After so much effort from the Greens to ensure all Canadians can hear an inclusive debate, what the Conservatives are doing now is absurd and frustrating. So the Cons are behaving typically. Will the media let them get off? Yes, history shows.
Of course, the less the Prime Minister says, the less he gets in trouble.
By doing this, the Prime Minister’s Office is sending a clear signal to legacy media platforms that their old way of doing debates is done. By proactively taking that initiative, it looks like Team Harper is attuned to the times – and voter interests.
-JAIME WATT of Navigator (Firm that dropped Jian Ghomeshi)
Why voters would be interested in the Prime Minister dictating what sort of debates there will be for him to participate in, is beyond me.
Why endure the whole thing when you can catch a recap of the highlights by waiting a short period of time?
Because people don’t speak in sound bites except on Twitter, Mr. Watt. Real life happens first, and media cuts down what’s real into what is presentable for those short periods of time they ironically call “news”.
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff 
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/12/stephen-harper-election-debates_n_7265086.html
It is a symbolic closet. Harper will not take part in anything he cannot fix – as in fixing a race. Wonderful cartoon somewhere – three lecterns marked E. May, T. Mulcair and J. Trudeau and at the end a closet.
The PMO is also sending a clear message to the Canadian majority. By refusing to attend the national debates, we want to continue giving you the finger, by not talking to you, because after all, you are the ones more then anyone else we really hate and you are the ones that can stop our authoritarian agenda.
This would not surprise me. They still refuse to see themselves as the villains, though, as is their wont.
As to the idea that the Consortium continuing on with as many parties as are willing to participate…yes. Go with that. Leave a cardboard standup of Mr. Harper as a stand-in for him.
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2015/05/14/harper-is-now-a-pm-fleeing-his-past/
The Globe (intentionally) misses a key point. The alt debates don’t suggest including May as the Consortium agreed to do this year.
From The Globe and Mail: Broadcasters fight back against federal leaders’ debate changes – http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/broadcasters-fight-back-against-federal-leaders-debate-changes/article24442646/?utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=E-mail:+Newsletters+/+E-Blasts+/+etc.&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1535381/canadian-broadcasters-to-stage-national-election-debates The Consortium should tell the Cons that their seat will instead go to the other uninvited party in the House.
Further, invite as many broadcasting outfits into the Consortium as are willing to join.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-election-2015-conservatives-agree-to-globe-and-mail-google-debate-1.3080417?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&cmp=rss
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/network-debates-without-harper-no-problem/article24565777/