Commentary
One of the most disappointing aspects of Ottawa’s 2026 municipal election campaign was the near disappearance of genuinely open public questioning at candidate debates.
In an era when politicians regularly speak about transparency, accountability, and engagement, voters should be asking why municipal candidates were subjected to less direct public scrutiny in 2026 than they were four years ago.
During Ottawa’s 2022 election, residents had opportunities to attend debates where ordinary members of the public could go to the microphone and ask candidates questions directly in front of the audience. At least three mayoral debates employed this format, and at least one ward-level debate did as well. Citizens were not required to submit questions in advance to be filtered through debate moderators. Candidates had to respond in real time to the concerns of actual voters standing before them….