Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who frequently shows his disdain for radical, left-wing mainstream media, will skip their beloved press gallery dinner. 

According to the Canadian Press, a spokesman for Poilievre said he’s “not coming” and did not provide a reason why.

Seemingly upset with the popular leader’s decision to skip the elitist event, The Globe and Mail’s Andre Picard wrote on Twitter, “Traditionally, party leaders deliver a self-deprecating speech, and get a few digs in at their critics too.” 

But as the Sun’s Lorrie Goldstein rightly pointed out, “It would only be news if he was going given his publicly stated views about the PPG.” 

Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not attend the dinner while he was PM but did attend as the Opposition leader. 

Poilievre is a favourite target of the federal Parliamentary Press Gallery’s salacious, biased media coverage.

“News” organizations like Global News and Canada’s National Observer birthed a figurative cow after Poilievre was photographed with Diagolon founder Jeremy MacKenzie. Although no average Canadian has ever heard of the group before, Poilievre was shamed for apparently not knowing who MacKenzie was and agreeing to a photo with him.

(During his leadership campaign, Poilievre would spend hours after every campaign event taking photos with attendees).

And, of course, there was the time when Global News reporter David Akin had a temper tantrum at a Poilievre press conference, interrupting and heckling the Conservative leader repeatedly. 

Poilievre ran on defunding Canada’s state broadcaster, CBC, a favourite campaign promise for the thousands of Canadians who came to his events. 

Poilievre won the Conservative leadership last month on the first ballot with 68% of the vote — more than even Harper received during his leadership victory. Perhaps his decisive victory indicates how broad swaths of the Canadian public feel towards the biased mainstream media.