CBCnews

Harper seeks debate changes

Stephen Harper wants the television networks staging this week's leaders' debates to extend the segment devoted to the economy from 12 minutes to a full hour.

Political Bytes

Chris Hall

The Conservative leader says the financial crisis in the United States has deepened since the debate format was finalized and 12 minutes is not enough time to discuss the most important issue facing Canada today. The change requires the agreement of all the opposition parties. And at least one is on board. The New Democrats say they will endorse an hour-long debate on the economy.

An NDP spokesperson tells CBC News that with the financial crisis in the United States, Canadian families are anxious about their own jobs. And there's no better time to debate what each party is proposing on the economy.

The French-language debate will be televised live on Wednesday. The English debate is on Thursday.

Chris Hall