Leaders' debate was just as fierce on the social media stage

Sunday's leaders' debate capped the busiest day of election-related traffic Twitter Canada has seen since the campaign officially started.

Sunday was the busiest day for tweets about the Ontario election since the campaign began

Mike Wise CBC News Posted: May 28, 2018 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 28, 2018

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, centre, speaks as Ontario Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne, left, and Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath look on during the third and final televised debate of the provincial election campaign in Toronto on Sunday. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

Sunday night's leaders' debate was a hit online.

According to Twitter Canada, Sunday was the most active day for political discussions and engagement since the campaign began.

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The social network says Ontario Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne led the way in terms of mentions online, followed closely by PC Leader Doug Ford, with NDPLeader AndreaHorwath trailing.

Wynne's opening statement that she was "sorry not sorry" that more voters didn't like herwas accompanied byits own hashtag:

"#SorryNotSorry. Government is not about winning power. Its about using the power youre given to make a lasting difference in peoples lives."

@Kathleen_Wynne #ONdebate pic.twitter.com/hl2rkeehWP
—@Kathleen_Wynne

On both Twitter and Facebook, the Liberal Party released a campaign ad during the debate, based on her lines of contrition, where she went on to defend her party's record.

The Ontario Liberal Party released this ad online during the leaders' debate (Facebook)

Some of Doug Ford's most well-received posts dealt with his attacks on the NDP.

Do you know where the NDP are going to get their money from? They are going to get it from YOU. #onpoli #ONelxn #ONdebate pic.twitter.com/36BFhGl6Bk
—@fordnation

Meanwhile, Andrea Horwath scored with some of her attacks on Ford.

"Mr. Ford, your plan is to give $1200 to the rich and 18 dollars to everybody else. You say you're for the little guy, but your plan is for the rich." #ONdebate #Change4Better #ONpoli #ONelxn
—@AndreaHorwath

Twitter saidthe top issues discussed online were health care, the records of previous governments andconcern over the deficit.

These are the top Tweeted issues from Sunday night's Ontario election debate. #ONdebate #OntarioVotes pic.twitter.com/1HNCPovpuh
—@TwitterCanada

The prominence of health caremay have been due in part toan active social media campaign run by the group Your Ontario Doctors, which is encouraging doctors to vote against the Liberals.

CBC News tracked more than 280 messages from the group's Twitter account during the time of the debate.

Most of those tweets were replies to tweets from Kathleen Wynne or other Liberal candidates during the debate.

The group accused the Liberals of co-opting its #carenotcuts hashtag bypromoting #careovercuts during the debate.

The Liberals's version cracked into the top ten hashtags of the night, according to Twitter Canada:

#onpoli
#ondebate
#onelxn
#ontariovotes
#dougford
#sorrynotsorry
#change4better
#ontario
#careovercuts
#cdnpoli

Because the Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner was not allowed to participate in the debate, he live streamed his own commentary on Facebook.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner live streamed his own response to the leaders' debate. (Facebook)

By Monday morning at 10:45 a.m., that stream had attracted about 7,200 views.

Corrections

A previous version of this story stated that Mike Schreiner's Facebook live stream attracted 47,000 views. In fact, as of 10:45 a.m. on Monday, it had attracted approximately 7,200 views.
May 28, 2018 10:42 AM ET

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Leaders' debate was just as fierce on the social media stage

Sunday was the busiest day for tweets about the Ontario election since the campaign began

Corrections

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