Juno News - May 01, 2026


CBC commentator OPENS UP about legacy media bias

Carney DOUBLES Trudeau’s projected budget deficit Carney adds BILLIONS in debt — but can Canadians afford it？

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Length

21 minutes

Words per minute

165.0

Word count

3,557

Sentence count

135

People

Also mentioned:
Mark Carney Kate Harrison Pierre Poilievre Donald Trump Erin O'Toole Keystone XL Caitlin Harrison Justin Trudeau Travis Danraj X. Absolutely Andrew Scheer Althea Raj Maple Maga

Harmful content

Misogyny

3

sentences flagged

Hate speech

4

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

In this episode, Conservative commentator Kate Harrison joins us to talk all things Canada, politics, energy, trade, and much more. She's also a regular contributor on CBC's Power in Politics and a regular guest host on Canada's Morning Show.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 while to no one's surprise the carny liberals have used their majority in parliament to flex
00:00:09.540 their muscles at the house committee level their critics say the liberals are now shutting down
00:00:15.460 debate on scandals including the 300 million dollars wasted on canada's failed e-prescribing
00:00:22.020 health care service let's listen where the 300 million dollars going prescribed it standard
00:00:26.940 accountability and liberals shut that down is this the way things are going to
00:00:30.120 be with you guys with a majority shutting down debate and limiting debate
00:00:33.360 avoiding accountability I reject the premise no one's shutting down debate
00:00:38.040 we're having lots of debate every day on a very ambitious legislative agenda
00:00:47.180 you do not allow debate to proceed on just asking an auditor come in and take
00:00:51.700 look at prescribed it again committees are masters of uh of their own agenda we discuss issues every
00:00:59.060 day there's going to be lots of debate i can assure you from the weeks and months ahead
00:01:03.140 the prescribed it service was supposed to let doctors send prescriptions electronically
00:01:08.580 replacing fax machines and paper but it never caught on and liberals are now accused of trying
00:01:14.260 to cover up the massive cost overruns in that program u.s president trump has signed an
00:01:21.460 order greenlighting a pipeline to transport Canadian oil across the border. It revives
00:01:27.780 part of the canceled Keystone XL pipeline. Let's listen. This is a transporter pipeline similar to
00:01:33.540 the old Keystone XL pipeline. It'll significantly expand our ability to move oil around North
00:01:40.100 America, oil and gas around North America. It's a huge deal in terms of long-term energy dominance
00:01:45.060 and energy security slightly different than the last administration they wouldn't sign a pipeline
00:01:51.940 deal and we have pipelines going up and by the way they're way underground they're not a problem
00:01:58.100 nobody even knows they're there it's so crazy but they wouldn't approve anything having to do with
00:02:02.420 the pipeline and they're great the bridger pipeline expansion is expected to carry up to
00:02:08.100 550,000 barrels of oil from Alberta through eastern Montana and Wyoming, where it would
00:02:15.300 link with another pipeline. Our guest today is Kate Harrison, a public affairs expert,
00:02:21.380 vice chair and partner of SUMA Strategies, also a commentator on CBC's Power in Politics. 0.95
00:02:27.460 Let's watch her in action in a clip on that show. 0.98
00:02:31.300 The reality is that we would not be entertaining this conversation with China
00:02:34.900 If the prime minister had actually followed through on his promise to deliver a new economic and security partnership with the United States.
00:02:41.160 Now we're back into a corner of having friends in China and Qatar because we failed to secure the most important trade relationship that we have.
00:02:48.120 Right. Well, the U.S. plays a role in that, too, though, Kate.
00:02:50.160 Like, let's be fair.
00:02:50.980 How do we think the U.S. is going to respond to pulling back from Taiwan?
00:02:54.520 How do we think that that might look to the U.S.?
00:02:56.780 With Donald Trump, I'm not going to predict anything because I have no idea.
00:03:00.240 I don't think it'll be due favorably.
00:03:01.980 Well, you give as good as you get on that show, Kate. 1.00
00:03:06.460 What's it like for a conservative woman to go into the belly of the beast over at the CBC on a regular basis as you do? 0.98
00:03:16.620 Yeah, well, thanks. Thanks, Mark, for having me on. 0.99
00:03:19.340 I was grinning there just watching that clip.
00:03:21.880 I had forgotten about that exchange because, you know, you go on pretty regularly and you get talking about any number of things.
00:03:28.180 But what is it like? I mean, honestly, I've had a positive experience on the program in terms of having my say.
00:03:37.760 And of course, there's it's challenged often on on CBC by other panelists.
00:03:43.500 And, you know, the host is asked questions and stuff like that.
00:03:48.320 And I knew what I was getting into when I was agreeing to be on the show.
00:03:53.120 I think it's it's good that they keep they keep having me back.
00:03:57.500 I would admit that I've probably got a different perspective than, you know, a number of the others around the table and perhaps kind of the media and CBC viewer.
00:04:08.100 But I am very pleased to be on it because I think it's really important that conservatives show up in places where non-conservatives are.
00:04:18.540 I think if there are even a small percentage of CBC watchers that listen to what conservatives have to say, maybe I'm one of them and may be persuaded, then that is time well spent.
00:04:33.280 It's important to get out of the echo chamber.
00:04:34.820 Yeah, it's interesting. You speak about an echo chamber. We heard the testimony of Travis Donraj, which I'm sure you're aware of a scandal at the CBC, who argued that they may be in violation of their regulatory commitment to be fair. And so I get the sense that they do have you on as part of their mandate to at least pretend to hear from conservatives, but would probably rather you not be there.
00:05:02.980 Do you get that?
00:05:04.520 Well, you know, I hope that's not the case.
00:05:07.780 I do think there is an obligation to make sure that others, you know, a variety and diversity of perspectives are heard, particularly in a state broadcast function.
00:05:17.000 And, you know, my view, particularly when you accept public funds, as the CBC does, but frankly, Mark, as other media companies in this country do.
00:05:26.980 But when you accept public funds, your standards must change to match that of the role and purpose of government, which is not to promote one particular viewpoint.
00:05:39.160 So, you know, I get along, you know, we barb on screen, but I do get along with the hosts and other co-panelists.
00:05:48.640 And, yeah, certainly I bring a different perspective.
00:05:51.500 But, you know, the CBC very could easily, you know, replace me or anybody with a preferred talking head.
00:05:59.380 They haven't done that yet.
00:06:00.360 I hope they don't.
00:06:02.060 Yeah, well, same here.
00:06:03.260 I mean, I think conservatives appreciate that you're on the show, at least providing a perspective other than what you would normally hear on the CBC.
00:06:11.440 Do you think they know that they're incredibly biased or do they just think that they're, quote unquote, right?
00:06:20.780 Yeah, I don't.
00:06:23.400 I think that they listen, I'll speak only to my experience and the perspectives of the people that I interact with.
00:06:31.820 I think that there are a lot of good people in journalism, including at the CBC, that are trying their best to make sure things are covered in a fair and accurate way.
00:06:42.720 I think there's always room for improvement. I think it exists there. I think it exists on CTV. I think it exists on all of these networks.
00:06:49.360 And I would also say there has been, because of independent journalism and media outlets that have taken shape in Canada over the last number of years, there has rightly been a lot more sunlight on whether or not our mainstream media institutions are providing that level of balance and scrutiny and objectivity.
00:07:10.380 One of the major credits I give to independent journalism outlets is trying to move the Overton
00:07:18.680 window back to something that is more, you know, objective. And I think that that has been a good
00:07:24.280 forcing function for all the mainstream networks to really kind of examine themselves a little bit
00:07:30.060 more critically about whether or not they're providing that level of balance.
00:07:34.100 Yeah, well, somebody's got to cover the hundreds of millions of dollars being funneled into legacy
00:07:38.000 media outlets these are uh failing operations in many cases and only hanging on because of the
00:07:44.880 millions of dollars they get from the taxpayers and they're not the ones covering it you know
00:07:50.400 it's the well i think that that's and and you know what i that so that's a that's a problem
00:07:56.720 with the news media ecosystem in canada period it's not it's not just one network obviously
00:08:02.800 there's you know the the cvc takes a significant amount but i think when you have an environment
00:08:09.360 where uh the media are recipients of government funding it is difficult to make the case that
00:08:16.800 there's not a uh an exchange and a quid pro quo and again that the uh the considerations are
00:08:23.360 different they're just like most people would argue that the considerations of a private business
00:08:27.840 are different than they are for a public entity and an institution. So when you have that financial
00:08:34.960 exchange happening, it is very difficult to say to the average Canadian that it is with impartiality
00:08:45.040 and there is not some kind of a quid pro quo there to be had. And I think, how do you fix
00:08:53.280 that problem well uh you have a hard look at whether or not uh these institutions are sticking
00:08:58.720 to mandate um and you know you look at at scaling back what's not part of the mandate and actually
00:09:05.600 serving uh key portions of the public but you also make sure that you give uh independent uh
00:09:12.080 news outlets and ecosystems the ability to actually make a go of it in canada and and
00:09:18.960 generate revenue and not restrict their ability to provide, you know, alternative sources of
00:09:26.880 information. That's why so many other countries have done a good job of this. They have not
00:09:31.920 kneecapped the ability of entrepreneurs, including in the media space, to actually
00:09:38.080 to get out there and to create a business for themselves. Canada has not been as welcoming to
00:09:44.160 that is the cbc out to get pierre pauliev and is it because of the conservative push to defund the
00:09:52.240 cbc because it just seems like not only cbc but others in the legacy space are really preoccupied
00:10:00.080 with the leader of the opposition even more so than they are with the prime minister who's in
00:10:05.520 charge who has enormous powers in our system of government um do you detect sort of this sense
00:10:13.680 that Pierre Polyev is the enemy and the CBC is out to get him? I think this is a problem
00:10:21.760 for all of the media outlets right now, and I'm really thinking here in terms of how we've talked
00:10:27.600 about the Canada-US relationship. It seems to me, and I actually think it was Althea Raj who pointed
00:10:34.640 this out on CBC, a journalist with the Toronto Star on CBC, but who spoke about the media love-in
00:10:41.360 that happens for the government and for the prime minister. It's almost as though right now talking
00:10:47.040 against Mark Carney is unpatriotic. Like you're actually, if you level the criticism of the
00:10:54.000 current government, you're somehow anti-Canadian or not a patriot or you're Maple Maga. I mean, 0.55
00:11:01.360 I've heard it all. That is a really dangerous place to be as a democratic society, to feel
00:11:08.800 that you can't speak out uh if you have journalists that feel they can't ask questions uh for they
00:11:15.040 might get might get you know accused by their colleagues of of being you know nefarious actors
00:11:19.600 i think that's a really dangerous place to be and i would say that uh you know we we see a lot of
00:11:26.480 corralling uh around the current government and whatever uh they espouse as being a universal
00:11:34.160 truth uh not worthy of follow-up questions um it's particularly bad right now i remember it being
00:11:42.160 bad in 2015 uh with uh with the election of trudeau and everybody has their honeymoon but
00:11:48.320 given the seriousness of canada's problems um and and where we sit right now especially in the
00:11:54.160 relationship with the us i think there needs to be a lot more spine uh from from the media in
00:12:00.800 terms of questioning the prime minister and it's hard to do that when you're also accepting taxpayer
00:12:04.560 dollars yeah i mean i can distinctly remember you've been watching politics for a long time
00:12:09.760 as i have and it just doesn't seem that the legacy media was targeting say andrew sheer
00:12:18.480 or erin o'toole in the same way as they are pierre polyev where they seem to be looking
00:12:23.520 for any opportunity to undermine his ability to continue leading the party although you know what
00:12:29.840 I'll say this. I remember Aaron O'Toole was accused of being somehow too close to Donald
00:12:37.180 Trump or too similar to Donald Trump. I don't know any observer of politics that could rationally
00:12:44.940 make that comparison looking at Mr. O'Toole and the current president, but you hear it nonetheless.
00:12:52.020 So I actually think that that speaks to a broader challenge that conservatives have in terms of
00:12:59.260 being kind of very closely associated with Republicans. Like, you hear that all the time.
00:13:05.380 There's never any truth to it. It wasn't true for O'Toole. It's not true for Polyab,
00:13:10.660 but you keep hearing it over and over, and it's fear-mongering. It's trying to convince people
00:13:15.480 that the Canadian Conservatives are a version of Conservatives that they really are not.
00:13:21.360 So it's never grounded in any kind of facts or evidence that Conservatives are like this,
00:13:27.980 but yet you continue to hear it.
00:13:30.780 Yeah, I mean, they attack Polyev for being quote-unquote negative or divisive.
00:13:36.260 Yeah.
00:13:36.580 I mean, just the fact that he's leader of the opposition and doing his job
00:13:40.500 seems to be lost on people in the CBC.
00:13:43.260 Are they afraid, given what Polyev did to Justin Trudeau,
00:13:47.840 shredding him on a day-to-day basis, humiliating him in the House of Commons,
00:13:52.900 that they think that the same thing could happen with Mark Carney?
00:13:57.980 Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I'm not sure. I think that right now there is such a vibe around the prime minister. He's obviously enjoying a significant strength in public opinion polls that I'm not sure that there's kind of a broader effort afoot here other than to just promote the tires of the current guy, not necessarily worry about it.
00:14:28.700 what the opposition may or may not do. I do think that the main thing this comes down to,
00:14:33.740 Mark, is fairness. Are you providing an equal opportunity for conservatives and the conservative
00:14:41.100 leader to get their message out there? Are you looking at both parties critically and in the
00:14:46.060 same way? Are you asking the same kinds of penetrative questions of the opposition leader
00:14:51.900 as you are the prime minister? I think that looking on balance, I don't think that that
00:14:57.740 balance has been struck to this point and and again i think that goes for everybody in the
00:15:03.580 media space right now i'm thinking about some of the headlines in the globe and mail recently
00:15:08.620 i'm not sure how much objectivity is coming from there and it's troubling because they're the
00:15:13.180 credibility level of course continues to decline for mainstream media but should conservatives
00:15:20.380 try harder as far as getting on the cbc and making sure that their voices are heard on cbc or maybe
00:15:25.660 maybe they're thinking, well, you know, Kate's doing a good job. We'll just let her do what she
00:15:30.400 does so we can avoid it. I mean, it's always, it's always good to have friends. I, you know,
00:15:35.740 I think one of the mistakes I would say that the conservative party has made in the past
00:15:42.080 has been to ignore the CBC. And that is not to say that they should prioritize mainstream media
00:15:50.740 outlets over independent and traditional ones. I think you need to be everywhere all at once.
00:15:55.660 perhaps especially when you're in opposition. Again, even if a small portion of listeners and
00:16:03.220 viewers to mainstream media, which again, makes up a big portion of people's viewing content,
00:16:10.140 either online or through traditional means, if you convince even a small number of those people
00:16:15.880 to give another look to conservatives in the opposition, or maybe they think about something
00:16:20.900 in a different way. I do think that that is time well spent. So I think it was a mistake not to do
00:16:27.400 that in the lead up to 2025 and the election. There's been a change made, I think, to put more
00:16:33.900 MPs and spokespeople on these programs. And I think that that has been a change in the positive.
00:16:40.280 But we shouldn't ignore, we should show up and try to beat the drum of common sense.
00:16:46.080 I know Pierre Polyev is the first conservative leader to call for the defunding of the CBC,
00:16:51.300 and I'm wondering if that is playing a role in the public broadcaster's view of him.
00:16:58.200 But has the party painted itself in a corner saying that?
00:17:02.820 Because, you know, on one hand, yes, you want to be on all platforms, including the CBC,
00:17:07.660 in order to put your position forward to as many Canadians as possible.
00:17:11.080 But then if you're doing that at the same time as calling for the defunding of the CBC,
00:17:16.080 you know is that you know trying to put a square peg in a round hole yeah i i hear what you're
00:17:21.680 saying um you know at the uh at the risk of uh of defending the cbc i do think that uh prior to the
00:17:30.000 last election there was a choice made by the conservatives to not show up on that platform
00:17:37.520 i actually do believe that the cbc was trying regularly to get those conservative perspectives
00:17:43.680 on the show those calls were ignored that's my understanding because you saw a shift happen
00:17:48.880 after the last election right and i know there's been a number of issues a number of interviews
00:17:52.560 excuse me um with uh with rosemary barton and other some of some of their anchors that uh that
00:17:58.960 the leader of the opposition has taken on so um now does it make it complicated to have the or
00:18:05.600 does it make those conversations charged when you've talked about uh you know defunding the cbc
00:18:10.640 and then you show up on their program. Yes, but I think that that tension is good. We can't
00:18:16.880 dance around giving hundreds of millions of dollars to media-funded outlets and broadcasters
00:18:26.240 and then say we can therefore not ask any questions of those entities that are receiving
00:18:32.720 taxpayer dollars. I think there's a lot of conversations that even non-conservatives and
00:18:39.440 points that have been raised about again how does this achieve the mandate how is what you're doing
00:18:44.400 the programming you put on achieve the mandate uh that has been laid out for you um is it fit
00:18:49.280 for purpose i think that you should be able to ask those questions of the broadcaster without
00:18:54.480 uh feeling that um your uh your presentation may be um maybe uh you know augmented uh because uh
00:19:04.720 they're they're the ones that are receiving the funds yeah i hear what you say about efforts
00:19:10.160 being made to bring in conservatives but when we heard travis donraj testify i mean he said that
00:19:15.600 he tried to bring in conservative voices on his show and was basically told that uh cbc is a no
00:19:22.000 fly zone for conservative voices uh but perhaps it's a little different i mean they are it's a
00:19:28.320 compartmentalized public broadcaster that certain shows get to do certain things at least
00:19:33.520 it's it's beyond my comprehension but well i think i i would just say too i i think the disclosure
00:19:40.640 of your perspective is also important on these things right so if you're going to have uh people
00:19:46.700 regularly on um who uh are coming are you know projecting as experts but like non-partisan
00:19:54.440 experts but they actually are partisan like people need to be truthful about uh about their
00:19:59.240 disclosures. And I think there's a lot of talent to go around, right? So if you are, you know,
00:20:06.320 running back-to-back current affairs programming, and you want to make sure you don't have the same
00:20:11.340 guest on, let's say, you know, back-to-back, I get that. Like, that's not good television,
00:20:16.280 right? If you just have the same people on over and over again, it's good to have
00:20:19.140 that diversity. But I think that diversity does exist. I think that there are a lot of people
00:20:23.780 in Canada that are worth speaking to and interviewing from the centre-right. And so
00:20:28.860 it's certainly not an issue of a lack of a talent pool on the conservative side of things.
00:20:35.680 How do people follow you online and find you on the internet?
00:20:40.220 They can check me out. I'm occasionally on X, usually with a comment about whatever news story
00:20:47.440 of the day is out there at Caitlin Harrison. And that's really what I prefer. I occasionally do
00:20:54.780 some stuff on LinkedIn. But honestly, Mark, I'm a mom of two, a six-year-old and a five-year-old
00:21:01.280 and not spending a ton of time online these days. But if people want to check me out, they can do
00:21:06.600 it on X. Absolutely. You have important things to do on the family front and good on you. Thank
00:21:11.860 you so much for coming on the show. Please come back sometime. Yeah, absolutely. Great to be here.
00:21:15.820 Thank you. Kate Harrison. If you enjoyed this show, consider supporting great independent
00:21:21.000 journalism by becoming a premier member of Juno News, please go to junonews.com backslash straight
00:21:27.640 up. You can find the link below. It helps us do what we do here at Juno News. Thank you so much.
00:21:32.380 We'll see you next time.