I find it ironic that Jack Layton was saying in the early 1990s what I was saying about the televised leaders debates in 2011 for the federal election. The independent media should set up debates, and if a party doesn’t show up, have a card-board cutout of the missing leader to demonstrate their absence.
In April 2011, Layton was one of the leaders with the power to change attendance in the debates that helped shaped the election campaign, and he stood by while the broadcast Consortium dictated which parties were legitimate, and which weren’t. It will be interesting to see if the NDP position changes in 2015/16 when another debate on TV rolls around.
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff 
Here’s a leader I can respect http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Decision%20%2711/Local%20News%20/2011-09-09/article-2743675/Crane-pulls-out-of-CBC-debate/1