An 18-Year-Old Ontarian Became The Star Of The Election Debate For Being So Damn Relatable
It was the heartfelt moment we all needed.
A new star has officially emerged from the first and only English-language leaders' election debate.
On the debate topic of reconciliation, a first-time voter from Sault Ste. Marie got the chance to ask the party leaders an important question.
After first speaking about how trust and respect are key to any relationship in the Ojibwe culture, 18-year-old Marek McLeod appeared to forget what he wanted to say, pausing and saying what sounded like either "oh sh**" or "oh shoot."
With some quick encouragement from the debate's moderator, Shachi Kurl from the Angus Reid Institute, McLeod came back strong to finish his question.
"How can I trust and respect the federal government after 150 plus years of lies and abuse to my people? And as prime minister what will you do to rebuild the trust between First Nations and the federal government?" McLeod asked.
The reaction to his slight stumble was swift on Twitter, with many viewers showing their support.
I love the way Marek McLeod from Sault Ste. Marie stumbled a bit but rallied at the end to get his question out to the Leaders about rebuilding trust between First Nations people and Ottawa. Live tv isn\u2019t easy!\n#Debate2021— Donovan Vincent (@Donovan Vincent) 1631238949
Some acknowledged that mistakes happen to everyone, even on a big stage.
Shout out to Marek Mcleod for their wicked recovery on that slip. We\u2019ve all been there! Not literally on a debate forum but you know what I mean— Jaimee Jakobczak \ud83c\udf41 (@Jaimee Jakobczak \ud83c\udf41) 1631238899
One thing was clear — for many, McLeod was a highlight of the debate.
Marek McLeod... Highlight of the debate so far?pic.twitter.com/UsvyUYPAX0— Roberto Wakerell-Cruz \u271d\ufe0f (@Roberto Wakerell-Cruz \u271d\ufe0f) 1631239024