Judge denies Elizabeth May’s bid to join leaders’ debates

Green party Leader Elizabeth May has lost in her last-ditch effort to get in to the televised leaders’ debates.

Federal Court judge Marc Nadon has decided not to expedite the case before the first debate on Tuesday.

The party says it will look at all options before deciding whether to pursue the case any further.

It says the court has made its decision, but the public still wants May to participate in the debates.

The Greens had been hoping the court would agree to hear her case and rule before the debates got under way next week.

Party lawyer Peter Rosenthal argued the guidelines used to decide who’s in the debates change with every election and are “constitutionally deficient.”

A lawyer for the media consortium that’s running the debates argued the matter was too complex to be heard fully within a matter of days.

The Greens wanted a judicial review of a CRTC policy that says broadcasters do not have to include all political parties in debates.

The media consortium running the debates insisted that only parties with seats in the last House of Commons can participate.

The French-language debate will take place April 14.

This story was provided by the Canadian Press and appeared in today’s Globe and Mail and a large number of newspapers in Canada.