Harper cuts off media access

[the caracal kid]

Harper cuts off media accessSaturday, January 21, 2006 Posted at 10:51 AM EST

Canadian Press

Toronto — Stephen Harper, anxious to protect his party's lead heading into Monday's vote, has cut off news conferences with the national media.

The Conservative leader brushed aside questions from reporters as he campaigned in the Liberal stronghold of Toronto.

His spokeswoman, Carolyn Stewart Olsen, says Mr. Harper no longer has time for formal question-and-answer periods.

Still, the Tory leader says open, accountable government will be one of his top priorities if he becomes prime minister.

One reporter was grabbed by Conservative security as she tried to ask a question of Tory hopeful John Carmichael.

Mr. Harper has been accused of shielding several candidates from media scrutiny, especially those who've spoken out against abortion and gay marriage.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...a21/BNStory/specialDecision2006/?query=harper

 

[FiveParadox]

I would think this to be quite disconcerting.

I saw on Global News yesterday that a majority of candidates for the Conservative Party of Canada in the Province of British Columbia are no longer responding to questions or media requests of any kind; more particularly, that several socially-conservative candidates have disappeared from the radar altogether.

 

[Jersay]

It should be. Shows what the Conservatives are actually like, so they are trying to keep tight lip so some of their fanatical candidates don't spout off.

Did you hear about the Conservative worker, actually grabbing a French journalist trying to ask questions to one of the Conservative hard right candidates.

Hopefully, this raises peoples eyebrows, and they vote NDP.