OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) – Canada’s top bank has a running list of media firms it deems as enemies and has barred those outlets from asking questions regarding national financial matters.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Paul Badertscher, the person in charge of communications for Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, said that certain media outlets, which included Blacklock’s Reporter, were barred from asking any bank employees questions.
“There’s a couple here who I absolutely — I’ll check the list to make sure he’s not listening — absolutely not keen to give questions to,” Badertscher said last Friday during a routine bank media videoconference, not aware there was an open microphone.
Badertscher continued, saying he does not want to “be in a situation where we are allowing Blacklock’s to be asking us.”
“I know who’s who,” added Badertscher.
However, reporters deemed to be from friendly media outlets, such as the CBC and Bloomberg, were allowed to call upon the bank employees as they wished, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
Blacklock’s Reporter had dialed into the videoconference and recorded the meeting. Despite being barred from asking questions, Blacklock’s Reporter is an accredited member of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery.
MP Pierre Poilievre, finance critic for the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), took issue with news that the Bank of Canada has a media enemy list.
“Bank of Canada is so used to softball questions from press gallery sycophants that it blacklists the few independent media who might ask interesting questions,” tweeted Poilievre on Tuesday.
Twitter user Brad Zubyk called out a “rot” in culture in Ottawa regarding news of the bank’s media enemy list.
“The Bank of Canada joins the unfortunately growing list of official Ottawa institutions that has become infected by the current rot in Ottawa. When a federal institution keeps a media enemies list it is probably time for significant change. #cdnpoli,” tweeted Zubyk on Monday.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, there were a total of 23 media outlets on the videoconference call. Remarks about the media banning were made to Deputy Bank Governor Toni Gravelle and Ben Gully, assistant superintendent of banks.
During the call, Badertscher could be heard explaining to a deputy bank governor that indeed certain media were given preferential treatment, said Blacklock’s Reporter.
Badertscher has denied that his communications staff keeps a media enemies list.
In an email sent out Monday, Badertscher claimed that “The Bank of Canada welcomes all accredited media outlets.”
The news that Canada’s top bank keeps a media enemy list comes despite Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claiming in 2019 that “Independent, fact-based reporting is vital.”
Indeed, as recently as December 16, 2021, a Ministerial Mandate letter urged all federal employees to act professionally when dealing with reporters.
Despite this claim, many other Canadian conservative media outlets such as Rebel News and True North News have been mostly barred to ask top federal politicians questions during press conferences.