Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre disgraced his office when he came to the defense of Rebel News this week, a representative of which was arrested while asking questions of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
• Read also: Rebel News commentator had already been arrested at the request of conservatives
After the arrest of David Menzies, who is not at his first escapades, Mr. Poilievre deplored, on the X network, “the state of press freedom” in Canada, “after eight years of Trudeau” . He claims the government divided the media into two groups, those it would buy with subsidies and those it would censor and shut down.
His party also launched an online petition demanding an “end to the regime of censorship and arrest of journalists” by Justin Trudeau.
Small annoyance
Mr. Poilievre should, however, be a little embarrassed before giving lessons on freedom of the press. “The leader of the opposition also sometimes tends not to answer questions or to vilify journalists when the questions do not suit him,” observes Jean-Christophe Boucher, associate professor of political science at the University of Calgary. “It’s a bit,” he said, “like the hospital that doesn’t care about charity.”
“It’s a bit surreal,” says Pierre Trudel, jurist and full professor at the Public Law Research Center (CRDP) of the Faculty of Law at Laval University.
The latter recalls that freedom of the press in Canada, as in other democratic countries, is protected, but is not absolute and is limited by laws. Personal safety, he says, is also considered a reasonable limit.
No responsibilities
The problem with far-right groups like Rebel Media is that they claim the associated rights, but do not want to take any responsibility, explains Mr. Boucher.
They are not transparent about who finances them and who owns them. They also do not disregard ethical rules such as diligence in the information conveyed, verification of sources and others, which should prevail in a free democracy.
Professor Boucher also notices an increase in lawsuits from Rebel News (he is targeted by one for his work).
However, he believes that it is essential to continue to be interested in them and to document them.
By promoting disinformation and helping to foster intolerance, Rebel News and its ilk indeed represent a threat to our democratic institutions. This is what Pierre Poilievre should be concerned about and what he should denounce.