The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has warned that tax dollars should not be allocated to the media at all, including subsidies, bailouts, and funding of the CBC. CTF's comments were in response to Pierre Poilievre's statement Monday saying the Canadian Press is nothing but a “mouthpiece for the PMO" (Prime Minister’s Office) and that he wants to cut all media funding.CTF CEO Franco Terrazzano told the Western Standard “taxpayers shouldn’t be funding the media at all: the media subsidies and the media bailouts and defund the CBC,” he added. “From the individual's perspective, an individual taxpayer should not be forced to fund the media corporation,” said Terrazzano. “And from the independent media’s perspective, they shouldn't have their tax dollars funding their competitors.”“So whether you look at it from the individual taxpayer’s perspective, or the independent media as a competitor’s perspective, taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for the media.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal ministers are in an uproar over Poilievre’s "altercation" with the Canadian Press. On Tuesday morning prior to convening in the House of Commons Heritage Minister St-Onge told reporters of the Liberal Cabinet’s displeasure of what she called Poilievre’s “attack on democracy.” “I want to get back to the altercation between Pierre Poilievre yesterday and the journalist from the Canadian Press,” St-Onge said. “First of all, I want to say that he’s pretty thin-skinned,” she claimed. “It’s our job as politicians to answer questions from journalists, we’re accountable to the Canadian population and it’s the journalists’ job to ask those questions.” “Yesterday’s question was pretty easy,” she continued. “He was just asked to explain why his party introduced an amendment to lift fees for Canadian broadcasters. It’s a pretty easy question, it’s his party that brought that forward.” “So yes, when you’re a politician, it’s also your job to answer questions,” said St-Onge. “And when you’re attacking our free press, you’re also attacking our democracy. It’s unworthy of a leader.”. Poilievre told the reporter Monday her question was based on a false premise and then told Canadians exactly what he thinks of government-funded media — a far-cry from so-called “free press.” “We don’t want to give any tax dollars to the mainstream media,” Poilievre stated. “The media that is bought and paid for.”“You are a tax-funded media outlet and spreading Justin Trudeau's message,” he said. “You’re a tax-funded mouthpiece to the PMO, that’s the reality.”“Our party does not support tax dollars for media outlets, because that’s when we end up with biased media like you, who come here and articulate the PMO talking points, rather than delivering real news to the Canadian people,” he said. “We believe that media should be driven by viewership, readership and listenership and that’s what allows it to represent the Canadian people, rather than taking marching orders from the PMO.”
