CBC sees no problem with reporter Krista Erickson’s free flights

Editor-in-chief of CBC News Jennifer McGuire says there is nothing wrong with CBC reporter Krista Erickson getting tax-payer paid flights as the traveling partner of MP Lee Richardson. (see earlier post)

McGuire took a swipe at the president of the Canadian Association of Journalists who suggests Erickson is in a conflict of interest.

“It is particularly unfortunate that the Canadian Association of Journalists and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation would see fit to weigh in with their ad hoc pronouncements. The CAJ and the CFT suggest that Krista Erickson, in her role as a CBC journalist, is acting improperly. This is categorically incorrect and frankly unfair.” (see letter here)

Geoff Turnbull, a journalism ethics instructor at the University of King’s College in Halifax 30 year veteran as a CBC journalist doesn’t understand McGuire’s hard-line of defense:

“That’s a strange response on her part. People were taken off beats, asked to go on extended leaves of absence, refused the right to do certain kinds of coverage and accept certain kinds of benefits. This situation is not in the spirit of the kind of journalistic management that I’m used to at CBC.” (see story here)

I’ve had experience in dealing with Jennifer McGuire receiving a very terse and dismissive letter from her when I complained about Warren Kinsella’s blog being on the CBC News’ blog roll (see here)

Conservative Senators demand free speech

Senator Doug Finley led a group of Conservative senators that included David Tkachuk, Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy calling for section 13 of Canada’s Human Rights Act to be scrapped. (see story here)

“Too many Canadians, especially those in positions of authority, have replaced the real human right of freedom of speech with a counterfeit human right not be offended”

Related: see earlier post on University of Ottawa fiasco here

2nd Guergis staffer wrote a letter-to-the-editor as well

In what shows a gong show of protocol and ethics within the office of MP Helen Guergis, a second staffer has been outed writing letters-to-the-editor defending her boss. (see earlier post here)

Guergis spokeswoman Valerie Knight used her everyday name but didn’t bother to mention her job title in the letter. Check out Knight’s language in defense of her actions:

“People are dying for that friggin’ right. I don’t care what [Guergis] thinks of my letter, quite frankly. I mean, it’s a letter. She knows how I feel. She knows that if I want to say something, you can’t stop me.”

“I just sit here, have my coffee, get pissed off, write a letter, end of story.”

Quite an articulate spokesperson isn’t she? (see article here)

Oh my…Guergis’ EA writing letters-to-the-editor under maiden name

Guess Guergis’ executive assistant Jessica Craven didn’t hear about what happened to Guergis’ husband with this type of tomfoolery? (see here)

What the hell was she thinking…? (see story here)

Update: Craven gives the standard non-apology apology to “anyone that may have been offended” here

NP’s Glavin: “Fowler bigger goofball than I thought”

Terry Glavin blows Robert Fowler out of the water today in the National Post:

“In the end, Fowler’s speech was in the line of lame performance art, a deliberate attempt to be controversial – ‘hey, this will really get people thinking.’ Next time, he should maybe try wearing black leotards and expressing himself through interpretive dance” (see here)

Kelly McParland, also in the Post, gives some free advice to Iffy to fix the Liberal Party before trying to fix Canada:

“The Liberals need to be honest about themselves before they’ll get anywhere with Canadians. They’re only fooling themselves, not us: (see here)

Also: see earlier post on Fowler here