Elizabeth May met 5 undecided Canadian voters. Here's what happened

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May sat down with five undecided voters from across the country to answer questions about how she would tackle the issues that matter most to them.

Tuesday's exchange was the third instalment of The National Presents: Face to Face with the Federal Party Leaders — a CBC News feature that gives five undecided voters five minutes each to grill one of the four federal party leaders. 

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's turn in the hot seat came Monday and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer had his turn Tuesday.

One of the undecided voters who spoke to May — Danny Ottenbreit, a 35-year-old farmer in Saskatchewan with a wife and a toddler — said he has concerns about how international trading relationships have hurt Canadian farmers.

• Watch The National Presents: Face to Face With the Federal Party Leaders on CBC News Network, CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App (iOS or Android) or CBC Gem at 8 p.m. ET, followed by highlights on The National at  9 p.m. ET on CBC News Network, and at 10 p.m. ET on CBC-TV and online.

Ottenbreit asked the Green Party leader about how Canadian farmers' reliance on selling to international markets could be reconciled with her proposal to produce more food for Canadians at home to reduce carbon emissions.

Watch: May answers questions on climate change and global markets from Danny Ottenbreit: 

Elizabeth May on agriculture and climate change

5 years ago

Duration 8:51

Danny Ottenbreit is a fourth-generation grain farmer and father from Saskatchewan who hopes to raise another generation of grain farmers. He says he believes agriculture is part of the solution to the climate crisis and asks May how his industry fits into her policies.

Shirley Frost, a 62-year-old from Whitehorse, Yukon, said she is concerned about the dramatic impacts of climate change in the fragile Canadian North and what Canadians must do to reverse current trends.

She asked May how she would educate the rest of Canada about the impact of climate change in the Arctic.

Watch: May answers questions on climate change from Shirley Frost:

Elizabeth May on northern affairs

5 years ago

Duration 9:12

In Canada’s North, people like Shirley Frost, a First Nations elder from Old Crow, Yukon, witness and experience the effects of climate change on a daily basis. Frost asks May what she’ll do to address the high cost of food in the North, the impact of climate change on the land and how she will ensure that children in the Arctic become responsible citizens.

Mathew Mozaffari, a 21-year-old from Toronto, is a first-time voter. He said he worries that Canadian students are not being prepared to succeed in an economy increasingly driven by technology. He said Canada is not competitive enough globally and wants to know what May will do to ensure Canada's success in the world.

Watch: May answers questions on global competitiveness from Mathew Mozaffari:

Elizabeth May on technology and innovation

5 years ago

Duration 8:44

Mathew Mazaffarri is a 21-year-old Toronto software developer with a passion for the ever-evolving world of technology. As he prepares for his first federal vote ever, he wants to know how May plans to help people in the technology sector stay relevant and succeed in a field that is changing rapidly.

Amanda Cruz, a 39-year-old from Scarborough, Ont., said she worries about the cost of living, specifically when it comes to housing and child care. Cruz said she lives in a small two-bedroom condo with her husband and fears she is never going to be able to own a house.

Watch: May answers questions on cost of living from Amanda Cruz:

Elizabeth May on the cost of living

5 years ago

Duration 8:46

Amanda Cruz, from Scarborough, Ont., says her family is struggling to stay in the middle class because of the unaffordability of housing and child care. She pressed Green Party Leader Elizabeth May for a timeline on introducing universal child care and making more affordable housing available.

Kristina Galetin, 62-year-old widow from Toronto with two daughters, said she is concerned about climate change and wanted to know what May's ideas are for helping manufacturers, businesses and citizens respond to the climate crisis.

Watch: May answers questions on climate change from Kristina Galetin:

Elizabeth May on environmental responsibility

5 years ago

Duration 6:10

Kristina Galetin is an Ontarian trying to reduce her environmental footprint, but she wonders how everyday citizens can make a difference in the fight against climate change. She asks May how she’ll help businesses and individuals change their attitudes toward the environment, and how she’ll hold other parties to account.

This week on The National Presents: Face to Face with the Federal Party Leaders:

• Monday, Sept. 30: Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.
• Tuesday, Oct. 1: Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.
• Thursday, Oct. 3: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

Methodology:

The undecided voters chosen to question the leaders have been carefully selected from across the country and represent the diversity of the electorate groups — regionally, racially and ethnically, socio-economic, different ages, different priorities. Each voter is undecided, but open to voting for the leader they are across from and looking for the answers they need for a question that relates to their lives.

We invited leaders who are running national campaigns. We provided a date range in order to have them all recorded and aired in the span of one week. Mr. Bernier initially declined our offer to participate due to scheduling issues and we have since invited him for an interview later in the campaign.  Mr. Blanchet was not invited as the Bloc Quebecois is only running candidates in one province.