MONTREAL - Much of the debate in the Quebec election campaign Monday was about the debate.
Premier Jean Charest, who has a reputation for being quick on his feet in verbal jousting, says he's not interested in participating in a debate with his fellow leaders that uses the same format as the ones in the federal election.
In those debates, the organizers tossed aside the traditional podiums in favour of seating the leaders around a boardroom-style table where they took pre-selected questions from average Canadians.
Charest wants the podiums.
"I want it standing up," Charest told reporters in Ottawa where he was attending a meeting on the economy between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Canada's premiers and territorial leaders.
Charest said the traditional format is more compatible to the leaders squaring off against each other individually and makes it easier for Quebecers to compare their economic visions.
"I want a leaders debate where the leaders can have direct exchanges between each other," Charest said. "For me, the format used in 2007, 2003, and 1998 is the format that allows for direct exchanges."
Charest's office has said the consortium of broadcasters proposing the debate -- TVA, Radio-Canada and the Tele-Quebec public television channel -- is trying to put on an exciting show that isn't in the best interests of Quebecers.
Charest has been feistier in this year's campaign than in the 2007 election, where his debate performance was described as boring.
But one consistent evaluation by pundits of this year's federal election debate format was that it allowed opposition politicians to gang up on Harper. Many said that left him looking defensive.
Charest's rivals accused him of being arrogant in not being willing to try the new format. Both Action democratique du Quebec Leader Mario Dumont and Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois have agreed to the formula, as well as a Nov. 25 broadcast date.
Dumont wondered aloud during a campaign stop in Gatineau if Charest's refusal is part of a Liberal strategy and blamed it on the "cynicism" of the governing party.
Marois said Charest should be willing to compromise.
"We want a debate," she said. "The broadcasters' consortium has proposed a debate format that suits us. I think it suits the ADQ. Mr. Charest should stop being arrogant and accept what the other parties have broadly supported and agreed to on their part.
"Why would Mr. Charest not accept the proposal of the broadcasters' consortium when the two political parties representing the majority of the population accept?"
Marois noted that the last federal leaders' debate drew more viewers with the new format.
Consortium spokesman Denis Pellerin said members are determined to keep the new format, but are also prepared to listen to party concerns and consider adjustments.
While the consortium holds out hope that an agreement can be reached, there is a possibility the debate could be cancelled, Pellerin said.
Also on Monday, Marois' campaign focused mainly on family policy. In Blainville, she announced a PQ plan that would inject $400 million to create an additional 30,000 places in Quebec's daycare system.
She pointed out that while Quebec's birthrate has gone up since the Liberals took power in 2003, the number of daycare spaces has dropped.
Marois said the PQ would also encourage employers to be more creative in dealing with working parents, giving people more leeway to work from home and have flexible hours or reduced workweeks.
Earlier in the day, Dumont ordered the cutting of Internet video links on his party's website.
He said it is easy to create web links and some had appeared on the ADQ site that connected to videos ridiculing other party leaders.
One made fun of Marois and likened her to a snob.
