Voters will be able to see Ontario's major party leaders square off in a televised election debate on Tuesday evening.
Premier Dalton McGuinty will join PC leader Tim Hudak and the NDP's Andrea Horwath for the 90-minute debate in a downtown Toronto studio.
It will be the first time this election that the leaders will to lob shots at one another in the same room.
- Watch the Ontario Leaders Debate live on CTV, CTVToronto.ca and CTVNews.ca on Tuesday, Sept. 27 starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Also join our live chat with special guests Peter Graefe and Duff Conacher.
Recent polls show the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are still neck-and-neck with both parties in minority government territory. This could make Horwath's New Democrats the election kingmakers.
With the Oct. 6 election nearly a week away, a political science professor argues that Tuesday's televised debate is a crucial battle.
McMaster professor Henry Jacek said the closer a debate is to the election, the more impact it is likely to have on voters.
"Whoever has momentum in the days coming out of this debate, it's going to be hard for the others to turn it around -- they just don't have the time," Jacek told The Canadian Press.
Not only does the debate bring all major party leaders together, it allows voters to see them outside of photo-opportunities and campaign stops.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said Monday that he's looking forward to hashing issues out with his election rivals.
"It's one of those very rare opportunities during the course of a campaign where we can debate provincewide issues together in front of a large Ontario audience," he told reporters.
"I look forward to getting the opportunity to compare our positive, forward-looking plan to the plans put forward by the other two."
McGuinty has three previous debates under his belt, an asset against Horwath and Hudak who are both participating in their first debate.
Tory insiders have said that they've been working to portray Hudak as an experienced candidate who is Premier material.
"We're hoping to do OK in the debate but ... this is McGuinty's fourth debate and truthfully, we're hoping to survive," a PC strategist who did not want to be identified told The Canadian Press.
Candidates often participate in mock debates in the days leading up to the main event. Party employees act as stand-ins for real political rivals.
During a campaign stop on Monday, Hudak said he isn't intimidated by the upcoming event.
"Everyday is a little bit of practice, I look forward to it," he said.
- Watch live election coverage on Thursday, Oct. 6 on CTV, CTVNews.ca and CTV News Channel starting at 9 p.m. ET
With files from The Canadian Press
