The Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois told media outlets they will allow journalists to travel with their leaders.
Poilievre’s opponents have since pounced on the party’s decision.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Thursday it’s “no surprise” Poilievre is “afraid of some questions.”
“You can see the way he acts when he gets asked a question. He gets defensive, he gets offended,” he said. “He can’t handle questions. Is that someone you want as prime minister? Someone who’s afraid of questions, who can’t take the heat? You need someone who’s going to be able to take tough questions.”
Singh said Prime Minister Mark Carney has also shown a reluctance to answer tough questions about his finances and possible conflicts of interest, after he bristled at questions when asked by reporters earlier this week.
A spokesperson for the Liberal Party said it’s Poilievre who is trying to dodge accountability.
“Why does Pierre Poilievre’s team feel like they need to hide him from the media and Canadians in the next federal election? He’s the wrong choice at the wrong time,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the Green Party said the move to block reporters from travelling with Poilievre is part of a Conservative “pattern of contempt” for the press.
“Democracy cannot function without a free press,” said Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May.
“When political leaders actively avoid scrutiny, it should alarm every Canadian. The Green Party has always been open and accessible to the media, and we will continue to lead by example,” May said.
So the reporters are allowed to show up to the small town events?
“Local outlets” you say? Pray tell, which ones? I thought they were all dead or absorbed by the media conglomerates already. I must have been misinformed! Are there real local news outlets still producing quality journalism? I would love to know about them and where you found them.
… oh, wait, let me guess, you mean local outlets like the Russian-funded propaganda and disinformation outlet The Grimsby Independent News I’ll bet, don’t you? That’s the kind of quality independent local journalism that’s going to be telling your story, won’t it? I’m sure outlets like that are going to do a very well-funded job right across the whole country, plastered on every social media site they can find. Boy oh boy this is going to be a fun election.
The ones that are owned by PostMedia, of course
