QUESTION PERIOD — Privy Council Office
Newspaper Articles
June 11, 2024
Leader, last week I received an answer to a written question that I originally placed on the Senate’s Order Paper and Notice Paper on March 16, 2021 — over three years ago. It asked for information about articles appearing in the media outlets that were, in fact, ghostwritten by federal employees. The answer shows that the Trudeau government paid thousands of taxpayer dollars for this fake news.
For example, Canadian Heritage said it spent over $48,000 to publish news articles in the Ottawa Citizen written by government employees between January 1, 2020, and November 23, 2021.
Leader, you often lecture us about misinformation. How do you justify spending taxpayers’ dollars on blatantly fake news?
Thank you for the question. I don’t believe I lecture you as much as you lecture me, but be that as it may — the record will speak for itself.
I’m not in a position to comment on whether the stories to which you refer were “fake news” or not, nor to comment on what was commissioned by the contracts to which you refer. However, I’m very glad — notwithstanding that it took some time — that you received the answer that you requested and have the right to receive.
This practice wasn’t confined only to the Department of Canadian Heritage. For example, Global Affairs Canada spent almost $15,000 in the same time frame. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, spent $8,000 in 2021.
Leader, this is within your control and power, as it would be to pick up your phone and call Minister LeBlanc.
Do you commit to finding out how much these departments have spent on fake news since November of 2021 and where it appeared, and will you table that information in the Senate?
I certainly will make inquiries to follow up on the responses that you got. That is as much as I’m able to commit today.
