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I wanna show you tweet that came out of the Prime Minister's Office yesterday
and this was the way the country found out
officially who their new finance minister is. It came from
Stephen Harper's Twitter account and it announced
Joe Oliver and and it offered up the
video if you clicked on the link of Joe Oliver talking. Well it was all very
interesting except all the reporters who gathered around
Rideau Hall yesterday, and Jennfer I think you were one of them,
hoping to witness all this happen and
interview as we traditionally do the new ministers coming out.
A: they didn't get to go and watch it and B: then get to
interview any everybody. What does this say about, you know, the
the need for reporters on Parliament Hill the press gallery. What's happened here?
Well I was gonna say it's the subtext but it's not the subtext
the message the clear message that we got from the Conservative government is
that reporters are not necessary and I think
they're they're so focused on a marketing campaign
for the party on their reelection and reporters in journalism
just don't fit with the marketing policy and so that's where you see the
sort of propaganda
coming out video videotaped
interviews by mysterious people with ministers because
reporters aren't needed and I think this is disturbing I don't think this is
a gallery press gallery issue I think this is a democratic issue
and they're doing it within the United States where President Obama won't let
a photojournalist in to take photos of him and there it's the
the the American right that's complaining about that about that whereas
here
I think you keep getting this weird message which is, why should we let
reporters in if they're not going to report about us in a nice way.
Is not so did the core of democracy and free speech that you allow
reporters and even when you don't like what they're going to report?
I think this is an issue that that should trouble
many Canadians. Bruce.
Well Peter I think it the most charitable explanation for it is that they wanted
yesterday to be
about a discussion and Jim Flaherty, but I think though the other argument is
stronger that this is part of an effort by the government to
have such in enormous control over its messaging
and I think that the the pattern over behaviors is really been abusive of tax
payers interests. Needlessly antagonistic towards media they spent half a billion
dollars of taxpayer money
advertising their programs and now they're trying to control the message
through these new techniques.
All the way through that piece they lost about a third of their support.
In any client that I've ever done work for that would have been cause for a
overhaul of strategy, not a doubling down, but doubling down seems to be what's in
order here.
Andrew. I just think it's odd even from a message control standpoint.
This is the second most powerful person in the cabinet.
You appointed a new finance minister and you hide them from view. I would have
thought that in most cases you would want to be
showcasing this person who would be playing such an instrumental role in your
government.
Considering the person to be an asset politically etc. and all they did was
sort of
as they made it seem as if this was just a minor appointment of
you know postal clerk or something. It's just among other things that maybe
this is not necessarily going to be the finance minister that they take into the
next election with them but more is more in a caretaker role but we'll have to
see.
We gotta wrap it up on on that note but it is worth
who mentioning that in spite of all those attempts to keep away from reporters.
Jennifer didn't you bump into him on the street in downtown Ottawa yesterday and
end up getting couple quotes from him anyway? Yeah, yeah, well
my colleagues did at Canadian Press and you know what, Joe Oliver
he's fine with taking a question, absolutely fine, he can stand on his own
two feet.
Alright, listen thank you all and Jennifer thanks for a sitting in on this hour.
Bruce is an Ottawa, Andrew is in Washington tonight.
Thank you all.