Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre got into a heated exchange with a Canadian Press reporter while making an announcement on Parliament Hill.

After delivering remarks on the Auditor General’s ArriveCan App findings, a reporter asked Poilievre “why did your party grant $100 million dollars in regulatory relief to the mainstream media?”

It’s unclear what instance of media relief the reporter was referring to. Poilievre didn’t ask, and instead told the reporter “We don’t want to give any tax dollars to the mainstream media.”

The reporter then interrupted Poilievre, asking him if he regreted his decision, causing Poilievre to accuse the reporter of being “a tax-funded mouthpiece to the PMO.”

After the reporter again interrupted him, the Conservative leader said, “Are you going to let me answer the question or are you just going to heckle on behalf of Justin Trudeau?”

The exchange comes three days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “furious” over Bell Media’s decision to layoff 4,800 employees despite receiving $40 million in regulatory relief from his party last year.

Poilievre no stranger to left-wing media clashes

In October of last year, Poilievre went viral for his response to a left-wing reporter while he casually munched on an apple. The reporter, Times Chronicle Editor Don Urquhart, baked typical left-wing attacks into his questions such as calling Poilievre a populist and Trump-like. 

The CPC leader wouldn’t allow it, and thoroughly embarrassed Urquhart in real time, who couldn’t cite any of his allegations. 

And in August of last year, a similar incident took place between Poilievre and a left-wing reporter after she attempted to label him a “dog whistle to the far-right.”

The reporter, Teresa Wright, asked Poilievre “A number of your own comments and actions have been characterized as dog whistling to the far-right…”

“By who?” Poilievre interjected.

“By …I think it’s been characterized that way,” she clarified.  

But Poilievre wouldn’t let her off the hook. “Who are these experts?,” he said. “You’re saying that experts are saying this. Who are they?”

The reporter tried to move on and asked “Are you trying to court the far-right vote?”