tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1892827037183316611.post2089149051526640999..comments2023-10-09T08:27:03.515-04:00Comments on Runesmith's Canadian Content: Halton's New Tory Candidate Has Been AssimilatedJennifer Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610902519752808810noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1892827037183316611.post-52802195862915234852008-09-13T22:48:00.000-04:002008-09-13T22:48:00.000-04:00Mike -Don't get me wrong - I take serious issue wi...Mike -<BR/><BR/>Don't get me wrong - I take serious issue with the reporter's lazy journalism here. But I also find it telling that our much anticipated new candidate's first significant hearing in the local paper took the form of a press release that so obviously came from party HQ.<BR/><BR/>I'm not so naive as to believe that government ministers or opposition critics personally write all the things they say at press conferences or put in press releases. However, I <I>do</I> expect those words to reflect their areas of responsibility and expertise, and for the most part, their own personal opinions.<BR/><BR/>For example, the Liberal website has a <A HREF="http://www.liberal.ca/story_14539_e.aspx" REL="nofollow">press release</A> talking about aboriginal issues that quotes Labrador MP Todd Russell and their Special Advisor for Aboriginal Outreach, Tina Keeper. The <A HREF="http://www.liberal.ca/story_14539_f.aspx" REL="nofollow">French version</A> quotes the same two MPs. The same can be seen in a release on immigration in <A HREF="http://www.liberal.ca/story_14210_e.aspx" REL="nofollow">English</A> and <A HREF="http://www.liberal.ca/story_14210_f.aspx" REL="nofollow">French</A>, both of which quote (you guessed it) the Liberal Immigration Critic.<BR/><BR/>Now, perhaps Lisa Raitt was secretly making a study of child care issues during her years as CEO of the Toronto Port Authority, but somehow I doubt it. I'm sure she <I>does</I> have her own areas of expertise like, possibly, business or transportation, and I might even be interested in hearing what she has to say on those subjects. But since the Party has apparently designated her their official "English Female Candidate with Children", I'm not holding out much hope.<BR/><BR/>I guess we'll find out at the first debate.Jennifer Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14610902519752808810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1892827037183316611.post-59843162149137366752008-09-13T13:24:00.000-04:002008-09-13T13:24:00.000-04:00Having two contacts for both official languages is...Having two contacts for both official languages is done in business all the time.<BR/><BR/>They simply put out the press release with one contact in english and one contact in french as a point of contact.<BR/><BR/>In this case, Lisa is the english contact on this issue and Vernier is the french contact. Just the same as one Liberal candidate is the "party spokesperson" for one issue being the critic for that portfolio etc...<BR/><BR/>Its not some evil plot to keep peoples mouths zipped or a leader not trusting their MP's to speak on their own. Looking at the text of the Champion and the text of the press release its obvious that the Champion copy/paste the press release into the article. Its unknown that the reporter even talked with any of the contacts. Thats up for the Champion to explain. <BR/><BR/>Its not some Star Trek, tin foil hat conspiracy theory going on here...so fear not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1892827037183316611.post-73006443016067367692008-09-13T00:07:00.000-04:002008-09-13T00:07:00.000-04:00ti-guy -I emailed Melanie to ask. I tried my best...ti-guy -<BR/>I emailed Melanie to ask. I tried my best to be non-accusatory - just a "though you should know" message about the Globe article. It's even possible that she asked the questions on the phone and Raitt just read the answers off a sheet.<BR/><BR/>chrystal -<BR/>They call it "Campaign-in-a-Box", apparently. Just the kind of thing that makes me appreciate my loud-mouthed, opinionated, trouble-making MP even more.Jennifer Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14610902519752808810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1892827037183316611.post-66395834269085656112008-09-12T23:50:00.000-04:002008-09-12T23:50:00.000-04:00It's those election-readiness binders the Cons had...It's those election-readiness binders the Cons had their government-paid staff prepare for them, duplicated for all 308 of their candidates. All the talking points in one neat, no doubt BLUE, binder. There was a story about this in the week or two leading up to the election call.Chrystal Oceanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00171002438761303983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1892827037183316611.post-57286828170926456602008-09-12T23:25:00.000-04:002008-09-12T23:25:00.000-04:00"Honestly, this is lame."And so is the ad on the c..."Honestly, this is lame."<BR/><BR/>And so is the ad on the conservative.ca website that says the same thing. Don't we have a truth in advertising law? Or does it only apply to consumer advertising?Deb Protherohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403442452148244237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1892827037183316611.post-54826638317950671342008-09-12T23:16:00.000-04:002008-09-12T23:16:00.000-04:00Even worse, the Champion article gives the impress...<I>Even worse, the Champion article gives the impression that this was all from an actual interview with the candidate, when in all likelihood (unless Raitt has a photographic memory) it was just copied and pasted from a press release.</I><BR/><BR/>Perhaps Melanie Hennessey at <I>The Champion</I> conducted the interview by email and Raitt copied and pasted her response? In any case, it'd be good to find out what is at that the root of this bit journalistic malpractice.<BR/><BR/>Honestly, this is lame.Ti-Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06620550471437012866noreply@blogger.com