
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated from it's original form.
HAMILTON — Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Wednesday confirmed his party backs media bailouts from the federal government.
Though he confirmed he will slash funding to the CBC, he will maintain funding to the French-language state broadcaster Radio-Canada — and even increase funding to media companies.
The Tories, in their 2025 election platform released Tuesday, committed to a $25 million increase to the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) and an additional $25 million for indigenous language media.
Money goes to organizations responsible for distributing LJI funding to media outlets across Canada, such as News Media Canada, Association de la presse francophone, Quebec Community Newspapers Association, National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, Community Radio Fund of Canada and Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations.
“I said in my platform there that we're going to back local independent journalism, including the Local Journalism Initiative,” Poilievre told reporters at a press conference in Hamilton, ON.
“And we're also going to make sure that local media gets their fair share of government advertising. It shouldn't only go to the Liberal government's favoured media outlets.”
Poilievre added, “the Liberals want censorship to silence people about the doubling of housing costs, the insane rise of food prices, the crime and chaos Liberals have unleashed in our communities.”
"It's not just local media that is suffering under the Liberals,” he said.
“It's everybody. It's small businesses, it's shop owners. It's the steel workers here in Hamilton whom Mark Carney wants to hit with another carbon tax, but we're not going to let them.”
“Their entire strategy is to make Canadians forget about the last 10 years by limiting debate and distraction — they also want you to forget about the next 15 years. If these Liberal policies remain in place, we need strong independent media so that Canadians get all the information they need to change.”
Poilievre was also asked about media censorship through the Liberals’ Online News Act, legislation that attempted to strongarm tech giants like Meta (Facebook and Instagram) to pay for news shared on their platform. The social media companies refused, and now news posts on such platforms are blocked in Canada.
“Over the course of the lost Liberal decade, many media outlets cannot actually share their information on Facebook and Instagram. This has really attacked our local, independent media — and maybe that's the goal,” said Poilievre.
“With out-of-control inflation, rising housing costs, crime and chaos in our streets, Liberals are trying to get a fourth term by shutting out that information. Their entire campaign is based on making you forget what happened over the last 10 years of Liberal government and forget what will happen in the next 15 years.”