Canadian political leaders square off in biggest debate of election campaign

Canada's major political party leaders joined on Thursday an election debate in Montreal, Quebec, focusing on topics including climate change, refugee crisis in Europe and Canada's future.

This is the first and only debate during the current federal election campaign, joined by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left-of-center New Democratic Party leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Green Party leader Elizabeth May and Gilles Duceppe, head of the separatist Bloc Quebecois, who debuted in such an exchange, took part in the televised debate.

During the two-hour debate, being conducted in French and televised on English-language networks after translation, Harper was accused by two main opposition parties' leaders of trying to win votes by pushing a ban on Muslim women's face coverings during citizenship ceremonies.

Last week, the Harper government announced that it would resettle 10,000 Syrians by next September. However, it would be challenging since his rivals from main opposition said they would not support Harper if his Conservatives thrust into a minority government situation, which current polls suggest that it is a real possibility.

Holding the event in Montreal, the largest city in the French-speaking province of Quebec, was significant since the Oct. 19 election could be decided there.

The debate was hosted by a consortium of national television broadcasters and Montreal's La Presse newspaper. Endi