Alex Dollywall joins us to talk about being thrown out of a press conference by Alberta's new government, and all the other ways the CBC gets taxpayer-funded from you that you probably didn't know about. Also, Elon Musk has conceded that the CBC does get a government-funded label.
00:00:00.000Hey everybody, it's me, Sheila Gunn-Reed. I think you were probably expecting the melodious tunes of Ezra Levant, but he's off today and I'm filling in for him on the big show.
00:00:09.800Now tonight my guest is Alex Dollywall. He's our Alberta-based news writer talking about how he was thrown out of the NDP press conference the other day.
00:00:19.840Welcome to Rebel News, Alex. And then I'm discussing all the other ways that CBC gets taxpayer-funded money from you that you probably didn't know about.
00:00:31.260It's not just the subsidy and it's not just their ad revenue. There's other ways that they reach into the pockets of Canadians, specifically this time to brainwash your kids.
00:00:39.800Now, if you like listening to the show, and I think you do, you're probably going to love watching it, but in order to watch you need to be a subscriber to Rebel News Plus.
00:00:46.860That's what we call our premium content here at Rebel News. You get access to Ezra's Nightly, Ezra Levant Show, my weekly gun show, as well as other premium content like our documentaries.
00:00:58.860And you also get exclusive behind-the-scenes content, like the documentary content. There's some fun stuff.
00:01:08.900If you want to see me chasing seagulls, make sure you become a subscriber to Rebel News Plus. It's only $8 a month.
00:01:16.860I think that's it. Thanks for tuning in, guys. Enjoy the show.
00:01:25.860CBC has an absolute freak-out about being forced to acknowledge its funding sources while taking money from sources you may not know about.
00:01:42.320Then-Rebel reporter Alex Dollywall joins us to talk about being thrown out of a press conference here in Alberta by the NDP.
00:01:49.860It's April 19th, 2023. I'm Sheila Gunn-Reed, but you're watching The Ezra Levant Show.
00:03:57.020Now, in response, the cry-bullies at CBC have decided that they are going to stop publishing content on Twitter.
00:04:02.240To use a turn of phrase, my mom was famous for using, quit threatening me with a good time.
00:04:09.560Now, apparently benevolent libertarian billionaire new owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, continues to make Twitter a better place every single day, doesn't he?
00:04:19.760Now, another tantrum thrown by the CBC stems from Elon Musk conceding that, okay, fine, CBC does get advertising dollars.
00:04:31.680So, instead of just a plain government-funded label, they're going to get a label of being 69% government-funded.
00:04:40.940It's a beautiful and epic troll of the sad sack subsidy gobblers at the state broadcaster.
00:04:49.840Elon Musk is doing more to push the well-kept whiners at the CBC around and put them back in their place than the conservative opposition has ever done in this country,
00:05:01.160even when the conservative opposition was in government.
00:05:06.060And it's good to remind the CBC that, while they're treated like some sort of national treasure by the establishment class here in Canada,
00:05:13.480they're just some sickly little minnow swimming in somebody else's very big pond.
00:05:18.940And in the grand scheme of things outside of Canada, they're quite inconsequential.
00:05:23.000And it stings, it stings these people to hear it about themselves.
00:05:27.600It's like a crucifix to a vampire to remind CBC just how nobody outside of Canada cares about them.
00:05:36.580And the only reason we care about them in Canada is that we're forced to care about them because they keep taking all of our money.
00:05:42.820Anyway, all of this whining and crying and gnashing of the teeth from the CBC inspired me to take a poke around
00:05:48.520at some of the other ways that these people receive funding outside of the $1.3-ish billion in annual taxpayer subsidies
00:05:57.140and that roughly 30 or 31% of their budget that they get in ad revenue that they scoop from private sector broadcasters.
00:06:05.900Did you know that these absolute panhandlers at the CBC also take advantage of the Canadian media fund?
00:06:12.240Did you even know there was a Canadian media fund?
00:06:14.860It's just another subsidy vehicle for failing media companies.
00:06:18.960It's normally not meant for the likes of the CBC, but that of course has not stopped the CBC from putting their grubby hands into that pot too.
00:06:27.360And in this instance, the CBC reached into the Canadian media fund to create content to brainwash your kids.
00:06:40.420But if you haven't been there, let me explain it to you.
00:06:43.960It's a cluttered feed of climate change nonsense, why Donald Trump is mean, why people should be allowed to just stroll across the border at Roxham Road,
00:06:51.460why hockey players should wear pride jerseys, why pipelines are bad, and why you should confuse yourself with pronouns.
00:06:58.540And it's all wrapped in kid-friendly colors.
00:07:01.040It's targeted at other people's kids using other people's money to brainwash other people's kids into the political ideology of the liberals.
00:07:08.900But the money CBC already receives to brainwash adults has not been quite adequate enough to brainwash the kids.
00:07:17.660This is why just last year, outside of all the subsidies that the CBC already receives and the ad dollars that they already get,
00:07:24.700CBC received nearly a million dollars from the Canadian media fund specifically for CBC kids in two separate grants.
00:07:32.120When for a quarter of a million dollars for what looks like video production and a second grant for $700,000 to, I guess,
00:07:41.180maintain that very cluttered, kid-friendly social justice website.
00:07:46.780Do you ever wonder how many hits that website gets after school hours?
00:07:50.320You know, after social justice, brainwashing teachers are no longer on the clock directing youngsters to go to that page as some sort of credible resource.
00:07:57.700How many kids are actually visiting that site on their own out of curiosity?
00:08:01.780Or even better, how many parents are directing their kids to visit that site on their own?
00:08:05.740Probably as many people watch the 6 o'clock news on the CBC, as in almost none.
00:12:33.880And my job, um, or I intended to go to the conference just to ask two simple questions.
00:12:40.760One, what would the Alberta NDP do differently than the UCP?
00:12:44.520Because if we're going to address the rampant wave crime that's hit, um, Canadians, uh, right across the board,
00:12:51.440West Coast to East Coast, then surely we should be having these difficult conversations, regardless of partisan stripe.
00:12:57.580And secondly, I was going to ask if Rachel Notley, leader of the Alberta NDP, would apologize on behalf of some of the anti-police rhetoric that some of her candidates have said in the past.
00:13:09.580I'll give you a couple of examples here, Sheila.
00:13:11.420So, um, NDP MLA, uh, Rod Loyola, he had made a Facebook post, um, about 2012, about a decade ago, where he said having a police badge in Edmonton is licensed to, quote-unquote, beat up people.
00:13:29.980Um, what we heard from Drew Farrell, a former Calgary City Councilwoman, was far worse.
00:13:35.420What she said was that she wouldn't be surprised if suspected incidences of domestic violence within, uh, households of law enforcement, um, went underreported because, quote-unquote, police officers bring a sick rage with them to their households,
00:13:50.920which is just mind-boggling to me why we would even attempt to demonize those who do their best to protect our communities and keep us safe.
00:14:01.540Sure, we want to hold those who abuse the power accountable, but you can't have that honest conversation when you are demonizing an entire police force.
00:14:10.520It's, it's just patently absurd to me, but, you know, it was unfortunate.
00:14:14.660I never got to ask those questions because, you know, first of all, the NDP press briefer on Monday was delayed about 30 minutes.
00:14:22.580Um, you know, myself, Kean Bexty from CounterSignal and Nigel Hannaford from Western Standard were there.
00:14:30.100And while Nigel wasn't kicked out, um, Kean and I were.
00:14:36.580I did have a, you know, a conversation with the security guard.
00:14:40.360Listen, hey, I'm not here to stir up trouble.
00:14:42.500I'm here to just respectfully ask questions because as members of the free press, I think we have a right to ask those questions on behalf of not only our viewers, but on behalf of the broader public.
00:14:51.900And it was unfortunate I didn't get to ask those questions.
00:14:54.540And, you know, as we've seen through the video clip that I recorded, you know, it's, you know, this isn't just a one-off situation where independent journalists get booted out.
00:15:04.380It's, you know, this has happened consistently, especially over the past five, six years where we've seen state-owned media be incentivized to essentially just propagate what the government wants them to do.
00:15:17.960And when we, as independent journalists, want to present an alternative side of things, not necessarily a conservative spin on things, but an alternative side to the story, we're canceled for it.
00:15:28.560And it just boggles my mind because we simply just want to add to the, we just want to add to the conversation, add those different perspectives so that we can have a more well-rounded discussion moving forward on serious issues.
00:15:41.980But it doesn't seem like the NDP want to have that because they want to control the narrative rather than actually solve the issues at hand.
00:15:48.200And, you know, what we saw on Monday was just evidence of that.
00:15:51.160You know, I'm glad you mentioned the questions that you wanted to ask and the very real problems happening in the major cities here in Alberta.
00:15:59.780And it does stem from progressive policies.
00:16:02.620So you went there with real, clear, concise questions on issues that matter to Albertans.
00:16:09.540We know what the UCP are doing to address crime in the downtown cores in both of our major cities.
00:16:14.780They're deploying extra sheriffs to try to help, to try to get a handle on it.
00:16:18.980But you wanted to know what the NDP would do and what they're going to do to address the anti-police rhetoric in their own party.
00:16:27.320So you went there prepared with very real questions.
00:17:42.940And, you know, I just want to state for the record that, you know, the conversation I did have with the security guard, you know,
00:17:49.140I understand that he was just doing his job and I just want to say that I hold no grudges against him.
00:17:54.780You know, he was just doing his job and wanted to make sure that the event that the NDP hadn't booked went smoothly.
00:18:01.080But, you know, I did pose to him, you know, as members of the free press, why is it that we can't ask questions?
00:18:06.800Is it because we're part of media that the NDP knows that they won't get softball questions from?
00:18:12.240Is it media that they know they can't, you know, coerce into funneling a certain narrative?
00:18:19.140The reason he gave to me was because the NDP had made a private booking and therefore I wasn't invited.
00:18:26.420So naturally in a free society post-COVID, we can't ask those tough questions because we're not the right type of people,
00:18:35.840right type of journalists to be asking questions because we can't be controlled in any which way.
00:18:41.260You know, and I want to ask you, because obviously this happened in full view of other journalists,
00:18:48.120or at least they were aware of what's happening.
00:18:51.260I don't know how they couldn't be at this point.
00:18:54.000I think it was in 2020, they had a witch trial for me and he and Bexie when he still worked for Rebel News.
00:19:00.140The Legislature Press Gallery, they decided that we couldn't join their stupid little club and sit in their stupid little office with them and share their stupid little Wi-Fi.
00:19:11.100So we went around them and got accredited through the Speaker's office because we don't think our competitors should control the monopoly on access to politicians at the legislature.
00:20:25.240Yeah, you know, he was really friendly with both Kian and I.
00:20:28.900And it was nice that even though after everything that had happened, he was still, you know, willing to just approach us and just have a simple conversation.
00:20:37.000You know, sometimes that's all it takes, you know, I get it.
00:20:41.220And, you know, it's – you know, what really, I guess, pisses me off more than anything is not the lack of access, but the fact that a lot – many members of the press think we're not worthy of having a voice, not worthy of asking questions,
00:20:54.620because it controls their monopoly on being able to control what information gets disseminated to the public or not.
00:21:02.000And, you know, in light of what we're seeing with Bill C-11 being rammed through the Senate, it's alarming to see that in a secular democracy such as Canada that here we are in a post-COVID reality where certain content may be censored by the government
00:21:20.580because it's deemed offensive or deemed as disseminating misinformation and disinformation, which Rebel News has been accused of, unfortunately, by dictator Trudeau himself.
00:21:38.680Yeah, that really is all we want, a civil exchange of ideas and a recognition that there is a diversity of viewpoints in this country.
00:21:49.220These are people prattle on about diversity in the workplace and diversity of this and diversity of that.
00:21:55.660But what they mean is checking identity boxes.
00:21:58.100They really don't mean people holding different viewpoints peacefully in the same area as you.
00:22:03.520You couldn't even be a conservative journalist in the room with Rachel Notley and those other journalists because Lord knows they would never take your question, as we saw with the treatment that the Western Standard received.
00:22:16.200For you, even your mere presence was offensive to them.
00:22:20.040And I think shame, shame on the mainstream media who really don't believe in press access at all.
00:23:43.000You know, you don't want to help your enemy all the time.
00:23:45.500But in the interest of freedom, sometimes you do have to help your enemies.
00:23:50.620And the other side just doesn't believe that at all.
00:23:54.480They don't believe in freedom for people they disagree with.
00:23:57.060Yeah, and, you know, it's a shame because I had a conversation with my buddy Terika not too long ago.
00:24:05.400And, you know, I posed this idea to him that the only reason progressives or perhaps the far left side of that, of the progressive part of the Canadian politics,
00:24:17.580the reason why they are so accepting of bringing so many immigrants to the country, you know, as being a son of immigrants who came from India, I say this with most compassion.
00:24:29.340You know, the reason why they want so many people to come here is because, you know, they want to feed them all this nonsense about diversity, equity, inclusion,
00:24:37.700which is just a bunch of left-wing puff words that really just make us feel good in the moment.
00:24:42.180But in reality, it hides the ulterior motives that we're seeing currently, which is that they bring people over here that have faced incredible adversity in their own way
00:24:52.040and come here and indoctrinate their kids into, you know, abandoning their faith, abandoning perhaps traditional values that many of them have,
00:25:02.260and to push them into a corner where they have to accept and agree with in its entirety certain viewpoints.
00:25:10.620And if they do not, then they're cancelled, they are marginalised, and in some cases, depending on your faith or your skin colour or orientation,
00:25:19.060then you're considered a traitor to your kind, you're considered a traitor to your ethnic group.
00:25:24.980And sort of this collectivist way of thinking is what has destroyed so many countries in the past,
00:25:31.080and is partly the reason why my family left India as well, because of the religious and ethnic conflict there.
00:25:38.300You know, that's unfortunately at a time where, you know, different groups weren't able to peacefully coexist.
00:25:44.600We came to Canada thinking that would be possible, and it's unfortunate because the government here is picking winners and losers,
00:25:50.180and even if you're part of a quote-unquote marginalised group, you're still cancelled because of your conservative viewpoints.
00:25:58.820And, you know, just to point it out there, a lot of new immigrants are perhaps even more socially conservative than naturalised or Canadians who are born here
00:26:08.800on many issues such as abortion, such as what they perceive as sin and what have you.
00:26:16.520And so, not being able to have these conversations, you know, when it comes to freedom of speech and being able to practice their faith peacefully,
00:26:24.560it's, you know, it's outrageous because that's what's going to happen when we see legislation such as Bill C-11,
00:26:30.220when we see certain members of the press being kicked out.
00:26:33.660You know, this is just the beginning of a downward trend to living in a quasi-authoritarian state, you know.
00:26:40.200No, I agree with you, and it's funny because as you were speaking, I thought, you know,
00:26:44.460sometimes these diversity quota goals are truly the bigotry of low expectations from the president.
00:26:50.760You point out, rightly, that many new Canadians have overcome diversity just to get here,
00:26:56.220and followed the rules, by the way, to get here.
00:26:58.700And then the Liberals and Progressives think they can't integrate fully into Canadian society without special lowered expectations for them.
00:27:08.680I think it reveals the bigotry of the other side.
00:27:12.140Alex, thank you so much for your hard work trying to hold Rachel Notley to account.
00:27:17.440I'm sure you'll be doing more of that on the campaign trail as we rapidly hurdle headfirst into the next election.
00:27:23.720Please, Calgary, don't blow it for us.
00:27:26.700And thank you for graciously undergoing your initiation into becoming a fully-fledged rebel news journalist by getting kicked out of a press conference.
00:27:37.580Yeah, no, my pleasure, Sheila, and thank you for having me on the program.
00:30:08.280I don't know if you know, but Tamara didn't know that you would be watching.
00:30:12.780But I appreciate your feedback, and I know that it can be a bit much watching Justin Trudeau.
00:30:18.260I know, since it's my job to watch Justin Trudeau.
00:30:21.440But I think it is important to always, always show how bad he is.
00:30:26.840Because the mainstream media just won't.
00:30:29.980If a conservative had said just a smidge of what Justin Trudeau said that you took umbrage with last night, you would never hear the end of it.
00:30:41.740It would be on a loop on all the mainstream media outlets.
00:30:45.400But they don't show Justin Trudeau because he is their sugar daddy.
00:30:50.980So while it might be uncomfortable to hear things that you don't want to hear, it's the God's honest truth, and people deserve to see it all laid out for you in a neat, tidy little monologue like what Tamara showed you last night.
00:31:06.320Now, on the flip side, Alan R. Wallace writes, Tamara Ugolini was an excellent host for The Ezra Levant Show.
00:31:38.520Matthias W. writes, two issues of correction on the interview with Franco of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
00:31:42.980I'm pretty sure I heard Franco say that the PSAC, that's the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the major federal public sector union, was asking for 45%, not 4.5%, unless my audio is bad.
00:31:55.800The second number is closer to the truth.
00:31:57.540They're asking for 13.5% over the past three years.
00:32:01.300That's an enormous amount of money in a very bad economy.
00:32:04.780And we're initially counter-offered 8.2% over four years, but the final offer was 9% over three years, reportedly.
00:32:37.260And there used to be a trade-off with the public sector that they were to make a little less money than the private sector.
00:32:43.160Not see those enormous raises that sometimes in good times you can see in the private sector.
00:32:48.600And the trade-off was job security and benefits.
00:32:51.780But that trade-off has long since gone.
00:32:53.800They're getting everything now and everything that the people who pay their salaries cannot get because the people who pay their salaries live in a completely different reality.
00:33:37.580I'm under the impression, by the way, that PSAC is shoehorning the part-time workers' numbers into that to artificially drive down the average wage of the workers.
00:33:47.280They're playing fast and loose with the numbers.
00:33:49.900This small group of strikers, well, it's not a small group, is not likely to put extra inflationary pressure on areas other than in Ottawa.
00:34:30.940That are completely outrageous and insane.
00:34:33.400And I don't think struggling Canadians, the average Canadian family who is maybe deciding to take Chrystia Freeland's advice and cancel their Disney Plus because they can't afford it or are struggling with the extra 10 cents a liter that the carbon tax has added to the price of fuel just to get to work.
00:34:58.160I think it's time that the public sector faces the reality that everybody else does.
00:35:02.640And Matthias, I don't know if you're in Alberta or not, but when the economy takes a hit, we sure feel it here in Alberta.
00:35:10.240It's hundreds of layoffs in the oil patch and it's just life.
00:35:16.080I don't like how government policies encourage it, but it's how it goes.
00:35:20.420When the economy takes a hit, I'm sure it would be nice if the public sector...
00:35:23.640I don't like the idea of people getting laid off, but it would be nice if they at least would recognize that there are two different Canadas, a private sector and a public sector one.
00:35:38.520And they both, to use Justin Trudeau's language, experience things differently.
00:35:43.020Well, everybody, that's the show for tonight.
00:35:56.380I don't know who's hosting tomorrow night, but someone will be here for you.
00:36:00.540Thanks to everybody in the office in Toronto for bearing with me as the first version of the show I sent in was a bit of a catastrophe and I had to re-film anyway.
00:36:08.520Anyway, we saved the day or rather they did.
00:36:12.820And as always, everybody at home, as Ezra Levant always says, keep fighting for freedom.