Generally seen as a major turning point for the official leaders' debates ahead of Canadian general elections. The first such debate in 1968, and later Encounter '79 (1979), had been little-watched and were regarded as having made no real impact on their respective elections, but Brian Mulroney's stinging "You had an option, sir" rebuke to John Turner over his patronage appointments was credited both with winning the election for the Progressive Conservatives and ensuring much greater attention was paid to future debates.
