Green Party co-leader says removal from leaders’ debates is ‘undemocratic’ – SteinbachOnline.com [Video]

The stage will look different than originally planned Wednesday night, when Canada’s major party leaders square off in the first of two nationally televised debates.

Instead of five podiums on the stage, there will now only be four.

The Green Party had its invitation rescinded less than 12 hours before the debate is set to start, with the Leaders’ Debate Commission saying the party no longer met the criteria to be included.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault called the “last minute decision” both “unfounded” and “undemocratic.”

The commission said the decision was made because the party made a strategic decision not to run candidates in every riding after initially telling the commission it would.

Speaking in Montreal, Pedneault said that decision comes seven days after the final candidate list was published by Elections Canada.

“Somehow they decided that what matters most here isn’t a fair debate, it’s a debate, the …