The Independent Press Gallery of Canada (IPG) has issued a statement expressing “grave concern” after a scheduled scrum was cancelled on the night of the English-language federal leaders’ debate.
Federal leaders held a French-language debate on Wednesday in Montreal, with an English-language debate on Thursday.
A major clash broke out between legacy media outlets and independent journalists Thursday after the CBC allegedly complained to the Leaders’ Debates Commission that tough questions — described by both the CBC and Liberal leader Mark Carney as "odd" — were put to the leaders, and that such outlets should not be allowed at the debates.
The post-debate Q&A was abruptly cancelled, with the commissioner citing “security concerns.” Prior to the event, all media were required to undergo screening completed with a police dog, and there were multiple teams of police and RCMP officers present.
The IPG condemned the “unjustified suppression of press freedom” over the “abrupt and unexplained cancellation” of the scrum.
“The Leaders’ Debates Commission — a publicly funded body with a mandate to serve the public interest and uphold journalistic independence — failed on both fronts,” wrote the gallery, noting that all IPG journalists present were accredited through the Commission’s own established process.
“Despite this, some of our members were harassed, singled out, and verbally abused by other accredited journalists, simply for exercising their right to ask questions. The Commission chose to cancel the scrum rather than confront this unprofessional conduct — effectively punishing all media and Canadian voters to appease a few.”
“It is also unacceptable that Commissioner Michel Cormier appeared on a CBC broadcast before the scrum’s cancellation, fielding questions that disparaged independent journalists, and remarking that there is only ‘so much we can do to control free speech.’ It is not the Commissioner’s role to control speech — it is to protect the diversity of it.”
The IPG pointed out that suppressing the post-debate scrum and “excluding non-legacy journalists” infringes upon Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects freedom of the press and the right to gather news without undue interference.
The IPG formally requested a full explanation for the cancellation, an apology to mistreated independent journalists, a public reaffirmation of the Commission’s commitment to equal access and press freedom and “a review of the conduct of accredited journalists who undermined the spirit of fair and open media access.”