Roundup: Not pushing back on referendum disinfo

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Because this is occasionally a media criticism blog, I’m going to call out Power & Politics once again for completely dropping the ball, this time on the bullshit “referendum” happing in Alberta. They hosted Bill Bewick, who heads a group in favour of the referendum, and gave him a pretty uncritical interview, with only the barest hints of pushback. Because both-sidesing.

Host David Common pushed back on a mere couple of points – that the referendum won’t actually do anything because it doesn’t obligate the federal government to negotiate anything; and the fact that without equalisation, PEI would need a 30 percent HST to make up the same funding. He even went so far as to egg on Bewick about how much equalisation Ontario pays, as if it was relevant, because no province actually pays equalisation, which is a pretty big thing that Bewick and his bullshit ever got called on. Equalisation is simply federal taxes that come off everyone’s paycheque – that a fraction of those funds get redistributed to some provinces who need help in offering comparable levels of service when they don’t have adequate fiscal capacity. And the key thing to remember is that Alberta may pay more federal taxes because they have the highest salaries in the country – by far – even during the pandemic. Crying that the province has a deficit has nothing to do with equalisation and everything to do with the fact that the provincial government refuses to raise their own revenues by means of a modest sales tax like other provinces have, and the fact that they chose to rely on resource revenues instead. Their deficit is a choice.

I am forced to wonder whether Bewick didn’t get any pushback because the host and/or the producers simply don’t have a clue about the truth, or because they feel bound by the need to both-sides everything and plan to have someone credible on to refute the points in a separate interview later today – because heaven forbid that the host actually push back lest he or she be called out as being biased or partisan. But calling bullshit and pointing out fact shouldn’t be considered bias or partisanship – it should be simple fact-checking, which they can’t seem to be arsed to do at the best of times, let alone in a referendum that is fuelled by misinformation and disinformation coming from official sources trying to make a political wedge out of this. In a case like this, it’s especially incumbent upon the media to play their role in pushing back against a government that is lying to its citizens, but this timidity to do so is a very real problem for our media.

Good reads:

  • In Washington for World Bank, IMF, G7 and G20 finance ministers’ meetings, Chrystia Freeland says they are all watching the global supply chain crisis.
  • Outgoing fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan announced agreements reached with some Nova Scotia First Nations – but not the Sipekne’katik First Nation.
  • There are questions as to why the delayed change of command ceremony for the next head of the Canadian Army was not made public when the investigation began.
  • Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem is warning that supply chain bottlenecks could be longer than expected, which could keep inflation running hot.
  • Vulnerable Afghans being targeted by the Taliban say they don’t know how to get Canadian visas – because Canada is going through the UNHCR for resettlements.
  • The International Energy Agency says that Canadians are among the highest per-capita energy consumers in the world, while we’re pledging net zero by 2050.
  • The Supreme Court of Canada ordered a new trial in the case of a man who killed someone under a claim of self-defence, as the jury was not properly instructed.
  • Some newly-elected MPs talk about realising the scope of their workloads, and are hoping for better “bridging” of constituency files from the previous MP.
  • The Conservative Party’s national council suspended one of its elected members for circulating a petition calling for an early leadership review.
  • Kevin Carmichael talks to former Bank of Canada deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins about the move from the “Washington Consensus” to the “Cornwall Consensus.”
  • Matt Gurney does some rough math and surmises that the surge of PPC voters in the election didn’t hurt the Conservatives as much as some have claimed.
  • Althia Raj previews the kinds of fights MPs could get involved in when the electoral boundary redistribution process gets started today.

Odds and ends:

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5 thoughts on “Roundup: Not pushing back on referendum disinfo”

  1. Careful Dale, don’t ever say that the #CdnMediaFailed on anything, or their indignant standard-bearers will be out to call you a “Liberal psycho” and a “TruAnon.” Wouldn’t want to anger the titans with such partisan invective and hubris as (checks notes) verifiable facts.

  2. I literally can’t remember the last time I watched Power and Politics. I don’t know how many people *do* actually watch it, but the combination of lazy contrarianism and/or vacant bothsidesism that infests shows like that and encourages the worst tendencies in Canadian and American opinion journalists is harmful to both journalism and the public’s understanding of politics and events.

  3. When facts and truth are presented today, even by the timid media, people resent the fact that their arguments immediately have no place. One of the worst things is to have your beliefs stripped. So what is the solution you ask?
    Attack the messenger by every means and counter with more lies.

  4. Feels like fainting couches are needed for political twit-o-verse today. You’re the one who constantly points no bills were passed between January and May and even in June still plenty of bills weren’t passed so why House of Commons being there now or November 22nd make much difference.

  5. “…without equalization, PEI would need a 30 percent HST to make up the same funding.”

    Since premiers and leaders of the major federal political parties seem to think that any province should be able to change the Canadian constitution unilaterally, why should PEI not ask for an amendment giving up the two of its four seats in the House of Commons that it has only because of the constitution’s Senatorial clause?

    I’m sure PEI would be eager to create greater “equalization” in the House of Commons for the equalization funding it gets from the federal government courtesy of Canadian taxpayers. After all, fair’s fair, right?

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