Premier Kathleen Wynne says she hopes the tone of tonight’s U.S. presidential election debate is “less rancorous” than the campaign has been thus far.
“I don’t know if that’s a faint hope, but I think it would be better for everyone if there were a more civilized discussion of the issues,” Wynne said Monday at a Toronto community health centre. “That’s what I’m going to hold out for.”
Wynne will be among tens of millions of people on Monday who will watch the first debate between Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican Party nominee Donald Trump.
The Premier said she will pay particular attention to any discussion of free-trade policy, as the two contenders have taken a hard line on the issue. The U.S. is Ontario’s largest trading partner, with 80 per cent of the province’s exports destined for the country.
“The concerns around protectionism and the issues around free trade and our access to markets, those kinds of issues are of great concern to all of us,” said Wynne. “And I think that’s shared on the North America continent, if not globally.”

Heard: Wynne to listen for trade talk during U.S. Presidential debate

Read this for free.