Canada is shifting — and last night, we watched the fault lines widen in French. The French-language debate wasn’t about applause lines or slick rehearsals. It was a political MRI — and the scans were revealing. Pierre Poilievre walked in like a man told to behave — and it showed. Gone were the shouty soundbites, the rage-tinted slogans, the performative anger. What we got instead was the quiet version of Poilievre… and honestly? There was nothing there! No TikTok cadence. No faux-fury. Just awkward pauses and the unsettling realization that without the noise, he doesn’t actually have much to say. Jagmeet Singh looked good. Sounded good. But left almost no mark. Yves Francois Blanchet was bold, biting, and very Quebec — he played to his base, but his base isn’t what it used to be. Mark Carney, the guy they all came for, stood there calmly -answering, clarifying, sometimes stumbling, but never flinching. His French wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. He didn’t perform. He persevered. There’s a difference. And it matters.
Now, with the French debate in the rearview, we shift to the final stage: Thursday, April 17-the English-language leaders’ debate. This is it. The last chance to see all the leaders side by side, speaking in a language they all understand, on a stage where no one gets to hide behind subtitles or hometown crowd advantages. So what should we expect? Poilievre will try to recalibrate. Expect him to swing between slogans and smirks. But now that we’ve seen what happens when the volume drops, don’t expect much substance. Singh will bring the heart. But it may land like déjà vu unless he can carve out something new. Blanchet will toss cultural grenades from the sidelines. Because even in English, he knows how to make Quebec heard. Carney will be the wildcard again. Still not polished. Still not a seasoned politician. But maybe that’s the point. No stunts. No script. Just well-informed responses and calm.
So, indulge me for a moment as I have my own debate question… I am just curious Mr. Poilievre, if you want to lead Canada, could you pretend you don’t want to burn half of it down to win? Let’s start with what we’re all pretending not to see. The Freedom Convoy crowd didn’t disappear — they just traded their rigs for lawn chairs at your rallies. And from the looks of it, they’re not just supporting you… they might be writing the damn agenda. And where are you, Pierre? Right there. Not just watching it happen — encouraging it. You’ve got convoy cosplay at every rally, flag-bearers with a vocabulary that begins and ends with “F***” and you haven’t said a word. Not one. First it was F** Trudeau*. Now it’s F** Carney*. Tomorrow? Probably F** Literacy* -as long as it fits on a flag and keeps the rage machine running. So here’s the real question, Mr. Poilievre: Will you ever look your base in the eye and say, “This is not the Canada I want”? Because until you do, you’re not just tolerating it. You’re endorsing it — with silence, winks, and staged rallies so sanitized, even Fox News might call it propaganda-lite. But of course you won’t say that. Because to denounce them is to lose them. And without them, your campaign isn’t a movement — it’s just a merch stand with a podcast. Do you lead these people? Or just read their comments section and call it policy? Because if you can’t, or won’t say that the flag-waving hate mob doesn’t represent your vision for Canada, then we’ll have to assume that it does. And at that point, let’s be honest: You’re not running to be Prime Minister of Canada, you’re auditioning to be manager of the Maple MAGA outlet. Same rage. Different flag. Because this one isn’t about politics anymore. It’s about whether you actually give a damn about this country or do you just want to watch it burn from the top floor of 24 Sussex with a smirk and a slogan.
And now that I’ve emptied that political junk drawer here we are. The French debate peeled back the polish. The English debate may expose some gaps. And the question Poilievre will never answer is still hanging in the air like smoke from a fire he helped start. And now? Now we vote. Not to relive history — but to stop it from repeating what’s happening next door. Because this isn’t about slogans or seats anymore. It’s about sovereignty – ours. And whether Canada steps forward with spine… or follows the convoy into a country it won’t recognize by Christmas. So vote like the border just caught fire. Because actually it kind of already did.
Nancy's Notes 