The Counter Signal’s Keean Bexte ran into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday, where Bexte asked about the Liberals’ disastrous Bill C-18 that has his party scrambling.

As Trudeau was leaving the McDougall Centre, where he spoke with Alberta Premier Smith, he was met by Bexte before he could hide behind his mile long motorcade and well-armed bodyguards. 

“Prime Minister, your government has overseen the greatest collapse of the news media in this country’s history” Bexte asked. 

“When will you take responsibility for your own incompetence, Mr. Prime Minister?”

“Good to see you,” Trudeau replied. 

Within seconds, he was hiding in his car, refusing to take questions both during his meeting with Smith, and after. 

The Liberals passed the Online News Act (Bill C-18) last month. Once the legislation comes into effect, the bill will force tech giants to pay designated Canadian news outlets for clicks that direct people to their platforms.

But since the bill was passed, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms said they will block Canadian users from accessing news articles rather than pay up as per Trudeau’s new law.

During Trudeau’s fake meeting with Smith that took place just prior, he didn’t really commit to anything, as the two leaders continue to disagree on the target for a net zero power grid.

Smith told him that his plan to achieve a net-zero power grid by 2035 is “not possible.”  

Trudeau said that a working group would be put together where the feds and Smith can find common ground, “where we will be able to sit down, and really look at what our experts are saying, what your experts are saying…”

Critics online suggested the only reason why Trudeau really went to Alberta was to collect Liberal Party donations, as the PM is putting on a fundraiser where attendees need to donate $1,700 to chat with him. 

Last year, Trudeau pretended to visit the Stampede by setting up shop about 20km away from the action — outside the actual Stampede grounds — in a public library parking lot.

Mainstream media outlets subsequently said he was “mobbed by admirers.”