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Why We Want To Host The Leaders' Debate

We couldn't agree more that the federal election debates need a refresher. So last week HuffPost Canada and Twitter Canada, along with Samara Canada, submitted a proposal to the federal parties that invited them to a debate worthy of a connected and social age.
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We couldn't agree more that the federal election debates need a refresher. So last week HuffPost Canada and Twitter Canada, along with Samara Canada, submitted a proposal that invites federal parties to a debate worthy of a connected and social age.

Canadians are busy, make no mistake. But we're also more connected to information and to each other. We don't make appointments with our televisions -- the news comes to us while we are on the move and from friends. Increasingly, we are bookmarking apps on our smartphones and sharing information with our networks.

HuffPost Canada operates in French and English in five cities across Canada, part of the Huffington Post family that is one of the biggest news sites in the world with multiple foreign editions. Canada was the first international edition, launched four years ago. Twitter has established itself as a platform for real-time news, debate and conversation. It's become an essential second screen. And Samara Canada is a non-partisan charity that champions a stronger Canadian democracy through increased political participation.

Below is an excerpt of the proposal we sent to the parties that I think speaks to that new world -- and opportunity. We look forward to hosting such a debate for you.

A debate hosted by HuffPost Canada and Twitter enables your party to reach a large and differentiated audience that television and traditional newspaper outlets fail to deliver: Millions of voters under 45 who do not have ties to newspaper or television brands, urban Canadians who do not have cable, voters who are spending more of their time watching video online, on a laptop, mobile device or a tablet, not on a television.

We and our partners want to connect a digital audience to leaders in the spirit of public debate on issues that matter to Canadians, on the platforms where Canadians are living their daily lives. Will they seize opportunity?

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