Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called CBC and the Canadian Press the Prime Minister’s public relations team after a journalist wrote about the fact Justin Trudeau usually only gives his itinerary out to those outlets, while lying to others.
“Trudeau lies about his schedule and then tells his personal propaganda outlets CP/CBC where he will be so they can show up and write puff pieces,” the Conservative leader said, adding, “CP/CBC are not media. They are part of Trudeau’s public relations team.”
Under Poilievre’s comments was a screenshot of a Substack article from the well-known Canadian journalist, Paul Wells, who’s published in a number of outlets over the years.
Wells’ article hones in on the lack of transparency in Trudeau’s daily schedule, which often reads “private meetings” with no public events, making it difficult for journalists and the public to know his whereabouts or activities.
Except, Wells notes, is the special access granted to the Canadian Press. “In all recent cases with Trudeau, it’s been a CP reporter — because no other news organization except CP has been informed of these events,” he said.
Poilievre tells reporter “You’re a tax-funded mouthpiece to the PMO”
Poilievre has been accusing the CBC and CP of being government shills since he was nominated the Conservative’s party leader. In February, he got into a heated exchange with a Canadian Press reporter while making an announcement on Parliament Hill, calling him a “tax-funded mouthpiece to the PMO.”
In October of last year, Poilievre went viral for his response to a left-wing reporter while he casually munched on an apple.
Both CBC and CP, of course, have defended their journalistic integrity despite the allegations.
Andrea Baillie, the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Press, told Wells that “It’s long been part of CP’s mandate to be with prime ministers as they carry out their duties.”
She continued, “Alongside major broadcasters, we provide ‘pool coverage.’ That means we gather details on what the PM said and did on behalf of all press gallery journalists, at events where there is limited space. Typically, the PMO provides embargoed information (i.e. times and locations) on the PM’s schedule on short notice so we can get there on time.
The pool is bound by an agreement to use this information for planning purposes only until the events take place, at which point the CP reporter provides details on what they saw and heard in a note sent to all press gallery journalists.”
