Photo credit: Maclean's
Photo credit: Maclean’s

(Simon Druker and The Canadian Press) The federal leaders face off once again this afternoon, this time in Toronto where foreign policy will be the focus.
The Munk Debate gets underway at 4 p.m. Pacific Time.
Expect things like Canada’s refugee policy and role in Syria, or even the country’s stance on Ukraine to take up a lot of the proceedings.
But political scientist Amanda Bittner with Memorial University in Newfoundland says we’ve heard the foreign policy take on many of the key issues from all the leaders. So, she says don’t expect anything new.

“Usually, we don’t see debates as being the time when they announce new policies. They usually talk about their record, they usually talk about what they’ve already announced, and challenge one another on where they think they’re lacking. A lot of talking about Syria, a lot of talking about where Canada is compared to the past,” says Bittner.

“[We’ll see] criticisms from both the opposition party leaders of Harper’s history as well as Harper, trying to position himself as the defender of Canada in particular security and highlighting what we’ve done in the past,” she adds.

Stephen Harper has made his foreign policy credentials one of his staple messages, saying his track record will keep Canada secure.
Justin Trudeau has talked about Canada working more closely with the United Nations while Tom Mulcair has vowed to end Canada’s military involvement in the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
One of the organizers of the debate says he hopes the leaders will engage in a free-flowing discussion and leave their scripted talking points at home.
Rudyard Griffiths says because the world is at a pivotal moment – he points to new challenges posed by a more assertive China and Russia, the refugee crisis and the troubles in the Middle East — the three leaders should explain their rationale for how Canada can navigate all of that turmoil and make a concrete contribution.
He is offering few clues about what he’ll likely end up asking, but says the Tories, Liberals and New Democrats were recently given a wide range of topics that could come up.

“These debates are also a pressure test for who will be our next prime minister,” he says.

Canada’s reputation has taken a bit of a hit
A new Angus Reid poll gauges your perception of our international reputation. It found just over 40 per cent of people believe our reputation is worse than it was 10 years ago. Only a fifth think it’s better than it was.
The poll also finds Stephen Harper edges out Tom Mulcair and Justin Trudeau when it comes to which leader best represents Canada on the international stage.