Election Interference Begins With the Trudeau Liberals

Creating a list of state-approved and “trusted” media outlets, then shoveling dump-trucks full of cash into their bank accounts, is guaranteed to deliver a certain result – and not one would expect from an independent media.

“Our government is committed to ensuring that Canadians everywhere continue to have access to accurate, diverse and relevant news. In order for that to happen, we have to continue to have an active, professional, reliable and independent press,” says the press release issued by Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.ⁱ

It’s hard to claim journalistic independence when you’re beholden to the government for your paycheck, up to $55,000 per year per employee.

It’s even harder to claim journalistic integrity when one of the requirements for receiving that payment is for “coverage of democratic institutions and processes.”ⁱⁱ

Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has no interest in helping ALL Canadian media outlets, just the ones that can help it get re-elected this fall.

Under Liberal funding rules, the caveat that an organization “is not significantly engaged in the production of content for a government, Crown corporation or government agency” hinges on who decides the definition of “not significantly.”

The Liberal government, not the media and certainly not the citizens of Canada, decides that and, in so doing, the Liberal government institutionalized domestic election interference.

The Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper, will receive $115,385 per week ($461,540/month) from the government’s $600 million media slush fund. ⁱⁱⁱ

You will not find this information in any Toronto Star news release, however. While privately the Toronto Star is ecstatic to take the government’s election interference bribe, they appear ashamed to publicly talk about it.

Even the Star understands how bad this looks, but they also believe putting their hands over their ears while chanting “la la la la la” can make this all miraculously go away.

It won’t work.

The so-called “independent panel” who decides how the government’s media slush fund is doled out is headed by Unifor, the militant anti-Conservative union representing journalists, auto, forestry and mine workers.

Proudly proclaiming Unifor is “Andrew Scheer’s worst nightmare,” the union believes anything that pushes forward a leftist agenda is perfectly legitimate.

“The media should be independent from the government,” Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre said. “We should not have a situation where the government picks a panel that then decides who gets to report the news. That is very dangerous.”^iv

“Very dangerous” is an understatement echoed by the Canadian Association of Journalists who expressed serious and legitimate concerns over transparency.

“The government fell short on a number of transparency steps recommended by the CAJ including that the panel defining journalism eligibility have its terms of reference, meeting agendas and minutes be published online.”^v

When our government watchdogs look for the demon of all demons, “election interference,” they can begin their search right here at home, starting with the Prime Minister’s office.

 

Sources:

i https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-government-of-canada-supports-canadian-journalism-to-ensure-the-vitality-of-democracy-822434599.html

ii https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/programs/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/federal-government-budgets/budget-2019-investing-middle-class/canadian-journalism.html

iii https://twitter.com/mindingottawa/status/1156923610113740802

iv https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-media-sector-gets-595-million-package-in-ottawas-fiscal-update/

v https://caj.ca/blog.php?name=journalism_measures_in_budget_2019