By arthur Weinreb
Tuesday, april 26, 2005Reuters published an article the day after Paul Martin’s six-minute televised speech of "national importance". The piece, entitled Main Canadian Papers Back Call for Election Delay described how when most newspaper columnists had slammed the prime minister, two of the largest newspapers in Canada backed Martin in his plea to put the anticipated election off until Justice Gomery releases his commission’s report, expected in December.
One newspaper was "the generally pro-Liberal Toronto Star" that the Reuter’s writer found came as no surprise. But the other newspaper was described in the following way:
" Even the right-wing National Post, which backs the official opposition Conservatives said Martin had been right to stress that he was doing all he could to clean up the scandal."
There is no doubt that the National Post is much more small "c" conservative than the Toronto Star or the Globe and Mail. But surely Conservative Party leader, Stephen Harper would be shocked to learn that that he has the support of the Post. Harper has been having a running battle with the newspaper after it criticized him as well as his new party, mainly for not being conservative enough. The article seems to confuse support for conservative principles (which even Paul Martin had been able to display back in the 1990s) with support for the Conservative Party of Canada.
The owners of the National Post are the asper family of Winnipeg who has long and close ties with the Liberal Party of Canada. and yes, the National Post has been critical of both Martin and Chrétien over the numerous scandals that have become commonplace since the Liberals gained power from the PCs in 1993. But no one should be shocked that the owners of the National Post would come out and support Martin and the Liberals when it appears that their very existence is on the line. It’s as if the writer of the Reuters article formed the opinion back in the days when Conrad Black owned the National Post that it was right wing and has never given it a second thought. It is common for the left wing media to simply attach labels such as "right wing" and "conservative" to publications such as the Post without doing any further thinking or analysis.
On april 15, the federal government announced approval of an investment of up to $100 million to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. The brainchild of the late Izzy asper, the museum is being built by the asper Foundation. When the money was approved, Treasury Board President Reg alcock said it was because "Prime Minister Paul Martin has long been a champion of human rights…". If anyone believes that politics was not involved in the timing of this announcement, they probably think that changes were made to the immigration system because Canada has a severe shortage of grannies.
Contrary to what Reuters said, the National Post does not support the Conservative Party of Canada. Look for more support to the Liberals to come from Canada’s "other" national newspaper if Paul Martin continues to be mired in the sponsorship scandal and rapidly dropping polls.