CBC commentator OPENS UP about legacy media bias

While to no one's surprise, the Carney Liberals have used their majority in Parliament to flex their muscles at the House committee level, their critics say the Liberals are now shutting down debate on scandals, including the $300 million wasted on Canada's failed e -prescribing health care service.Let's listen.

Where did the $300 million go in prescribed IT, standard accountability, and liberals shut that down?Is this the way things are going to be with you guys, with the majority, shutting down debate, limiting debate, avoiding accountability?

I reject the premise.No one's shutting down debate.We're having lots of debate every day on a very ambitious legislative agenda.

The prescribed IT service was supposed to let doctors send prescriptions electronically, replacing fax machines and paper, but it never caught on.And liberals are now accused of trying to cover up the massive cost overruns in that program.U .S.President Trump has signed an order greenlighting a pipeline to transport Canadian oil across the border.It revives part of the canceled Keystone XL pipeline.

Let's listen.

This is a transporter pipeline similar to the old Keystone XL pipeline.It'll significantly expand our ability to move oil around North America, oil and gas around North America.It's a huge deal in terms of long -term energy dominance and energy security.

Slightly different than the last administration.They wouldn't sign a pipeline deal, and we have pipelines going up.By the way, they're way underground.They're not a problem.Nobody even knows they're there.It's so crazy.

but they wouldn't approve anything having to do with the pipeline.And they're great.

The Bridger pipeline expansion is expected to carry up to 550 ,000 barrels of oil from Alberta through eastern Montana and Wyoming, where it would link with another pipeline.Our guest today is Kate Harrison, a public affairs expert, vice chair and partner of Summa Strategies, also a commentator on CBC's Power and Politics.Let's watch her in action in a clip on that show.

The reality is that we would not be entertaining this conversation with China if the prime minister had actually followed through on his promise to deliver a new economic and security partnership with the United States.Now we're back into a corner of having friends in China and Qatar because we failed to secure the most important trade relationship that we have.

Right.Well, the U .S.plays a role in that, too, though, Kate.Like, let's be fair.

How do we think the U .S.is going to respond to pulling back from Taiwan?How do we think that that might look to the U .

S.?With Donald Trump, I'm not going to predict anything because I have no idea.

I don't think it'll be too favorably.

Well, you give as good as you get on that show, Kate.What's it like for a conservative woman to go into the belly of the beast over at the CBC on a regular basis, as you do?

Yeah, well, well, thanks.Thanks, Mark, for having me on.I was grinning there just just watching that clip.I had forgotten about that exchange because, you know, you go on pretty regularly and you get talking about any number of things.But what is it like?I mean, honestly, I've had a positive experience on the program in terms of having my say.

And of course, there's it's challenged often on on CBC by other panelists.And, you know, uh the the host is ask questions and stuff like that and I I knew what I was getting into when I was uh agreeing to to be on the show um I think it's it's good that that'skeep having me back.I would admit that I've probably got a different perspective than you know, a number of the others around the table and perhaps kind of the media and CBC viewer, but I am very pleased to be on it because I think it's really important that conservatives show up in places where non -conservatives are.I think if there are even a small percentage of CBC watchers that listen to what conservatives have to say.Maybe I'm one of them and I may be persuaded, then that is time well spent.

It's important to get out of the echo chamber.

Yeah, it's interesting.You speak about an echo chamber.We heard the testimony of Travis Donraj, which I'm sure you're aware of, a scandal at the CBC who argued that they may be in violation of their regulatory commitment to be fair.And so I get the sense that they do have you on as part of their mandate to at least pretend to hear from conservatives, but would probably rather you not be there.Do you get that?

Well, you know, I hope that's not the case.I do think there is an obligation to make sure that others, you know, a variety and diversity of perspectives are heard, particularly in a state broadcast function.You know, my view, particularly when you accept public funds as the CBC does, but frankly, Mark, as other media companies in this country do.But when you accept public funds, your standards must change to match that of the role and purpose of government, which is not to promote one particular viewpoint.So, you know, I get along, you know, we barb on screen, but I do get along with the hosts and other co -panelists.And yeah, certainly I bring

a different perspective, but the CBC very could easily replace me or anybody with a preferred talking head.They haven't done that yet, I hope they don't.

Yeah, well, same here.I mean, I think conservatives appreciate that you're on the show, at least providing a perspective other than what you would normally hear on the CBC.Do you think they know that they're incredibly biased or do they just think that they're, quote unquote, right.Yeah.

I don't I I think that they listen, I'll speak only to my experience and the perspectives of the people that I interact with.I think that there's there are a lot of good people in journalism, including at the CBC, that are trying their best to make sure things are covered.in a fair and accurate way.I think there's always room for improvement.I think it exists there.I think it exists on CTV.

I think it exists on all of these networks.And I would also say there has been, because of independent journalism and media outlets that have taken shape in Canada over the last number of years, there has rightly been a lot more sunlight on whether or not our mainstream media institutions are providing that level of balance and scrutiny and objectivity.One of the major credits I give to independent journalism outlets is trying to move the Overton window back to something that is more, you know, objective.And I think that that has been a good forcing function for all the mainstream networks to really kind of examine themselves a little bit more critically about whether or not they're providing that level of balance.

Yeah, well, somebody's got to cover the hundreds of millions of dollars being funneled into legacy media outlets.failing operations in many cases, and only hanging on because of the media.

of dollars they get from the taxpayers and they're not the ones covering it, you know, it's the Well, I think that that's and you know what I that so that's a that's a problem with the news media ecosystem in Canada period.It's not it's not just one network.Obviously, there's, you know, the the CBTC takes a significant amount.But I think when you have an environment where the media are recipients of government funding, it is difficult to make the case that there's not an exchange and a quid pro quo.And again, that the considerations are different.They're just like most people would argue that the considerations of a private business are different than they are for a public entity and an institution.

So when you have that financial exchange happening, it is very difficult to say to the average Canadian that it is it is with impartiality and there is not some kind of a quid pro quo there to be had.I think How do you fix that problem?Well, you have a hard look at whether or not these institutions are sticking to mandate.And you look at scaling back what's not part of the mandate and actually serving key portions of the public.But you also make sure that you give independent news outlets and ecosystems the ability to actually make a go of it in Canada and generate revenue and not restrict their ability to provide alternative sources of information.That's why so many other countries have done a good job of this.

They have not kneecapped the ability of entrepreneurs, including in the media space, to actually get out there and to create a business.for themselves.Canada has not been as welcoming to that.

Is the CBC out to get Pierre Polyev?And is it because of the Conservative push to defund the CBC?Because it just seems like not only CBC, but others in the legacy space are really preoccupied with the leader of the opposition.even more so than they are with the prime minister who's in charge, who has enormous powers in our system of government.Do you detect sort of this sense that Pierre Polyev is the enemy and the CBC is out to get him?

I think this is a problem for all of the media outlets right now.And I'm really thinking here in terms of how we've talked about the Canada -US relationship.It seems to me, and I actually think it was Althea Raj who pointed this out on CBC, a journalist with the Toronto Star on CBC, but who spoke about the media love -in that happens for the government and for the prime minister.It's almost as though right now talking against Mark Carney is unpatriotic.Like you're actually, if you level the criticism of the current government, you're somehow anti -Canadian or not a patriot, or you're Maple Maga.I mean, I've heard it all.

That is a really dangerous place to be as a democratic society, to feel that you can't speak out if you have journalists that feel they can't ask questions, for they might get accused by their colleagues of being nefarious actors.I think that's a really dangerous place to be.And I would say that we see a lot of corralling around the current government and whatever they espouse.as being a universal truth.not worthy of follow up questions.It's particularly bad right now I remember it being.

bad in 2015 with the election of Trudeau and everybody has their honeymoon.But given the seriousness of Canada's problems and where we sit right now, especially in the relationship with the U .S., I think there needs to be a lot more spine from the media in terms of questioning the prime minister.And it's hard to do that when you're also accepting taxpayer dollars.

Yeah, I mean, I can distinctly remember you've been watching politics for a long time, as I have.And It just doesn't seem that the legacy media was targeting, say, Andrew Scheer or Aaron O'Toole in the same way as the RPR Polyev, where they seem to be looking for any opportunity to undermine his ability to continue leading the party.

Although, you know what, I'll say this.I remember, you know, Aaron O'Toole was accused of being somehow too close to Donald Trump or too similar to Donald Trump, like, I don't know any observer of politics that could rationally make that comparison, looking at Mr. O'Toole and the current president.But you hear it nonetheless.So I actually think that that speaks to a broader challenge that Conservatives have in terms of being kind of very closely associated with Republicans.You hear that all the time.There's never any truth to it.

It wasn't true for O'Toole.It's not true for Polyeb.But you keep hearing it over and over, and it's fear -mongering.It's trying to convince people that the Canadian Conservatives are a version of conservatives that they really are not.So it's never grounded in any kind of facts or evidence that conservatives are like this, but yet you continue to hear it.

Yeah.I mean, they attack Polyeff for being, quote unquote, negative or divisive.

Yeah.

I mean, just the fact that he's leader of the opposition and doing his job seems to be lost on people in the CBC.Are they afraid, given what Polyeff did to Justin Trudeau, shredding him on a day -to -day basis, humiliating him in the House of Commons, that they think that the same thing could happen with Mark Carney?

Yeah, I mean, I don't know.I'm not sure.I think that right now, there is such a such a vibe around the Prime Minister.He's obviously enjoying a significant strength in public opinion polls that I'm not sure that there's kind of a broader effort afoot here other than to just promote the tires of the current guy, not necessarily worry about what the opposition may or may not do.I do think that the main thing this comes down to, Mark, is fairness.Are you providing an equal opportunity?

for Conservatives and the Conservative leader to get their message out there.Are you looking at both parties critically and in the same way?Are you asking the same kinds of penetrative questions of the opposition leader as you are the Prime Minister?I think that, you know, looking on balance, I don't think that that balance has been struck to this point.And again, I think that goes for everybody in the media space right now.I'm thinking about some of the headlines in the Globe and Mail recently.

I'm not sure how much objectivity is coming from there.

And it's troubling because the credibility level, of course, continues to decline for mainstream media.But should conservatives try harder as far as getting on the CBC and making sure that their voices are heard on the media?or maybe they're thinking, well, you know, Kate's doing a good job.We'll just let her do what she does so we can avoid it.

I mean, it's always, it's always good to have friends.I, you know, I, I think, um, one of the mistakes I would say that the, the conservative party has made in the past has been to ignore, uh, the CBC.Um, and that is not to say that they should prioritize, um, mainstream media outlets over independent and traditional ones.I think you need to be everywhere all at once, perhaps especially when you're in opposition.Again, even if a small portion of listeners and viewers to mainstream media, which again, makes up a big portion of people's viewing content, either online or through traditional means, if you convince even a small number of those people to give another look, to Conservatives and the opposition, or maybe they think about something in a different way.I do think that that is time well spent.

So I think it was a mistake not to do that in the lead up to 2025 and the election.There's been a change made, I think, to put more MPs and spokespeople on these programs.And I think that that has been a change in the positive.But we shouldn't ignore, we should show up and try to beat the drum of common sense.

I know Pierre Polyev is the first Conservative leader to call for the defunding of the CBC.And I'm wondering if that is playing a role in the public broadcaster's view of him.But has the party painted itself in the corner, in a corner, saying that?Because, you know, on one hand, yes, you want to be on all platforms, including the CBC, in order to put your position forward to as many Canadians as possible.But then if you're doing that at the same time as calling for the defunding of the CBC, you know, is that, you know, trying to put a square peg in a roundhole?

Yeah, I hear what you're saying.You know, at the at the risk of defending the CBC, I do think that prior to the last election, there was a choice made by the conservatives to not show up on that platform.I actually do believe that the CBC was trying regularly to get those conservative perspectives on the show.those calls were ignored, that's my understanding, because you saw a shift happen after the last election, right?And I know there's been a number of issues, a number of interviews, excuse me, with Rosemary Barton and some other anchors that the leader of the opposition has taken on.So does it make it complicated to have the, or does it make those conversations charged when you've talked about defunding the CBC and then you show up on their program?

Yes, but I think that that tension is good.We can't dance around giving hundreds of millions of dollars to media funded outlets and broadcasters and then say, we can therefore not ask any questions of those entities that are receiving taxpayer dollars.I think there's a lot of conversations that even non -conservatives and points that have been raised about, again, how does this achieve the mandate?How is what you're doing, the program you put on, achieve the mandate that has been laid out for you?Is it fit for purpose?I think that you should be able to ask those questions of the broadcaster without feeling that your presentation may be, may be, you know, augmented because they're they're the ones that are receiving the funds.

Yeah, I hear what you say about efforts being made to bring in conservatives.But when we heard Travis Donraj testify, I mean, he said that.he tried to bring in conservative voices on his show and was basically told that CBC is a no -fly zone for conservative voices.But perhaps it's a little different.I mean, they are compartmentalized public broadcasters and certain shows get to do certain things.At least it's beyond my comprehension.

Well, I think I would just say to you, I think the disclosure of your perspective is also important on these things, right?So if you're going to have people regularly on who uh are come are you know projecting as experts but like non -partisan experts but they actually are partisan like people need to be truthful about uh about their disclosures and and i think there's a lot of talent to go around right so if you are um you know running back -to -back current affairs programming and you want to make sure you don't have the same guest on let's say, you know, back -to -back, I get that, like, that's not good television, right?If you just have the same people on over and over again, it's good to have that diversity.But I think that diversity does exist.I think that there are a lot of people in Canada that are worth speaking to and interviewing from the centre -right.And so it's certainly not an issue of a lack of a talent pool on the conservative side of things.

How do people follow you online and find you on the internet?

Uh, they can check me out.Uh, I'm occasionally on X, uh, usually with, uh, you know, a comment about whatever news story of the day is out there, um, at Caitlin Harrison.Uh, and, uh, that that's really what I, what I prefer.I occasionally do some stuff on LinkedIn, but honestly, Mark, uh, I'm, uh, I'm a mom of two, uh, a six year old and a five year old and not spending a ton of time, uh, online, uh, these days, but, uh, people want to check me out.They can do it on X. Absolutely.

You have important things to do.on the family front and good on you.Thank you so much for coming on the show.Please come back sometime.

Yeah, absolutely.Great to be here.Thank you.

Kate Harrison.If you enjoyed this show, consider supporting great independent journalism by becoming a premier member of Juno News.Please go to junonews .com backslash straight up.You can find the link below.It helps us do what we do here at Juno News.

Thank you so much.We'll see you next time.