Canada party leaders hold high-stakes debate two weeks from vote [Video]

Canada’s main party leaders face off Wednesday in a debate that could prove pivotal ahead of this month’s election, with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s French language skills set to be tested.

Carney’s main rival on the stage in Montreal will be Pierre Poilievre, whose Conservative Party is trailing the Carney-led Liberals in most opinion polls ahead of the April 28 vote.

Carney, who took over as prime minister from Justin Trudeau on March 14, has argued that his experience as a central banker during periods of economic upheaval make him the ideal choice to confront US President Donald Trump, whose trade war threatens thousands of Canadian jobs and whose talk of annexing this country has people incensed.

Poilievre has also promised to stand firm against Trump, but argues that a decade of weak economic performance under the Trudeau-led Liberals has left Canada vulnerable to hostile US trade policies.

The leader …