Rebel News Editor-in-Chief Tamara Ugolini tries to question a Liberal politician at a campaign stop in Cobourg, Ontario, and is rebuffed by a man who blocks her entry to the event because she's not affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada.
00:03:26.140And the event, was it an invite-only event?
00:03:28.860This is an event that you're not invited to.
00:03:30.560Minister Anand, I have a question for you.
00:03:47.620The Liberals are campaigning on openness and transparency, and I face barriers to get here as a woman trying to work.
00:03:53.840Will you give me five minutes of your chime?
00:03:55.180I'm Tamara Ugolini with Rebel News, and earlier today I was physically prevented from attending a schmoozy cocktail lunch with a Liberal cabinet minister priced at $500 a ticket because I'm not affiliated with state-funded media.
00:04:11.220This obvious campaign stop, or rather fundraising event, was taking place at the Mill Restaurant and Pub in Cobourg, Ontario.
00:04:21.080It featured recently elected Liberal MPD Alison Lester and Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand.
00:04:28.420See, I had received an email informing me of this event.
00:04:32.560At the bottom of it, it outlined how committed the Liberal Party is to openness and transparency at their fundraising events, including, apparently, facilitating media coverage.
00:04:44.340That's right, they don't just welcome it, they actually facilitate it, or so they allege.
00:04:50.620Because I responded to the media contact asking where at the Mill the event would take place, in terms of whether it would be hosted indoors or outdoors, and at the same time I asked for any other relevant media information.
00:05:03.560But I didn't think anything of them not responding, and so when I arrived early to the luncheon, I went to the entrance of the event where I was met by Liberal campaign gatekeeper Ben Smith.
00:05:17.180The party of Canada doesn't recognize you as a media source.
00:05:20.020I received the email last night from the Liberal Party that showed that you are for open and transparency, and you actually, the wording in there was that you facilitate media coverage, so you're not allowing us as independent journalists into this event?
00:05:32.580You're not invited to this event, I'm sorry.
00:05:34.680And the event, was it an invite-only event?
00:05:37.520This is an event that you're not invited to.
00:05:43.060Okay, I'm a local resident here in Northumberland County, I'm also an independent journalist, these are public servants, the Liberal Party stands for openness and transparency, is that correct?
00:05:55.620I was told you're not invited to this event.
00:05:57.180Well, there you have it, Tamara Ugolini is persona non grata at a Liberal Party of Canada event, but when it comes to getting an answer from that blob barricading the entrance, there are no answers forthcoming, and that, my friends, speaks volumes.
00:06:18.000And joining me now to discuss yet another snub of a rebel reporter on the 2021 campaign trail is indeed Tamara Ugolini.
00:06:34.120Tamara, I've got to tell you, the optics look so brutal on that video, not for you, my friend, but for the Liberals.
00:06:40.940Anita Nadd jumps out of her Cadillac coupe and literally runs to the venue, while that jabroni makes like a defensive lineman in the NFL to keep you from following her.
00:06:52.440Where is this transparency and openness we keep hearing the Liberals bragging about?
00:07:01.300Well, that was the exact question that I had for Anita Nadd, and also, as you saw, this Ben Smith character who was the Liberal gatekeeper for their event.
00:07:12.580It doesn't look very open and or transparent, if you ask me.
00:07:34.180Isn't she strong enough on her own policies and principles to have a discussion with you to basically politely tell you why you're wrong and she's right?
00:07:47.600And it was funny because we didn't mention it in the in the report itself.
00:07:50.800But when Catherine and I were staked out front of the mill restaurant and pub for over an hour, we actually saw what appeared to be the attendees on the inside facilitated by Alison Lester, the MP here in Northumberland, Peterborough South.
00:08:07.480She was actually giving details on how exactly Anita could pull in and pull right up to that entrance to intentionally evade us.
00:08:17.280And as soon as they caught wind that we were kind of watching and listening, they immediately skirted away, scurried away and went to another part where we weren't able to see them.
00:08:27.260But the whole thing, I mean, like I said before, that I kind of figured something like this would happen.
00:08:35.260I mean, it's it's very common for rebel reporters to be ousted by these bureaucrats.
00:08:42.980But when it happens to you on the scene and you're being respectful and you're asking just one question, it's very disheartening and pretty surreal, actually.
00:08:54.400I still can't really believe it, even if it's something to say from Anita and Nan.
00:09:11.200And too bad liberal policies aren't as solid as the, I guess, getaway or get into the venue plan that they hatched, which was successful in blocking you.
00:09:26.160I'm going off on a bit of tangent here, but she's in a Cadillac CTS coupe.
00:09:30.540I don't know if you noticed whether or not it was the V series, which means it's the it's over 500 horsepower under that hood.
00:09:37.420And what I couldn't help but notice about that is that these are the liberals that are all about climate change and carbon taxes and going green.
00:09:48.000And she's showing up in the event in a hot rod.
00:09:50.620It was reminiscent of Elizabeth May a while back in a Dodge Viper, no less.
00:09:57.180I mean, they're not even just a hypocrisy of what they say and how they act is staggering to me, Tamara.
00:10:08.060And I can echo that sentiment when I covered the Justin Trudeau campaign stop in Coburg on Monday night where he showed up in this huge decked out bus, two buses, one for Justin Trudeau and one for his media cheerleaders.
00:10:23.080I mean, and I'm thinking to myself so much for net zero with your two huge campaign buses and they just offload on off of these buses like it's nothing.
00:10:35.080And you know that they're not solar powered.
00:10:55.740But, you know, getting back to the issue at hand, not just for you, Tamara, but for all of us here at Rebel News, is this the new normal when it comes to doing media scrums that candidates will only give interviews to those people they like, to those people whose politics they like?
00:11:20.020Absolutely. I agree. And it begs the question that if you're only speaking to people who agree with you, then how can we uphold the idea of having democracy and scrutiny when you're an elected public official and whether or not you want to engage with only those who agree with you?
00:11:39.660There's going to be people who don't agree with you. And as a politician, you have to represent everyone, not just those select few who are within your echo chamber.
00:11:50.520And that's where we get dissent and that's where we get reasonable debate.
00:11:54.100And that's where we can come up with policy that actually makes sense for everyone, not just one small demographic of individuals.
00:12:02.840And, you know, Tamara, I can't help but think of President Donald Trump when he would have pressers at the White House, and some of which would go for more than an hour.
00:12:12.360And he would deliberately take questions from those members of the media that absolutely despised him, such as Jim Acosta.
00:12:20.540I think he actually had sport with it. He enjoyed the back and forth debate.
00:12:25.140But here in Canada, I think we, you know, of every political stripe, it seems, we have just too many cowards out there that are triggered by tough questions, tough, albeit fair questions.
00:12:38.860And like I said, that's not the kind of leader I want to cast my ballot towards.
00:12:46.040Absolutely. And I think that goes back to when you're comfortable and confident in the policies and your rationale for making the decisions
00:12:53.860that you're making as a politician or an elected official, then you should be able to have that back and forth.
00:12:59.940And you should be able to justify and refute or provide a rebuttal to naysayers.
00:13:06.280And that just doesn't seem to be happening on all levels of government.
00:13:10.660And from especially what we've seen with the COVID narrative are these public health officials who come up with all these rules and regulations.
00:13:18.900And then when they're questioned or the validity comes under scrutiny, they have no leg to stand on.
00:13:26.300So I think that's really important here as we approach the federal election is making sure that these politicians have a leg to stand on
00:13:33.000and they can back up what they're saying with facts and confidence.
00:13:38.440Because skirting media, I mean, like you said in the beginning, it's embarrassing and it's really surreal that that's where we're at with Canadian politics.
00:13:48.920Although, let's be fair, they don't skirt all media.
00:13:52.000You reference the media bus that follows the Justin Trudeau bus, which are almost identical-looking buses.
00:13:59.280For the government-approved and funded media, oh yeah, they have time to shoot the breeze with them.
00:14:05.240But then again, as our boss, Ezra Levent, likes to say, the media watchdogs have become lapdogs under this regime.
00:22:47.040So, that imprints the choice of people.
00:22:51.460So, Alexa, how do you feel in your heart in terms of the Bloc Quebecois?
00:22:56.020Do you think they're going to do as well as they did in 2019?
00:22:58.960Do you think they're going to do as well as they did in 2019, this time around?
00:23:02.400So, I'm not for really Bloc Quebecois, because for a long time, they wanted Quebec to be a country.
00:23:13.300But we know that Quebec cannot be separate from the rest of Canada, because we will just die by the death.
00:23:21.000And so, maybe they will do good, because they are the only party from Quebec.
00:23:28.960Quebec, really, but we have Max and Bernie, that is from both.
00:23:32.560But most of the other leaders are not from Quebec.
00:23:36.160So, we are a kind of people that we will support, people that come from our place.
00:23:42.040It's something that we always saw in Quebec.
00:23:46.380But I, that is something, I'd say, that he was against the VAC's passport.
00:24:00.840And so, that did influence, like, some people that I know.
00:24:06.240But I was like, okay, maybe he did say that, because he is now running for the campaign, and we know that a lot of Canadians are against it.
00:24:15.000Is it, like, a tactical, or it's really what it means?
00:24:18.200Indeed, and, well, I'll tell you one last question, Alexa.
00:24:22.180I think regardless of politics, if I was a Quebecer, and I was watching that press conference,
00:24:27.820and I see the leader of a political party too afraid, too cowardly, to answer questions,
00:24:35.880legitimately good questions, which he himself admits, from an independent news journalist,
00:24:42.000that's not a positive vibe I'm getting.
00:26:51.180In any event, you had plenty to say about yet another COVID-caren politician trying to be a party pooper when it comes to an event that is so beloved by the common man, all in the name of Wuhan virus safety protocols, of course.
00:27:06.380Josie Simmons writes, nothing like seeing a crowd of healthy people enjoying life.
00:27:36.900Indeed, Kaylin, freedom is a big part of biker culture and to think these folks would cower into compliance because some mealy-mouthed mayor arbitrarily declared their gathering a non-event.