OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – Dr. Leslyn Lewis, Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MP and leadership candidate says she will “restore” Canada’s media “independence” and stop media bailouts at the hands of the federal government should she one day become prime minister.
“Everyone has the right to free speech and to their own views, but the government shouldn’t be paying for the ability of journalists to amplify their opinions,” wrote Lewis in a campaign platform update posted Tuesday titled “Defunding the CBC.”
“The mainstream media long ago abandoned its role as a faithful and objective reporter of news. Instead, they have become their own left-wing echo chamber.”
Lewis, who in the past has said she does not favor the government funding media, said if elected leader of the CPC and then prime minister she will “defund” Canada’s state broadcaster the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
She also noted that she will end the “Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization designations” and end “the media bailouts.”
Lewis wrote that Canadians have “lost” their “trust in our legacy media.”
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s in a race for clicks, or a politicized agenda, the divisive and sensationalist stories from our mainstream media have caused Canadians to lose their trust in our legacy media,” wrote Lewis.
“Who can forget the ludicrous cover of the Toronto Star publishing questions about whether the unvaccinated deserved to die. While the media are quick to decry ‘misinformation’ and ‘division’, they are far too often the ones spreading it.”
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Lewis: Canada’s legacy media must be ‘defunded’ as its reputation is in ‘shambles’
For decades, Canada’s legacy media were essentially on their own when it came to revenue.
That all changed in 2019 when the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an election promise that the Liberals would give legacy media $600 million in federal assistance over four years.
In 2021, the Trudeau Liberals gave the state-run Canadian Broadcasting Corporation $1.4 billion, which accounts for around 70 percent of its total revenue.
News organizations must be given Qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO) status to receive special tax breaks and to receive government funding.
In 2019, Canada’s parliament amended the Income Tax Act to allow 25 percent payroll rebates up to a maximum of $13,750 per journalist at QCJOs. A panel appointed by Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage and led by Bob Cox, the former publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press and chair of News Media Canada, had asked for 35 percent in rebates.
Popular Canadian conservative media outlet Rebel News recently said they would sue the Trudeau government for refusing to give their news organization QCJO status.
Regarding the QCJO status, Lewis said the program “undermines the integrity of” the media.
“Under no circumstance should government be determining, away from public view, what counts as Canadian journalism and what government perks and grants can be accessed because of it,” wrote Lewis.
About the CBC, Lewis said the news outlet’s credibility is “in shambles” which is one of the reasons why it must be defunded.
“Just last week, I had to challenge the CBC’s faulty media narratives against me. It’s past time taxpayers stop funding a news organization that force-feeds them woke, Liberal Party talking points,” wrote Lewis.
READ: Leslyn Lewis will remove Canada from World Economic Forum’s digital ID program if elected PM
Canadian mainstream media, which is itself subsidized by the government, was caught spreading fake news stories about the trucker Freedom Convoy.
The CBC had to retract a story that falsely claimed most support for the Freedom Convoy came from foreigners. Trudeau himself used this narrative as a basis for enacting the Emergencies Act.
The CBC earlier retracted a story that falsely claimed Russia was behind the Freedom Convoy.
Regarding the billions in media bailout money, Lewis wrote that the handouts “sell out the media’s independence and they reward those who continue to push left-wing think pieces that nobody wants.”
“A free and independent press that holds the government to account is a key pillar of our democracy. It’s vital the press stays independent so our democracy can remain strong,” wrote Lewis.
Lewis, who is unashamedly pro-life, has come out strong against government overreach, such as COVID travel jab mandates and proposed digital IDs during her campaign.
The CPC will elect a new leader on September 10.