Canada's liberal propagandists to get $600 million reward

First the funny stuff. Today, on its Toronto page, CTV News has a story headed "Police issue arrest warrant for suspect in violent attack on teen girl and her mother". (The suspect's name is Harry -- originally Hari -- Rajkumar. Can you say "Diversity is our strength!", boys and girls?) Here's a screen grab of the suspect description.

Evidently CTV, like the rest of the Canuck meeja, can't afford proofreaders any more. That Canadian newspapers and even TV networks are struggling is not news. Even the state-run (and taxpayer-funded!) CBC is crying stinking fish, laying off "workers" (but not execs, of course) and begging for (a) subscriptions and (b) government handouts.

The gentlemen and ladies (and those who aren't sure) of the fifth estate got their wish for (b) on Thursday when the gliberal government of Prime Minister Just In Trudeau announced, in its fall budget statement, that it would dole out C$600 million ($450 million in real money) to publishers and joournalists, to keep such organs as the Toronto Star from having to lay off more staff or even close its doors for good. Good news for the ink-stained wretches, not so good for taxpayers.

The problem is greater than a mere 600 mill added to Canada's soaring deficit. As Postmedia's Andrew Coyne points out (to his credit), in "Liberals' $600M aid package for news media will irrevocably politicize the press", it is hard not to see the massive handout as a less-than-subtle attempt to buy off what's left of the independent press, and co-opt them into the liberal/Liberal propaganda machine... as if the dominance of the CBC and the Red Star weren't bad enough.

But (I hear you ask), didn't the government say that the recipients of the pieces of silver would be determined by an "independent panel of journalists"? Oh yes... a panel chosen by the government in the same way and for the same reasons as the "independent" senators now being packed into the Red Chamber. Mr Coyne writes, "I don’t actually think the government will appoint a group of card-carrying Liberal hacks to this 'independent panel.' They won’t need to."

Indeed. Walt predicts that those appointed to the "independent" panel will be reliably "progressive" journalists of a pinkish hue, like CBC propagandists Rosemary Barton, Paul Hunter and Keith Boag, and CTV's Evan Solomon. Not appointed will be Rex Murphy, Ezra Levant, Mark Steyn and Gavin McInnes. Lifetime pct .989.

"To hell with it," mr Coyne concludes. "To hell with all of it. No newspaper publisher should have anything to do with this plan. And no journalist worthy of the name should go anywhere near that accursed panel."

Further viewing: "Trudeau gives $595M to media — but The Rebel isn't for sale", video by The Rebel's Ezra Levant. Running time 7:25.