Today is Peter Donolo’s first day on the job as Michael Ignatieff’s Chief of Staff and he already has a headache to deal with. I don’t envy the man.
Late yesterday afternoon Liberal Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette issued a news release announcing that she had submitted a complaint to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council regarding Bob Fife and CTV. Senator Hervieux-Payette alleges that a story by Fife, aired on CTV on October 8th 2009 was “a fictitious story” that “misrepresented what actually took place.”
The complaint is not the headache for Donolo, it’s what comes after the complaint. Ask any news director of a broadcast outlet in Canada and they can tell you all about the complaints, real and trumped up, made to the CBSC every year. Most of those go unreported, few have news releases trumpeting the complaint, and even fewer still have statements in the news release that could cause more problems than the complaint itself.
In her news release Hervieux-Payette says, “We are dealing with a Conservative government that manipulates the Canadian public by putting its party`s logo on government cheques, models the symbols used by our Olympic athletes on its own logo, sweeps reports on torture in Afghanistan under the carpet and conducts misleading advertising campaigns … and CTV is paid to broadcast these schemes.”
Now if one were charitable, one could say that in writing “…and CTV is paid to broadcast these schemes” that the Senator is talking about ads the government buys, but she is not. While I have seen ads for “Canada’s Economic Action Plan”, I have not seen ads proclaiming that the government sweeps reports of torture under the table. What Hervieux-Payette is clearly insinuating here is that CTV is in the pocket of the government, paid to distribute Tory propaganda dressed up as news.
Some of you may agree with the Senator’s sentiment but I’ll advise you not to put those thoughts on your official Senate of Canada stationary, or post it on your official website as a Senator and then alert the entire press gallery from a Senate of Canada email address. That to me smells like a lawsuit coming on.
Welcome back to Ottawa Mr. Donolo, you will have your hands full I see.
Brian Lilley is the Ottawa Bureau Chief for radio stations Newstalk 1010 in Toronto and CJAD 800 in Montreal. Follow Brian on Twitter to get the latest as it happens.
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Comments
A liberal has never let the truth get in the way. Just like their 'pink book' states that Harper promotes violence against women. I don't understand why Harper & the CPC are not suing the butts off of these people.
Harper just doesn't want to deal with this bunch. He trying to avoid a contract being put out on him or his Family! Now that cretuin is back running the party.
What a cry baby (the Senator). The Liberals have had the Toronto (aka Red) Star, the CBC and the Globe & Mail in their back pocket doing this for years... I'd love for the CTV/Conservatives to sue her. Put this BS to an end once and for all.
Actually, his first headache is Ignatieff. I expect that that one will take on all the dimensions of a knee buckling migraine.
Senator Mike Duffy came from which network?
Wow, wonder if the Liberals will force another Canadian into the Witness Protection Programme?
Bill, I'll see your Mike Duffy and raise you a Jim Munson, the Liberal Senator who also came from CTV.
Yeah, I totally agree Brian, don't put those thoughts on your "official" Senate of Canada stationary.
Make sure you keep 'em moving.
Leasa clearly hasn't actually read the Pink Book. It states no such thing.
Steve, I would say that Leasa is closer than you. From page 24 of the Liberal Pink Book. "Under Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, women are increasingly at risk for domestic abuse and violence." What is the Liberal Party saying with that statement?
The Senator should be careful - this was Obama's strategy with Fox News and guess what, Fox loves the attention. Freelancing from the Senate is not a winner. I am no fan of CTV, but this is really dumb media bashing. There won't be any sympathy generated for the Liberals with this stunt and by alienating the media, she plays into the anti Senate feeling that is starting to take hold in the country. Cheers.
There's a big difference between saying that women are at increasing risk as a result of Conservative policies and saying that "Harper promotes violence against women". The latter statement is ludicrous and a gross distortion of the argument. It's akin to accusing a Liberal Prime Minister of supporting child pornography. Not that any Conservative Party leader would do such a thing.
Typo, for future reference: 'Senate of Canada stationary' should be '...stationEry'. Without the capital itself, of course.
YT, BC, Ottawa
Madam Payette calls it a “distortion of the facts” ??!!
Come on that’s not fair.
What about the unchallenged, untrammeled and unending stream of leftard propaganda that has been spewing out of the CBC TV and Radio daily for the last 50 years… all on the taxpayer’s tab! Gimme a break.
Bob Fife is probably one of the most even handed, objective journalists working on the Hill today.
I am guessing that the faux outrage demonstrated by the members Lefto-sphere is as a result of becoming far too accustomed to an unchallenged and steady stream of leftoid Trudeau-pian bias masquerading as journalism in Canada today and take the slanted overage as the norm.
So now when you have more even handed, more objective journalism submitted…they have long since lost their capacity comprehend what is “balance” in real journalism in a modern so-called democracy.
So, what's happened about it?
I am so very, very tired of hearing Tories and their stock phrases about Liberals. I wish they'd find a new book to use.
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