Monday, January 21, 2008

CBC finally coughs up a name

Stephen Taylor has the latest. More at CNEWS - CBC transfers reporter who fed questions to MP.

National Post's Full Comment has a response up already - Jonathan Kay on Pablogate: The CBC does the right thing.

How do you feel? Do you agree with Jonathan Kay that we can all 'put Pablo-gate behind us' now?


* * * *
Update: Great discussion going on at Jack's Newswatch - Ethics committee not so ethical after all...

Tuesday Update: The Black Rod - CBC to Canadians: Sure Krista helped the Liberals ambush Mulroney. Get over it.

Steve Janke - Giving Jason Cherniak credit for bucking the Liberal Party line.

ASTTR - CBCgate Comes to an End - Or Has It?

Thursday Update: SDA has the latest - To this end.

41 comments:

Möbius said...

My God!

A transfer to Toronto!

That'll teach her.

Anonymous said...

liberal justice at its finest!

Anonymous said...

Pablogate should stay front and centre until Pablo rises in the HOC and apologizes to one and all for lying about where the questions originated. Szabo should recuse himself as chairman of the so-called ethics committee, as he allowed the questions, and as he did for KHS and his trousers, apologize to Mulroney for the blatant disregard of comittee rules.

OMMAG said...

The jackals on Front Street must be very very proud of themselves!

Roy Eappen said...

This is just the tip of this iceberg. Will Pablo acknowledge he was being fed questions. Do the grits acknowledge this is wrong? Shouldn't Pablo be punished?

Anonymous said...

I can't believe what I just watched on Mike Duffy Live!
The Duff excuses it all by saying that this CBC reporter was a newbie who obviously didn't know better and then Robert Fife says that he doesn't know why the Conservatives 'conveniently' left out the fact that she also has a Conservative friend.
The Liberal MP in question was only mentioned in passing.
I'm disappointed but not all that surprised as it looked to me like the ole Duff was going to crap himself when Jean Lapierre first mentioned the colusion on MDL last month.
Fife went on to say the 99.9 percent of the CBC Ottawa Bureau reporters were beyond reproach, or words to that effect, and Duffy agreed with him.
What a wasted opportunity to get into a discussion about how and why the Conservatives mistrust the MSM but then, as much as I like Mike Duffy, he and CTV are a large part of the problem. (I was able to watch Question Period for the first time yesterday and was astounded at the overt bias they displayed)
I hope to see a lot more outrage over this once the CTV clips are posted to their website.
NeilD

Anonymous said...

This is good to see. I agree that it falls more into the category of minor rather than career ending major. I am concerned, however, at how easily its forgotten she was only one part of the equation. What about Pablo and the Liberals? There can be no doubt several members of the Liberal party were aware of this. The committee chair permitted the question, the House Leader (or whomever is responsible for assigning memebrs to committee) approved his first (and last) appearance at that committee for the sole purpose of asking that question. If the reporter acted inappropriatly (and I think she did) then the Liberals did also -significantly more so. They were the ones that accepted the question, shuffled personnel at committee to ensure it was read and manipulated the situation so the Chair permitted the question. If the journalist did it to advance her story, why did the Liberals do it? This certainly calls into question the character and honesty of the member and of the Chair -- ironically of the ethics committee. I am not looking for a public hanging - a formal and sincere apology for the action, followed by the appointment of a new, untainted ethics committee Chair, would be appropriate. I suggest those who agree, contact NDP members or NDP bloggers - perhaps we can start a dump Szabo movement - he should never have allowed this matter to proceed - it totally calls into question the ethics of the ethics committee.

Anonymous said...

So, why did the far-left wing CBC not fire its affirmative action bimbo,leftish Krista Erickson? Canadians don't want far-left, affirmative bimbos to inform us of our news.

News that the CBC has been the promotional wing of the Liberal Party of Canada shouldn't surprise anyone.

If Harper was a real fiscal/social conservative he would have privitized the socialist CBC long ago.

Anonymous said...

So essentially the CBC has just said that Rodrigues lied to the Canadian public when he said he wrote his own questions. Where's the outrage from the Libs about that - or do they consider it business as usual to lie to the public on MDL.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe that Mike even mentioned it.... and when it was brought up about Pablo being asked if he was contacted by the CBC... it was Mike Duffy who asked him... Mike never mentioned that...Pablo on T.V. lied... and I think we must demand that the liberal party apologize, and those members removed themselves from the hearings. After all, Krista's questions could not of been brought to the floor of the ethics committee if Pablo, and Robert Thibeau and Chair Szabo who allowed them in the first place. This issue really "smells" and must be resolved before the hearing begin again in January...

Anonymous said...

I watched Mike Duffy Live and both Duffy and Robert Fife agreed that this was a very unusual case and both defended the integrity of the CBC Ottawa Bureau.

Fife also said that the "junior" journalist was also very close friends in the same manner with a Conservative MP and that this is well known in Ottawa. Fife mentioned that the CPC conveniently omitted this info.

So, now we can put it behind us and I think she probably learned her lesson - a tough one and one I'll bet she won't forget.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I haven't seen MDL yet, but I've recorded it, and will check this out later. Thanks for the tip.

Anonymous said...

A liberal MP lying? That's not news.

Anonymous said...

Anonoymous - what are you saying? -Now she has "learned her lesson" - we can put this behind us!!.... What about the liberal members on the ethics committee?... Should they not also admit to their quilt in this matter?.... Why should they as the second part of the equasion get away with this? One member, openly lied on National T.V...that he had not been given questions from any member of the CBC. The CBC openly said he did!.... and removed one of their reporters because of this!... I know that is part of their platform, but the Canadian people are getting tired of them getting away with just that!. We demand the same for them... also ship them off to Toronto! or at least off of that committee!... Lieing on an ethics committee just doesn't "cut it"!

Anonymous said...

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post was something that the French reporter who was on MDL with Bob Fife picked up on. He said that he was taken aback when he heard the Bloc MP Pablo Rodriquez, who had always asked questions in Parliment in French, ask his question in English. He came right out and said that it was asked in English so it would get play on the CBC News broadcast and THAT represents a far bigger act of collusion since it implies that at least one of the CBC News producers was involved.
How else can you get a staunch separatist like Rodriquez to speak in English to Brian Mulroney, who is perfectly bilingual, unless he's promised a spot on the national evening news?
NeilD

Anonymous said...

Frankly I don't care if she was having an affair with a CPC member, her business behaviour is unprofessional. But she will love Toronto, leftist and a freak show on most every corner. Her kinda place I'd guess. (real conservative)

Anonymous said...

"Fife also said that the "junior" journalist was also very close friends in the same manner with a Conservative MP and that this is well known in Ottawa. Fife mentioned that the CPC conveniently omitted this info."

Well Bobby, she could be best friends with whomever she pleases- the difference, which you sadly, obviously fail to see, is that if she suggested questions to the CPC member, he/she took it no further.

The travesty here, bobby, is that the Liberals choose to make a mockery out of a parlimentary committee by actually ASKING the question.

Bob Fife needs to get out in the real world - he is not seeing the forest for all the trees in Ottawa. It isn't about who she is friends with, it is about the ethics of those friends!

Anonymous said...

and still you can hear crickets chirping over on liblogs on this...
the globe put this story in the freakin' ARTS section!

JR said...

Jonathan Kay's commentary seems just a mite limp. A pat on the back for the CBC ending with: "And so we can all put Pablo-gate behind us."

I'm with Roy Eappen. The Libs and Pablo shouldn't be let off the hook so easily.

Anonymous said...

Are we going to start electing our CBC reporters?
I think we'll hear Pablo addressed as the Member From The CBC in Question Period.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I think we'll hear Pablo addressed as the Member From The CBC in Question Period.

Hey, that's my line! ;)

I watched the whole Mike Duffy thing, and I think Krista Erickson has probably been sufficiently humiliated.

On the other hand, contrary to what Jonathan Kay suggests, I think 'Pablogate' is far from over - at least in the blogging world.

Canadians have a right to know how much the chair of the Ethics committee knew about this. Was he complicit? Why is only the CBC discipling their employee?

Why hasn't Stephane Dion done anything about this? At least one of his caucus members was allegedly caught lying and colluding with the CBC employee.

This isn't over.

Anonymous said...

Let's hope it is not over. I honestly wrote the CBC about 8 letters, I said we deserved to know the name of the reporter/reporters who were in collusion with the liberal ethics committee....etc. I did receive 2 letters that this matter was under investigation. I think now, we have to continue to write the media demanding answers why they have not published anything on this.... The Globe and Mail heading .... "CBC reporter reassigned for feeding Mulroney/Schreiber hearing questions." No mention of liberals... no mention of the liberal Pablo Rodriques.... trying to hide the whole thing... I also wrote the CTV tonight and said their Bureau Chief was trying to cover for the liberals as well. Just because Krista had Tory friends, what connection was that that Robert Fife could say that Krista was involved with the Tories... Let's write Mike Duffy Live and tell him, he too tried to hide this, it was him who asked Pablo if the CBC was in touch with him, and he definately said NO - he crafted his own questions... We know that is a lie.... a reporter was reassigned because she did craft question for Mr. Rodriques. We have to demand also to know if the chair as well as Mr. Thibeau knew about this... Mr. Thibeau started the questions off during this hearing regarding Spectrum! Let's keep on this. I think it was because of us, we had an answer from the CBC!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Let's keep on this. I think it was because of us, we had an answer from the CBC!

I think you're right. Let's keep it going. Good for you for writing all those letters.

This is grassroots democracy at its best.

Anonymous said...

Lets not forget that Mike Duffy himself suggested that Pablo, a committed Pequist, had asked his question in English in order to be on the CBC national (Canada) newscast and that would indicate that the collusion runs much deeper than a mere reporter. She answers to somebody!!
NeilD

Joan Tintor said...

"I think we'll hear Pablo addressed as the Member From The CBC in Question Period."

I think "Mr. Dressup" might be more to the point.

Gayle said...

"Even if collusion between politicians and journalists is hardly unheard of in Ottawa, it is plainly inappropriate for a reporter with the national broadcaster to involver herself in a case with such partisan overtones..."

This pretty much sums up why this is not going to be given the great import so many of you seem to believe it deserves.

In other words, the CBC is not the first news agency to use these tactics, and the liberals are not the only party to ever cooperate.

And before you start going on about this being a public broadcaster, let me say that journalistic ethics do not vary depending on the employer. Nor, for that matter, do the ethics of Parliamentarians.

The rest of the country moved on to issues like the economy, Afghanistan and whether there will be a spring election. I suggest you try and keep up.

Anonymous said...

coughing up a name for the CBC is the equivalent of coughing up a hairball.
Big hairy deal!
Unless the MSM continue to cover this(and by all accounts they'll continue to circle their wagons) it will blow over because, wait for it......it's the natural, entitled to their entitlement party we're talking about.

The Liberals should wear this, as well as the CBC. Still, where to find a journalist that's actually interested? Know of any?

Anonymous said...

Why weren't journalists all over the Liberals about this yesterday at their lemmingfest in Waterloo?

Perfect opportunity, yet...pretty much zip.

We need to start Szabo needs yanking as chair and the all the Liberals in the ethics committee replaced?

Who can do that? Harper?

Anonymous said...

There's no hope when even the National Post lets folks off the hook...check out today's offering on the subject.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Lets not forget that Mike Duffy himself suggested that Pablo, a committed Pequist, had asked his question in English in order to be on the CBC national (Canada) newscast and that would indicate that the collusion runs much deeper than a mere reporter.

Neil, Mike Duffy's whole attitude on this is strange. I would have expected more from him.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

There's no hope when even the National Post lets folks off the hook...check out today's offering on the subject.

Yeah, it's the same one that they posted on their blog yesterday.

Write a letter to the editor!

Anonymous said...

gayle,

i can't even begin to address your condescending attitude here.

I'm sorry, but I am not going to "change the channel" by ignoring this and look at afghanistan and the economy (important to be sure).

But the fact that you do not see anything wrong with a publically funded news agency taking ANY side on the political spectrum suggest to me that you have a warped sense of democracy.

I do agree that ALL journalists must act in accordance to some journalistic integrity. I am not to naive to think that such journalists, and the media they work for, do not bring their bias in their work- because everyone is biased to a certain degree.

But the thing here is that by appearing to be a mouthpiece of the LPC, our tax dollars (people of all political stripes) are essentially being used to financially support a party they may or may not supprt themselves. There is no choice in the matter. And I know had this been reversed, the libs would be crying foul, and correctly, too.

One could also argue that be being a "spokesperson" of the LPC that they are "donating" their time and "talent" to get the message out for the LPC. Certainly, the LPC is very happy with this as they don't have money for such things. But could one not argue the fact that perhaps this is nothing more than excessive financial support for a financially strained party?

Funny, on the G&M we went thru WEEKS of news stories re: the mulroney inquiry... they even had a special section front and centre to remind everyone. Funny, this section all but disappeared once suggestions of collusion came up between the CBC and the LPC. And now that these rumours have come to bear, is this story front and centre like all the other mulroney inquiry stories? Nope. It was buried in the arts section, released around the rush hour.

This sickens me that the media in this country seem to think I am some stupid idiot who can be swayed by how they go about their business. In fact, it comes across as very condescending as they seem to be telling me that *they* know what is best for me to digest in terms of news.

Sort of like how you "suggest (we) try and keep up.

must be a liberal thing

Anonymous said...

"This pretty much sums up why this is not going to be given the great import so many of you seem to believe it deserves."

Gayle - This deserves at least as much Headline News as a "supposed" dog comment in the HOC.

The Hypocrasy of Left Wing supporters such as yourself is mind-blowing.

That the press in this country can actually get an elected member of parliment to derail an "ethics" committee hearing by suggesting questions that have nothing to do with the mandate of the committee, and that the Liberal chairman of that committee can condone the asking of that question, begs some answers.

That you want to sweep something like this under the carpet is just plain wrong.

Yes there are many pressing matters in this country, unfortunately, your liberal party is more concerned about tarring Harper's Tories with the same nasty, lying, stealing brush they themselves have been tarred with.

The fact that you feel this is OK is sadly typical.

Gayle said...

I never said it was OK. I said that the media are not going to make a bigger deal out of it because they have all engaged in these tactics before.

This is not a liberal/CBC thing. It is a media/politicians thing.

JR said...

Now Gayle,
You said: “The rest of the country moved on ... I suggest you try and keep up.”

The “rest of the country” is much more than the media. So, clearly you think it’s “OK” enough to “move on”, or, ‘sweep it under the carpet’.

And “this” is obviously a CBC/Liberal thing. The taxpayer funded CBC having ‘fessed up and ‘punished’ their miscreant, it’s now time to “move on” to Pablo and get his Liberal Party to do the same.

Gayle said...

"it’s now time to “move on” to Pablo and get his Liberal Party to do the same.'

And if that happens I guarantee you the other media outlets will "out" each and every conservative who has done the same thing.

Which is why it will never happen.

But good luck flogging the dead horse.

Anonymous said...

Check out Jason Cherniak's take on this. It's actually very good.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Link to Cherniak here.

Anonymous said...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20571769592

heh

Anonymous said...

so it matters when reporters sleep with Liberals but not when they sleep with Conservatives? right... the double standard...

Anonymous said...

"so it matters when reporters sleep with Liberals but not when they sleep with Conservatives? right... the double standard..."

Hmmmm - you have proof of your statement - if so, please discuss.

The thing is laughing, these questions were used by a non-member of a parlimentary committee with the possible knowledge of the other Liberal members of that committee, including the chairman, to try to smear the present government.

If you have proof of the same type of thing happening with the conservatives, please let us know, because no - it is not right if it did.

I await the names.