CTV’s Don Martin suspended over restaurant incident?

 

From the news aggregate National Newswatch:

NNW Insider: CTV’s Scott Henderson responded to National Newswatch with ‘We have no comment’ in an email requesting confirmation that Power Play host Don Martin has been suspended from the network. Sources tell National Newswatch Martin was suspended following an incident in an Ottawa restaurant on budget night. Martin was not on the air Friday. Kevin Newman hosted Martin’s broadcast. (see here) Update: The Sun’s David Akin is reporting that Martin may have been suspended over getting into an altercation with Stephen Harper’s ex-communication director Dimitri Soudas telling him and Bell CEO George Cope to “go fuck themselves” (see here)

CBC omits UK MP’s charged Russian spy girlfriend in submarine story

Although I highly doubt anyone would disagree that Canada got ripped off when the Chretien Liberals purchased the ‘Dud Subs’ from Britain in 1998, I find it bizarre that the CBC reporter would have used someone with a background like Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock’s as their source. (see here)

Besides an indecent sexual assault charge that was dropped in 2010, Hancock’s aide Ekaterina Zatuliveter (26) was charged with espionage by Britian’s M15 and admitted to having an affair with the married 65-year-old Hancock. (see here) 

Are we seriously suppose to believe that the CBC journo had no idea of Hancock’s past?

Conservative MPs playing dangerous game getting involved in certain provincial elections

It is very bad idea for Conservative MPs to get involved in provincial elections unless a clear distinction between a Conservative and Liberal parties such as exists in Ontario.

I directly asked Stephen Harper about it during a meeting in his office in Ottawa and at that time, he refused to allow his caucus to choose sides, so why is he doing it now in BC, Alberta and Quebec?  (see here)

I can’t see anything positive from this decision and only family squabbles.

Liberal MP lied about contents of complaint letter on Conservative MP Breitkreuz

Never letting the truth get in the way of a good smear has always been the Liberal way and MP Judy Foote continued that tradition when she accused Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz of saying:

“(Breitkreuz) told a classroom of Ottawa high school students — some as young as 14 — that all Canadians should carry firearms, and girls in particular should be armed to protect themselves from sexual assault.

Does the minister of public safety agree with his colleagues’ extreme position that children should be carrying loaded guns into the schoolyard?”  (see here)

The National Post’s Matt Gurney has a copy of the letter in question attached to his very good column (see here) and of course it states nothing of the sort. It’s safe to lie in the cosy confines of the House of Commons which then allows the Ottawa Press to lamely say “we are just reporting what is being said”.

Foote will be forced to issue an ‘apology’ but meanwhile, another’s character has been smeared across the country.

 

Another NDP activist’s background hidden by media?

As the CBC story on Yukon robocalls set off alarm bells in my head (see here), so did this one from Jeff Davis of Postmedia (see here) in which a Ottawa mother, Dianna Sakisheway, complains about a high school presentation MP Garry Breitkreuz gave to her daughter’s class.

The obvious signal that something may be fishy with the story was that she emailed Minister Vic Toews about another MP and cc’ed it to a Newfoundland Liberal MP Judy Foot who then read it out in the House of Commons:

“(Breitkreuz) told a classroom of Ottawa high school students — some as young as 14 — that all Canadians should carry firearms, and girls in particular should be armed to protect themselves from sexual assault.

Does the minister of public safety agree with his colleagues’ extreme position that children should be carrying loaded guns into the schoolyard?” 

Breitkreuz denied having made any such statements, and asked Foote to withdraw her statement and apologize to him.

“This is completely unfounded,” he said. “Its absurd and totally without foundations.”

So, who is this Dianna Sakisheway? Is she really “just a mother” and has no political associations as she told the reporter? Did Jeff Davis try at all to verify that claim before running the story?

A quick Google search uncovers a Dianna Sakisheway from Ottawa who is very politically active and whose Twitter account is loaded with this type of stuff:

Jack Layton:Tommy Douglas our 1st leader said Dream no little dreams. They said yes 2 a Cda where anything is possible. No 1 is left behind.

As well as many references to the Gaza Boat cause:

Cdn Boat #Tahrir will sail 2 help end #Israel ’s illegal siege of #Gazahttp://bit.ly/khoRa8 #cdnpoli #cdescom #Palestine #bds #apartheid

I’ve messaged Postmedia’s Davis and will update if I receive an answer

Update: CBC picks up this story and does no investigation into any history of the mother’s activism as well (see here)

Update: Reporter Jeff Davis is aware of my blog post and is responding to critics on Twitter. I have asked him a few additional questions and will soon post a follow-up.

Jeff Davis:

Here is a blog post about me and that article by @bcbluecon . Love the pic! http://bit.ly/GXHJII #guncontrol @LGR #molonlabe

@wullu5 @jfgroves @bcbluecon - For the record: @dsakishewaydoes not belong to a political party. She is entitled to her opinion.

And this is from the Dianna Sakisheway Twitter account to Davis:

@dsakisheway - Don’t let the ‘keyboard commandos’ get you down. They react en masse to any stories about guns. Loud but mostly harmless…

Correction: The above Tweet was from Davis to Sakisheway and not the way I first posted it

Update: I have just got off the phone with Jeff Davis (at his insistence that I call) but have nothing significant to add except my above correction