Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the Conservatives will stop arresting journalists upon forming government. “It’s outrageous for the prime minister and his government to have journalists arrested merely for asking questions of ministers and of public officials,” said Poilievre at a Friday press conference. .Rebel News reporter David Menzies was arrested by police officers on Monday after he attempted to ask Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). READ MORE: WATCH: Rebel News' reporter David Menzies arrested after trying to question FreelandMenzies wanted to know why the Canadian government was not standing up to the IRGC when an RCMP officer bumped into him to block him from confronting Freeland. The RCMP officer proceeded to grab Menzies and push him up against a wall. “You’re under arrest for assault,” said the officer..Menzies started off by saying the Liberals “use a carrot and a stick to control journalists in Canada.” “The carrot is obviously government money, including massive payments to publishers and broadcasters,” he said. “This corrupts their editorial independence.” When it comes to the stick, he said it is regulations such as censorship, banning reporters from press conferences, journalism licensing, and altering search engine algorithms. If Poilievre becomes prime minister, he asked him which carrots and sticks would he keep and which would he remove. Poilievre responded by saying he would repeal Bill C-11. Bill C-11 allows Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission bureaucrats to manipulate social media algorithms however they see fit. Under Bill C-11, he said Canada is experiencing censorship no other developed country has. Canadian author Margaret Atwood warned it is creeping totalitarianism. While Atwood is not a conservative, she said she believes freedom of expression and freedom of the press are necessary. Additionally, Poilievre said he “is going to make sure tax dollars are not used to leverage news coverage in its favour.” “Right now, Justin Trudeau is censoring those that he disagrees with and trying to buy off the rest,” he said. “And that undermines confidence among Canadians in the news media.” Poilievre promised in February to end the media bailout if he becomes prime minister, saying he believes in freedom of expression. READ MORE: WATCH: Poilievre commits to eliminating media bailout if elected prime minister“I don’t believe government should buy off the media or pay for favourable media coverage as Justin Trudeau brags about doing,” he said. “I believe media should win the support of viewers, readers, and listeners in order to pay their bills rather than suck up to politicians.”
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the Conservatives will stop arresting journalists upon forming government. “It’s outrageous for the prime minister and his government to have journalists arrested merely for asking questions of ministers and of public officials,” said Poilievre at a Friday press conference. .Rebel News reporter David Menzies was arrested by police officers on Monday after he attempted to ask Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). READ MORE: WATCH: Rebel News' reporter David Menzies arrested after trying to question FreelandMenzies wanted to know why the Canadian government was not standing up to the IRGC when an RCMP officer bumped into him to block him from confronting Freeland. The RCMP officer proceeded to grab Menzies and push him up against a wall. “You’re under arrest for assault,” said the officer..Menzies started off by saying the Liberals “use a carrot and a stick to control journalists in Canada.” “The carrot is obviously government money, including massive payments to publishers and broadcasters,” he said. “This corrupts their editorial independence.” When it comes to the stick, he said it is regulations such as censorship, banning reporters from press conferences, journalism licensing, and altering search engine algorithms. If Poilievre becomes prime minister, he asked him which carrots and sticks would he keep and which would he remove. Poilievre responded by saying he would repeal Bill C-11. Bill C-11 allows Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission bureaucrats to manipulate social media algorithms however they see fit. Under Bill C-11, he said Canada is experiencing censorship no other developed country has. Canadian author Margaret Atwood warned it is creeping totalitarianism. While Atwood is not a conservative, she said she believes freedom of expression and freedom of the press are necessary. Additionally, Poilievre said he “is going to make sure tax dollars are not used to leverage news coverage in its favour.” “Right now, Justin Trudeau is censoring those that he disagrees with and trying to buy off the rest,” he said. “And that undermines confidence among Canadians in the news media.” Poilievre promised in February to end the media bailout if he becomes prime minister, saying he believes in freedom of expression. READ MORE: WATCH: Poilievre commits to eliminating media bailout if elected prime minister“I don’t believe government should buy off the media or pay for favourable media coverage as Justin Trudeau brags about doing,” he said. “I believe media should win the support of viewers, readers, and listeners in order to pay their bills rather than suck up to politicians.”
