First of all, the CRTC does not mandate debates. The CRTC says that the court decision of 1993 means that the debates themselves are not about partisan political character. The “equitable” and in fact the obligation of balance, which is also in the Broadcasting Act, apply throughout the broadcast period, the election period, which is a defined term and is defined by the issue of the writs.
It's measured by the CRTC in response to, for example, complaints, by looking at the overall conduct of the broadcasters during the entire election period as to what they have shown, what they have not shown, and what parties they have featured in the four types of coverage I mentioned.
“Equity” does not necessarily mean “equal”. It recognizes that broadcasters have the liberty of expression that's guaranteed in the charter and also mentioned in the Broadcasting Act to make that sort of editorial decision. It does not necessarily mean “equal”, but the “equity” of the choices are looked at globally over the period.