the usual amount of growing pains. It’s also impossible to predict a candidate’s potential viability before the writ is dropped. Two former Tory MPs, Corneliu Chisu and Gurmant Grewal, and Dr. Salim Mansur are all running for the PPC. Could this sway voters? Maybe.

Meanwhile, the main political parties have become too clubby when it comes to leaders’ debates. The Liberals, Tories and NDP know the debates don’t have huge viewership, but work to their benefit for public exposure and winning seats. Even though they’ve now let in May twice, and keep including the Bloc Québécois (which remains controversial), the focus is primarily on them.

Yet, leaders’ debates should be about enhancing voter choice, knowledge and understanding. Restricting leaders like May and Bernier from participating only serves to hurt our democracy and electoral process. It also gives smaller parties the opportunity to claim that “elitism” is their greatest political adversary.

Why should we unnecessarily add this type of fuel to an already-raging fire?

My suggestion is for the commission to let Bernier in the leaders’ debates. Let him say his piece, let the voters decide, and let democracy rule.

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Michael Taube, a columnist/political commentator, was a speech writer for former prime minister Stephen Harper.

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