CKNW Editorial
for June 25, 1999

There is much being said these days, especially by politicians, in criticism of the media. We practice, according to the premier of this province, “gotcha” journalism. When we cover an event like a police raid on the Premier’s home, we shouldn’t have been there and if we do happen to be there, we must apply such restraints as to make the coverage very dignified. We get personal … we look into places we shouldn’t … we, in short, do not mind our own business.

All of these complaints have some merit no doubt. There is excessive interference in people’s lives I’m sure. But let us look at the other side of this coin and see what happens when journalists do obey the politicians’ rules, drink martinis and eat canapes with them. What kind of journalism do we get then?

Without courageous and indeed in your face journalism, Allan Eagleson would have got away with it. Now it took a lot of courage from guys like Carl Brewer it’s true but without people like Stevie Cameron, Bruce Dowbiggin and an unknown journalist in Massachussets this story would never have broken. It sure as hell would never have broken had it been left to the mainstream jock reporters in this country who live off free booze and backslaps from the sports hierarchy.

Until a couple of months ago, no one thought for a moment that Jean Chretien was anything but squeaky clean. Then a reporter for the National Post, Andrew McIntosh started looking into some amazing loans made by several arms of the federal government to some pretty strange characters in Jean Chretien’s riding of St Maurice. The main Parliamentary Press Gallery not only did nothing, they mocked and derided McIntosh as he uncovered layer after layer of stunning revelations. The entire story can be read in last Saturday’s edition of the National Post and you should get it – you can download it off the internet.

I’m not going to get into too much detail this morning – Mr McIntosh outlined the whole sordid affair on this show yesterday and the Post article does it much more justice than I could. Let me just summarize it this way

Clearly, a company in which Mr Chretien is a 25% shareholder has benefited enormously from loans and grants made to it and associated companies by various departments of the federal government on the direct instigation of Mr Chretien or his staff, which is the same thing.

Without any doubt, businessmen of questionable reputations, but perhaps more seriously, of extremely doubtful entitlement, received huge sums of money from the federal government, through the offices of Jean Chretien, timed deliciously so as to enhance Mr Chretien’s election campaign in 1997, a campaign which pundits thought was a toss-up until Mr Chretien presented these so called job creation deals with his cronies to the electorate.

The Official opposition has picked up on Mr McIntosh’s work and it is clearer every day that Mr Chretien is in a hell of a lot of trouble. In fact, when the opposition was challenged in the House of Commons to make their charges outside the Chamber where they were not protected by any privilege they did just that and Prime Minister Chretien immediately backed off.

This mess makes the shenanigans of Premier Clark pale into insignificance. The Prime Minister of this country has made or encouraged to be made government decisions which not only feathered his own nest but also probably gained his re-election.

Was Mr McIntosh guilty of “gotcha” journalism? Did he stick his nose in where it did not belong?

Not unless you think that politicians can do whatever they please without being accountable.

The better question is where were the senior members of the press gallery lo these past five years or so.

You see, there is one axiom which is unarguable – It is the duty of journalists to seek the truth and in doing so, they must always remain at a distance from the politicians. Politicians, especially Prime Ministers like Mulroney and Chretien schmooze and do it expertly. They invite the favoured journalists to drinks and canapes at 24 Sussex Drive or for a few drinks and a swim and Harrington Lake. They compromise by flattery. The good ones like Clare Hoy and Andrew McIntosh know this and don’t get sucked in.

No, the fault lies not with the media but with those who would, by fooling the media, fool the public as well.