John Streicker, the Yukon's Green Party candidate for the Oct. 14 federal election, is uncertain if he'll be permitted to participate in any local radio or televised debates after a consortium of national media outlets barred Green Party Leader Elizabeth May from their nationally televised debates.

Jason MacDonald, a spokesman for the consortium, which includes CBC, Radio Canada, CTV, Global and TVA, said Monday three parties opposed May's inclusion in the debates, "and it became clear that if the Green Party were included, there would be no leaders' debates."

Streicker, disappointed in the national media's position, said he did not have anything on the record from CBC North regarding his inclusion in local debates that would be broadcast on radio or television.

"My view is that in a democracy is that when you include all of the candidates, then you make for a better debate," he said in an interview today.

"And I'm disappointed that the (national) media would respond to threats from other (party leaders)."

According to several reports, all federal party leaders except Liberal Leader Stephane Dion would refuse to participate in televised debates if May were included.

In April of last year, Dion and May struck a deal not to run challengers in each other's ridings after May announced plans to take on Conservative incumbent Peter Mackay in his Nova Scotia Central Nova riding.

John Boivin, CBC North's Yukon program manager, told the Star this morning he was conferring with the regional program director this afternoon and that the Green Party was one of several issues to be discussed.

John Agnew, CBC North's regional director in Yellowknife, N.W.T., said this afternoon he hoped to have network protocol on the matter later in the day.

"Certainly, the best debate for voters is the debate in which all candidates are participating, and that's what we'd like to do," he said.

The Liberal incumbent for the Yukon, Larry Bagnell, suggested excluding May from national debates is undemocratic.

"In a democracy, it's always good to have new ideas in the mix even though we don't agree on everything the Green Party does," he said today between campaign stops.

"I'm not sure why (NDP Leader) Jack Layton, (BQ Leader Gilles) Duceppe and (Conservative Leader Stephen) Harper are afraid of the Green Party."

While Duceppe has said he didn't threaten to cancel if May were included, both Harper and Layton have taken the position that May is a defacto Liberal candidate whose Green Party has yet to be elected to Parliament, and therefore should be excluded.

"We said if the Liberals were going to have two representatives (in the debates), we would not accept the invitation," said Brad Lavigne, NDP campaign spokesman.

May, who has threatened to go to court over Monday's decision, has dismissed both rationale.

Last week, Brian Wilson, the former Liberal MP for West Vancouver who had been sitting as an independent since 2006, announced his intention to join May's party, giving the Greens their first member of Parliament.

Brian Eaton, the Yukon NDP riding association president, said today there's been no directive from the national party headquarters to take a position on the matter.

"Basically, we're pretty much on our own in terms of getting our office ready, our nomination meeting organized," he said. "We don't need approval from the national office at every step of the process."

Eaton noted the party will have a local candidate after its nomination meeting Thursday evening and as far as he's concerned, Streicker should be welcome to participate in any debates.

"The local Green candidate should be included; that's my personal opinion," said Eaton, adding the issue would likely be discussed at a party election planning committee meeting tonight.

Calls to the Yukon's Conservative candidate, Darrell Pasloski, were not returned by press time.