On his misrepresentation of the Conservative tax policy platform – at CBC Watch.
MacDonald pulled a similar stunt a couple of nights earlier when exerpting the contents of the infamous “Chapter 5” of the AG report – suggesting there was nothing there to see.
| Flashback – In 2004, MacDonald received an award for his reporting on Israel. |  |
As an addendum – I did something I rarely do anymore, and watched both the CBC and CTV national news. The contrast between the coverage of Paul Martin’s appearance before a seniors group by the two networks was remarkable. CBC mentioned the event was dominated by questions about Options Canada. CTV pulled the cameras back and revealed it was a media frenzy, generated by Martin’s bringing the questions to an abrupt close, as he tried to make an escape. Then, Tom Clark mentioned yet another leak of the next day’s platform announcment on the environment.
In the comments, Chuck raises another – the story the same night on CBC about the “costs” of keeping criminals in jail under mandatory sentencing. Yes, I thought it was ridiculously transparent as well.
Chip – how did you watch the red flag flap on the radio? I, too remember CBC radio, what an experience!! Listining to those gushing, ‘rolling small stones in their mouth’ Communists was nothing short of revolting. The only good CBC radio I have ever heard was the great music they played during the strike. Maybe they will go on strike again sometime soon – I hope – and resolve never to work for the gument again. How foolish I am.
I listin to them to pick them apart and it is a very easy thing to do – they are so ‘pravda passe’, I feel like I’m back in Communist Poland when I look at their earnest, forced grin, flabby faces and jowls flapping in tune to the left wing nuts that ruin this country. I have nothing good to say about them or CTV.
“I think the CBC should be charged under the gag law. They are clearly a 3rd party advertiser for the Liberals.”
So are the special interest lobby groups that receive tax dollars!
They’re always out there saying terrible stuff about Conservatives and good stuff about Liberals. Gad, the gag law is so unfair to us Conservative-oriented citizens! Gag!
Harper had the perfect chance to set the record straight today at that auto dealership. To my mind, he blew it.
He repeated the same line several times, did not answer the question with precision, looked like he was avoiding the issue.
What is so tough about telling exactly what hes going to do? unless of course there is something in the economic platform that needs to be kind of hidden in other messages.
He said his program would save people more money than the liberal program, so why didnt he spell it out?
This is the same kind of foolery that we rail against when the other parties do the same thing
there there Allen , they’re only doing their best.
Allen,
” Am I the only CPC supporter that can properly use there, their and they’re? I hope there aren’t any educated undecided voters reading this blog.”
Homonyms suck.
I had a horrible introduction to them by my grade 6 teacher and they haunt me to this day!
My grandest thoughts of CBC Pravda are sitting at a northern rig camp, waiting for the hockey game to start. The TV warms up and there is an orchestra playing —CBC presents — “A Night at the Symphony”
It was a collective decision ,we learned more from books that night as the screen went off. All the north subjected to the cultural whims of some bureaucrat of the program guide.Pravda continues to promote its own hidden agenda of David Suzuki and poorly filmed plays passing as drama.
dont get me wrong, I love classical music- learned it all from Bugs Bunny.
In return for all their assistance I believe the CBC budget over the duration of the election campaigne is going to be picked up by the Liberal Party and included in their election expenses.
Cockeyed Optimist
I think what we should do is to convince our families, friends, neighbours, business associates and fellow office and team workers to refuse buying any products and services of companies that advertise on the CBC, CTV, Globe and Mail, National Post, and other media owned by Thompson.
I’ve written the following to the cbc… for what it’s worth.
I was a daily National watcher for many years… often I’ll watch parts of the 9pm broadcast on Newsworld and make sure I catch the top stories and what I’d missed on the 10pm broadcast. I am now looking for an alternative news broadcast for my Canadian news.
I’ve taken issue with the Liberal bias in your coverage in the past and have shrugged it off and maintained my loyalty thanks to the in depth reports and mini-docs that run after the first 20mins. I’ve now given up. The garbage you are now foisting upon the taxpayers/audience has past the point of disgraceful. The blatant pro-Liberal bias is somewhat understandable due to the CBC’s role as a Liberal Party Human Resources dumping ground which creates an institutional culture where such a bias is perhaps and regrettably unavoidable. However one would think that your flagship news show would attempt (for its own sake) to present the nation’s news and not the governing party’s spin on what the news should be. I (and many others) used to rely on the National for news. I’ve realized that such hope was misplaced and now I will look elsewhere as I’m sure others have before me and many more will follow.
I take particular issue with Neil MacDonald’s reporting which does it’s utmost to cast Paul Martin’s day in the best possible light (maybe the least poor light is a better reflection) while going out of his way to breathlessly read from whatever late-day smear the Liberal war room has put out… whether is be a dated, out of context speech from an opponent, a minor detail or technicality that absolves the Liberal’s of some kind off organized (and seemingly on-going) criminal activity or pointing out some inconsistency with the Conservative tax proposals (which have yet to be revealed).
My patience and good humour has been insulted by your ridiculous ‘news’ for far too long. So long, and I can only hope that you’ve destroyed your credibility enough that another network or medium realizes the opportunity you have created in Canada for a real news source.
Most sincerely,
Craig
Stephen Harper should announce the hiring of Don Cherry as CBC President and CEO. CBC employees heads would explode like in the movie Scanners.
I am writing to the CBC: have MacDonald correct or fire him; his argument is being parroted on local radio where I live.
I definately find McDonald a disgrace to his profession. The man is unethical and dishonest. Having said that this is a great opening for Harper if they use it correctly. They have to get it into the media of course. But if they have more to come this gives them the perfect opening to jam it down the Liberals throats.
Harper has to recind the Liberal tax cuts. He has to put in Conservative policy.
Too bad he couldn’t just cheerily chirp of course we are getting rid of Liberal tax cuts. We have so much to fix and implement properly.
Harper could be waiting until after the debates on Monday to begin announcing his tax policy step by step daily like they did with the other stuff.
if we all participated in a dump Kneel MacDonald would PRAVDA listen?
the best we could hope for was a paid holiday for
Mr. Left of BobRae.
one problem is —he is the one of the few journalists left on Pravda that you can pronounce his name.
Since when did the Liberal media become so concerned with spending? These guys never saw a buck that shouldn’t flow through the government and be spent.
Now they get worried about spending on prisons.
Sshheeessshhh.
The CBC employees’ heads wouldn’t explode, actually. Since they’ve a vacuum of empty space inside their skulls, they’d implode.
And, Lee, I believe the Conservatives said they’ll “spell it out” when the official, complete platform is released.
Besides, when have the Liberals themselves ever “spelled out” anything? Since they spelled out their promise to “scrap, kill, abolish” the GST and didn’t, they don’t “spell out” anything anymore… plausible denial, you know, as I believe one of the Libranos said on audiotape to Gurmant Grewal.
Monte nails it, hilarious as always:
—————–
http://www.montesolberg.com/2006/01/cbc-breaking-news.htm
CBC Breaking News
Tonight in a shocking expose the CBC revealed that the Conservative Party still does not support Ralph Goodale’s mini-budget and would instead implement the tax measures that the Conservative Party outlined in its platform. It’s true, the Conservatives are still opposed to the tax measures they voted against in November! Yes, I am shocked by this too because everyone knows that you must do what the Liberals would do or you are not actually a Canadian.
Sure the Conservatives “claim” that their combination of GST tax cuts and personal income tax cuts will be much larger and more fair than those proposed by the Liberals, but then the Conservatives aren’t actually Canadian and the Conservatives all have shifty eyes too. Well, not eyes really, more like optical sensors because the Conservatives are actually evil robots, but that’s a Reality Check for another day.
But the string of calamities doesn’t end there. I have it on good authority that tomorrow the CBC will reveal that the Conservative Party, if elected, would not implement the Liberal Plan for institutionalized daycare because the Conservatives selfishly feel that they would have a mandate to implement their own childcare proposals. The nerve!
Thank goodness the CBC is on top of breaking news from November. Now I feel I must watch into February to catch December’s breaking news because I want to know if we get through Christmas okay.
Remember, it didn’t happen if you didn’t see it on the CBC.
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but CTV’s noon lead covers it infinitely more objectively in comparison:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B4D923E6C
Harper says he’d repeal current income tax cuts
Updated Sat. Jan. 7 2006 12:35 PM ET
Canadian Press
OTTAWA � A Conservative government would reverse Liberal tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners passed just before the election was called as part of a broad tax plan that would substantially reduce taxes for everyone, leader Stephen Harper said Saturday…
I should have mentioned the previous was a CP release as is this one:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/01/07/1383568-cp.html
“Harper, Martin engage in tax tug-of-war
By MICHELLE MACAFEE
OTTAWA (CP) – Low-and middle-income earners found themselves at the centre of a tax cut tug-of-war Saturday, with Stephen Harper and Paul Martin desperate to yank them across the electoral line to embrace their plans for enriching household coffers.
Harper, the Conservative leader, was forced to explain his plan to reverse Liberal personal income tax cuts that took effect Jan. 1 after it was revealed in a TV report Friday.
But he made no apologies, saying the move is part of a broad tax plan that would substantially reduce taxes for everyone.”
In contrast to the CBC “editorials,” (“infomercials?”) both of these are “new articles” that attempt to present both sides of the story.
I listen to talk radio all the time and last march or april the issue of Mother Corps renowned biases was being discussed. For an experiment I decided to compare the national newscasts of CBC, CTV and Global that night.
Here is what I noted on the one night I decided to try this.
A story ran on all three networks about standardized testing of kids in grades 3,6 and 9. Canadian kids had placed #1 internationally. There were also provincial breakdowns which showed Alberta kids had placed first in two of the three areas tested. I picked this particular story to monitor because it was the next topic discussed on the talk radio program that day.
Global and CTV reported the story consistant with what I had read in the Calgary Herald that morning and what I had heard on the radio that afternoon.
CBC was a completely different story. Mansbridge introduces the piece with a graphic of Canada’s overall position as #1 in the background, cut to stock footage of kids in a classroom with a graphic at the bottom of the screen identifying it as MONTREAL, as this runs he speaks to the aggregate score being Canada’s strength.
Screen changes to more stock footage of kids in a classroom, this time with the graphic reading EDMONTON. Only now the narrative is about how cutbacks have effected many areas of the country and may explain why Canada had only placed fifth in science.
I believe this was designed to give the impression that:
1. Alberta education was inferior and was responsible for the relatively poor performance of canada overall in science.
2. Alberta’s poor performance could be attributed to lack of funding by those nasty Klien Conservatives, who of course is the godfather of the conservative movement in Canada.
3. Alberta is populated by slack jawed yokels and therefore breeds little slack jawed kidletts.
The piece now switches to stock footage of kids in a classroom with the graphic TORONTO as Mansbridge concludes on a positive note praising Canada’s overall performance.
I watched this twice that night, on Newsworld and again later on the main network to ensure I wasn’t seeing things.
The real facts were that the Alberta kids had placed first in all three grades in english and math and second in science. They had in fact brought up the national average.
I guess this only proves the point that the lefty social engineering pricks at the CBC will never let the facts stand in the way of advancing thier primary agenda. The left knows best and the right is pretty much stupid, a burden to be borne by the rest of the country.
This has caused me to wonder how much of this subliminal bullshit they have been cranking out over the years. This is manipulation of the worst kind and it sickens me to think that we pay the wages of these conniving bastards.
I apologize for the language, but this really pisses me off.
Syncro
Yes, I noticed the CBC bias as well. For years I’ve hated the CBC and wished they’d go bankrupt – the latest strike brought jubilation to my soul! – But did you notice the little smirk of glee on Mansbridge’s face when the anti-Conservative report was coming on?! O ya, and the crime peice was funny. I remember telling my wife just before the peice was about to air “I bet we’re going to hear some report on how the Conservatives are horrible and how everything is too expensive, and how the Liberals and especially the NDP are the only resonable way to go” – and of course, the report starts off with Jack Layton expressing some real emotion about a murder in his community- followed by Paul Martin looking a little bit like a moron, and the Conservatives as being Satan himself! CBC- what a crock! But hey, if we get only a tiny bit of anti-liberal reporting in the news (which we HAVE gotten), that shows a MASSIVE disgust toward the Liberals.
Liberal TV Ads
Liberal attack ads are running.
via andrewcoyne.com
Here’s the CanWest take on the same:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A13A32E6C
Harper would repeal Liberal tax cuts
Norma Greenaway, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, January 07, 2006
NEW HAMBURG, Ont. — An unapologetic Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says a Tory government would repeal the new Liberal cut for people in the lowest income tax rate if it wins government on Jan. 23.
Harper said, however, the Conservatives tax-relief measures, once they have all been rolled out, would leave Canadians better off than they would be under what the Liberals are offering.
“We will be doing our tax plan, not the Liberal tax plan,” he said, singling out the Tories� promise to cut the GST to five per cent from seven per cent as the centrepiece of the plan that involves selected personal and business tax cuts.
“We can�t do both. And our tax reduction will save a lot more money for Canadians than the Liberal plan.”
Just from the three articles I alone have posted, the contrast to the CBC’s editorializing is stark.
I’m sure the CBC elite would make a comment similar to the mother proudly watching her child in the marching band: “Everybody was out of step but my kid.”
I noticed that this morning CBC was playing the “Tax Recind” pretty hard, which I expected having seen the CBC bit last night, and CTV carried it this morning… I also noticed over the course of the day the CBC seemed to be dropping the story, and CTV is now making light of it too…
The way Jason Kenny and Monte Soleberg reacted to it scared them I think… CBC realized they missed something on it. Reading Monte’ blog today, he sounded like a Fox eating shit out of wirebrush… he has a trick up his sleave.
Well it serves CBC right if they end up looking like assholes… there’s no more deserving organization.
Also, Martin’s the better story in media minds… and he got Pettigrew, whose dead smack in the middle of Options, to be the man carrying the ball on the situation. Is it me or is that just plain dumb. I suppose he figures since Petticoat is one of the ones who are gonna burn, he will run interferance the best… nothing like desperation to spur you on right?
Anyway, the Globe didn’t really bite on the Tax thing, and the Star didn’t either, so most Liberals were probably out partying their miseries away.
Ha! I know if I was a Liberal, I’d have no trouble finding a reason to buy myself a serious hangover. “Bartender, another one, and put a good tip on there for yourself, cause I’m not going to be in much anymore”.
What you really have to ask yourself is the National a news program or just a magnet to attract unsuspecting suckers to thier Liberal friendly opinionating. There is bias on all the networks but at least CTV tries to stick to telling its viewers what happened so that they can use their intellect to form thier own opinion. Trying to convince viewers to listen and not think is pure propoganda. Thr CBC should have theor Licence pulled for what they are trying to pull again in this election. I wouldn’t expect much to come out of complaints to the CBC Ombudsman. Really how independant do you think the job is.
How many gangsters could we put in jail with the one billion a year that we give the CBC.
You mean $1.6 billion Fred.
Syncro,
I wish I could write something to make you laugh, however consistency is the hobgoblin of a small mind and it’s time for a serious post.
Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful post comparing CBC�s coverage of the education issue to the facts. They think they are so clever but their coverage is so transparently biased to anyone who knows the facts.
Please send your post to the CBC. They will ignore it but it might make these smug unprofessional partisans slightly anxious as they prepare to pull out all the stops to keep the Liberals in power.
It’s time for thoughtful Canadians to call for the disbandment of CBC T.V. With satellite TV they don’t do anything that can’t be done by a private broadcaster. They have outlived their raison d�etre and their usefulness.
Despite their constant and unseemly chest thumping and self promotion of their vaunted coverage of events the geniuses at CBC seem not to appreciate, or more likely deliberately ignore, the fact that they are funded by ALL TAXPAYERS including conservative taxpayers. This fact imposes upon the CBC a trust to provide coverage that is fair and balanced and doesn�t prefer the fortunes of one party or one political group or philosophy over another.
Instead what we get is this constant leftist and liberal spin of the kind you described in your post. The bias shows in what they cover and how they cover it, including their choice of guest. This afternoon they had on Phyllis Bennes of The Nation Magazine � one of their regular American guests. One wonders how many Canadians realize that The Nation is an anti- American, anti-Jewish publication which is so far left it makes the NDP look conservative by comparison.
They put her on to show Canadians what some Americans are thinking about a particular issue. They don�t tell you she is from the fringes of American society. On the other hand I can�t remember ever seeing them invite a conservative American for a non confrontational chat
Like the party they so faithfully support the CBC has abused the trust of Canadians. It�s time for both of them to go.
The press corps may be liberal, but they’re bootlickers in the end – and their livelihood depends on government handouts. As sure as the sun will rise in the morning: if the Conservatives win the election, the coverage will be all positive for months.
By the way…the CBC was telling us for months that there would be a huge anti-Conservative backlash because “Canadians don’t want a Christmas election”. Have they done a “Reality Check” now that this ridiculous proposition has been proven totally false?
The CBC goes fair and balanced – note the time this story was filed:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/07/elxn-harper060107.html
or
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P51B14E6C
Harper says Tory plan means lower taxes for Canadians
Last Updated Sat, 07 Jan 2006 21:28:17 EST
CBC News
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper confirmed on Saturday that his party would scrap the tax relief plan outlined in the Liberals’ mini-budget last November. But he said Canadians would end up with more savings.
Harper said Conservative tax breaks, including a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax, would have a more significant impact on Canadian families than the Liberals’ proposed tax cuts announced for low- and middle-income earners.
“We have a tax-reduction plan. We’ll be doing our plan, not their plan,” Harper told reporters while campaigning in Kitchener, Ont….
your right , bootlickers all of them .
they switched from “tories would increase taxes”
to “Harper boasts of lower taxes”–note the questionable authenticy of this type of headline to
Harper says Tory plan means lower taxes for Canadians.
maybe even Kneel Macdonald will have to Neil to the new masters.
I just saw Layton talking about how a conservative govt would reduce taxes and cut social programs. I guess Jack doesn’t watch the CBC either!
Myself I couldn’t stomach being left to disgusing re-runs of Three’s Company, Dukes of Hazzard and Starsky and Hutch. US crap for the masses. I could see a compromise of CBC staying in some “entertainment ” production, but the news?? Not on your life. I’m voting Conservative as often as possible (he-he) but really feel we are destined to be swallowd up in US based stories/culture involving “the hood” and all that other related shit.
Sorry but Georgia is not my back yard and I don’t give a fuck for stories that originate there; nor LA, nor Long Island; nor Malibu.
I can only stand so much tits and ass, not to mentioned talking cars named KITT….jesus garbage!!
More or at least some Barrie. Surry, St Johns and Mllwoods for me.
Terry
Thanks for the feedback. I think I will e-mail those idiots. BTW I did find something to laugh at in Kate’s most recent post!!!
Syncro
Dear Duke,
I will hire Neil McDonald.
I will give him $25 an hour to wheel concrete next summer.
No joke. :0)
Duke
LMAO…I have a feeling you’d be wasting $24.50, cause I think you’d be streching it, to get a “HONEST” .50 cents, worth of work, out of Neil MacDonald
Yeah, and I want him telling my Canadian friends anything?
HonestReporting.org rocks!! And so does Stephen Harper’s website Conservative.ca.
CTV website still carrying two headlines.
Harper to recind tax cuts.
Martin says” Tories will increase taxes”
do either PravdaCBC or CTV call the Libs Grits anymore??
Is Allen really Don in disguise?
if we all sent in a complaint about Kneel to the Left MacDonald ( I have sent in several) would it change anything that Pravda(CBC) I see that the Libs command (demand?) more than half the headlines on their site right now.
Likely not.
Syncro