Steve Paikin Moderates a Debate That Barely Feels Like a Leadership Race

A debate among four Ontario Liberal leadership contenders was so cordial that moderator Steve Paikin wondered aloud whether the candidates were getting along a little too well. The event, held last week, offered little of the sharp back-and-forth many might expect from people competing to lead a party—and potentially become premier. The discussion was described as more of a roundtable chat than a conventional debate. Paikin, with relatively little to intervene on, mainly kept the conversation moving. Near the end, he reflected on the unusually friendly tone, noting that the four candidates seemed remarkably comfortable with one another despite seeking the same job. The column argues that the contest has attracted little public attention, to the point that readers might not even know the leadership race is underway. That lack of visibility stood in contrast to the importance of the decision: Ontario Liberals are choosing a new leader, a role that could put its winner in contention for the province’s top political office. Paikin’s closing observation captured the event’s defining impression. Rather than a heated contest, the candidates’ meeting came across as a relaxed exchange, leaving the question of how much notice the race is receiving—and how much urgency voters are seeing in it—hanging over the proceedings.