Rebel News Podcast - EZRA LEVANT ｜ Rebels counter narrative on Leaders' debate chaos after media scrum shutdown

00:00:00.000 Tonight, I think we broke the government.

00:00:03.060 It's April 18th and this is The Ezra LeVant Show.

00:00:05.680 You're fighting for freedom!

00:00:08.500 Shame on you, you censorious bug!

00:00:20.180 Hello my friends and good Friday to those who observe the holiday.

00:00:24.880 Today, Ezra LeVant here. I am back in Toronto after a whirlwind trip through Montreal.

00:00:30.740 We were there for several days for the leaders debate in the election.

00:00:34.660 As you know, in the past we've had to fight our way in by going to court

00:00:37.920 because the hand-picked Trudeau staffers that run the place, they don't like rebel news.

00:00:43.420 That's the whole reason they set up this government-run debates commission to keep us out. 0.84

00:00:47.860 Well, in 2019 we went to court and we got a court order letting us in.

00:00:51.500 In 2021, we went to court and got a court order letting us in.

00:00:55.280 So this time around, they sort of realized how the story was going to end.

00:00:58.660 They negotiated with us back and forth and they finally let us in.

00:01:02.060 They let us have five reporters who could ask questions.

00:01:05.580 And in the first night, the French debates, we got four of those five.

00:01:10.300 I was the only one on our team that didn't get a question.

00:01:12.780 Four out of 17 questions, which is pretty good.

00:01:16.220 The CBC and its French version, Radio Canada, had four as well.

00:01:19.360 But oh my God, did that ever cause an earthquake amongst, not too much the politicians, they didn't care,

00:01:27.060 but amongst our rival journalists.

00:01:29.060 That's very interesting, isn't it?

00:01:30.560 The government has sort of given up on censoring us.

00:01:33.980 But it's the rival media who haven't.

00:01:36.980 In fact, they're more vicious than ever.

00:01:38.800 I'm back in Toronto, but we filmed a heck of a show for you yesterday.

00:01:41.880 Enjoy, that's probably the wrong word, watch with horror and fascination the story of the last two days.

00:01:49.320 Well, it's 10.30 at night, and I have to say the last 26 hours of my life have been amongst the strangest,

00:01:59.200 and I have had an unusual life.

00:02:00.880 I have to tell you that yesterday I felt an exhilaration when the rebels assembled next to me,

00:02:06.180 came with me to Montreal, of course Alexa Lavoie is from here,

00:02:09.640 for the leaders' debate in the 2025 election.

00:02:12.380 Remember, we had to fight hard to bust down the door because they wanted to keep Rebel News out,

00:02:17.860 because it's a government agency that listened to the likes of Justin Trudeau.

00:02:21.780 So we arrived yesterday, and we had four out of the 17 questions.

00:02:26.520 They weren't handed to us, we just got in line and asked them.

00:02:29.840 Anyone could have done it.

00:02:30.840 Well, the questions were great, in my opinion, and so they were off the government narrative.

00:02:37.140 So for 24 hours after last night's debate, all the regime media were gnashing their teeth.

00:02:45.100 They were raging, how dare Rebel News take over our event?

00:02:49.440 Well, we had four questions out of 17.

00:02:51.740 Once every four years, we can get a question too.

00:02:54.720 But I saw Michel Cormier, the commissioner of the Debates Commission,

00:02:59.040 do a media circuit and basically get whipped and flayed by every regime journalist he talked to.

00:03:07.460 Especially the CBC here.

00:03:09.360 Take a look at this insane broadcast on the CBC where David Cochran

00:03:14.740 basically stops being a journalist and becomes like a lawyer advocate

00:03:20.700 to try and convince the Debates Commission to kick us out or something.

00:03:24.860 Just watch a couple minutes of this.

00:03:27.320 Will they be able to do what they did?

00:03:29.120 Like, you know, Rebel News got as many questions as I think CBC, Radio Canada, Press Canadian,

00:03:33.320 and CTV or Global combined last night.

00:03:35.380 There were almost 50% of the questions, and some of them ventured into territory

00:03:39.760 that really are not issues in this election campaign, were not issues in that debate.

00:03:43.720 And I'm not saying reporters should be restricted in terms of what they ask,

00:03:46.760 but, you know, if the Debate Commission is going to organize these things,

00:03:49.900 it didn't seem to have control on it last night, sir.

00:03:54.280 Well, we're learning from what happened last night,

00:03:57.360 and you'll see hopefully a fair representation tonight.

00:04:01.860 But didn't the same thing happen in 2021?

00:04:04.580 Like, I remember vividly at the museum in Gatineau that the same sort of thing happened

00:04:10.200 with people stacking the microphones, and the questions is going in a totally different direction.

00:04:14.440 Well, there's only so much we can do to control free speech, you know.

00:04:17.260 I understand that.

00:04:18.060 You understand that?

00:04:18.960 But, you know, lifeguards got to look after the pool, right?

00:04:20.940 And, you know, the Debate Commission was set up for this,

00:04:24.180 and people are now calling for it to be completely scrapped because of what we saw last night.

00:04:28.100 I just wonder if you think there's a loss of public trust in the function of this organization.

00:04:33.820 I think the public will judge us on the debates themselves.

00:04:38.920 Which I will say was very good last night.

00:04:41.100 It was very well done.

00:04:41.980 The actual two-hour event was.

00:04:43.340 I think we'll be judged on that.

00:04:44.560 That's the main criteria for us,

00:04:46.600 to present debates that actually reach a lot of people.

00:04:50.260 We have unprecedented reach.

00:04:52.340 Broadcast partners.

00:04:53.740 We're reaching people in communities that are often disenfranchised.

00:04:57.140 I think that's a very important exercise.

00:04:59.620 This is peripheral to the main event,

00:05:01.880 and, you know, like I say, we'll work on it and try to make it better.

00:05:05.060 Well, is it peripheral or is it part of the main event?

00:05:08.420 I mean, you do the accreditation, you let the people in, you set the ground rules.

00:05:11.380 I mean, it is all part and parcel of what's happened here.

00:05:14.440 It is, but for most people,

00:05:15.560 the press availability after is not the most important thing.

00:05:24.740 So we bank on that.

00:05:27.520 Okay.

00:05:28.080 Michel Cormier, I do appreciate you showing up and taking the questions.

00:05:32.080 I very much do, sir, and thank you very much.

00:05:33.600 At least I can do it.

00:05:34.660 Former journalist, I know you appreciate the importance of doing that.

00:05:38.000 Totally.

00:05:38.660 All right, thank you, sir.

00:05:39.280 So Michel Cormier with the Debates Commission.

00:05:42.640 That's not journalism, lads.

00:05:44.300 That is something else, but it ain't journalism.

00:05:47.240 Anyways, Michel Cormier is a creature of the establishment, and the establishment is saying, 0.95

00:05:52.580 kill the rebels.

00:05:53.640 But he also knows that we've gone to court twice and thumped him because the Charter of Rights says, 0.97

00:05:59.640 you can't discriminate against rebel news just because you hate us.

00:06:02.440 So what would he do?

00:06:03.940 Well, last night, at the end of the debate, he canceled the whole scrum.

00:06:10.220 He said that no one would be allowed to have any questions.

00:06:13.820 And in his mind, he probably thought that was quite clever because it was a way to stop rebel news,

00:06:18.380 but not violate the law.

00:06:19.840 All it did, though, was violate his mandate.

00:06:21.560 I'm Michel Cormier, the executive director of the Leaders' Space Commission.

00:06:26.480 And I'm sorry to announce that there will be no scrum tonight with the leaders,

00:06:31.740 because we don't feel that we can actually guarantee a proper environment for this activity.

00:06:37.580 Alors, comme je viens de le dire, la commission a décidé qu'il y a un code de point de presse

00:06:44.260 des chefs ce soir, parce qu'on ne sent pas qu'on est capable d'assurer un environnement propice

00:06:49.960 à votre unité de cet événement.

00:06:51.260 Vous pouvez, la salle de presse sera ouverte jusqu'à 11h, si vous avez besoin.

00:06:56.440 The press will be open until 11h, so you can finish filing.

00:07:02.180 And I invite you to call the campaigns, if you want to be interested.

00:07:07.580 Your job was to allow the public to scrutinize the candidates.

00:07:28.820 In other words, it was an absolute public disaster, but I thought it was in some ways

00:07:35.060 a sign that the citizen journalists have stormed the citadel and we can no longer be kept out and

00:07:42.040 it wasn't just rebel news although we were the biggest force there were our friends from juno

00:07:46.160 and true north and counter signal and western standard and others and it was so exciting and

00:07:52.340 now let me bring in my friends because i have left out so many parts in this strange story

00:07:57.020 some of the craziest things happened you were about to hear tales that will chill you to your

00:08:02.580 bone and make your hair stand up like a porcupine let's start with my friend and chief reporter

00:08:07.360 sheila gunreed sheila this was freaking madness you know you're excited i'm still very angry i am too 0.51

00:08:16.060 i am angry because uh we took the blame uh we're looking in for the bad behavior of the media party

00:08:25.120 we conducted ourselves with grace and dignity and uh drea really set the tone for all of us

00:08:32.120 with how to conduct ourselves and for two days straight we were subjected to bullying and uh

00:08:40.820 derision and scorn and lies and misinformation published about us and physical assault and

00:08:47.720 physical assaults as my friend david found out uh tonight i mean 1.00

00:08:52.660 you you touched me with that i did not touch you you're a liar you're a goddamn liar you're a liar 1.00

00:09:08.540 oh yeah nice try guys you just hit me what are you doing police no the police is backed by the liberal 1.00

00:09:17.240 and yet on the cbc as we speak they are painting themselves as the victims of our mere presence

00:09:27.900 they're crazy over there there was one point where they announced i had been kicked out of the event and

00:09:32.780 my accreditation taken away and i'm sitting in the event thinking what the actual heck are you talking

00:09:39.440 about you know um there was some extremely bad behavior in there some of these journalists are

00:09:44.940 really normal people just ordinary people some of them are deeply radicalized well and some of them

00:09:50.840 are radicalized by two days straight of cbc misinformation against us uh but that was the

00:09:57.080 most astounding part and i think it speaks to why we need to be why rebel news exists in a room full of

00:10:04.960 200 journalists they all were lying they were all sticking to the same lie even when we had video

00:10:11.680 proof you uh were subject to a berating from an unhinged hill times reporter for like four or five

00:10:19.160 minutes straight he was screaming yelling gesturing it was really quite unhinged you kept telling him to

00:10:25.120 calm down you didn't invite it he just unleashed on you and yet the room full of journalists

00:10:32.040 who saw it all go down said that you were the bad guy in that it was really crazy i mean let's just play 0.76

00:10:37.600 a clip of this this is a crazy man it feels like mental illness and i something drove him to this i mean

00:10:45.720 i think he's a lefty to begin with but to see rebels in his kind of place and that we asked four questions 0.89

00:10:52.180 and he asked none something snapped in his noggin here take a look

00:10:57.980 yeah after you guys threatened to sue so that you that's why they got the four questions

00:11:05.460 because the commission you're making that up you're lying again when did the cbc get uh four questions

00:11:11.360 yesterday yes after they had already told it to you because you threatened to sue

00:11:17.540 you're lying again i'm not because you're like don't you have a third party advertising truck to go

00:11:23.960 take care of how much have you spent on third party advertising this election between rebel news

00:11:31.700 and for canada companies you own both of how much money have you spent to influence this election

00:11:38.520 i'm assuming in favor of conservatives how much have you spent like you're a journalist you must be honest

00:11:44.140 so rebel news limited if you uh set up and registered under elections canada everyone else

00:11:53.560 you can go to elections canada right now every third party is registered search rebel news for canada

00:12:01.940 and you will see clearest day as will event as the owner of both of those companies

00:12:06.940 he has third party advertising trucks driving around this venue right now

00:12:12.360 it's owned by rebel it's owned by you oh sorry sorry the truck is for canada which is owned by you

00:12:22.920 which is separate from rebel news which is also owned by you

00:12:27.000 you're pretty cheap you want me to pull up one by one control your emotions

00:12:32.140 so and i'm not saying you're out of control

00:12:34.720 speaking quietly doesn't make your things any less

00:12:39.420 you're completely out of control emotions

00:12:41.220 and your facts are completely wrong

00:12:44.080 all right let's go

00:12:44.920 what's your name

00:12:46.300 what's your name

00:12:48.800 you're suddenly shy

00:12:51.980 no i'm googling

00:12:53.500 you're googling your name

00:12:54.960 you're not

00:12:56.960 why don't you tell us who you are tough guy

00:12:58.440 stuart benson hilltimes 0.98

00:13:00.920 stuart benson well you're a disgrace to the hilltimes 0.90

00:13:03.440 and your facts are wrong 0.99

00:13:05.260 you're a disgrace to journalism buddy 0.99

00:13:07.360 ask the first thing 0.99

00:13:08.380 i can do the job

00:13:10.320 of one of me

00:13:12.140 can do the same job

00:13:13.180 you literally need five reporters to do

00:13:15.420 so am i a disgrace force

00:13:17.260 and all of the people you needed to do the job

00:13:19.460 i do my myself

00:13:20.460 you just gotta control your emotions

00:13:21.740 Rebel News Network Limited, March 27th, registered with Elections Canada, Game of Africa, Ezra Le Mans,

00:13:32.200 mailing address, Edmonton, Alberta, T5JLK4. I wonder where that would have been.

00:13:40.900 T5JLK4, I wonder what that is.

00:13:44.880 Well, you certainly got a tiger by the way.

00:13:47.680 Hey, let's go check out the sport, Canada. Who is it who they are?

00:13:56.080 Am I not? Am I talking too loud now?

00:13:58.340 No, you just, you don't understand, you don't even understand what you're looking at.

00:14:03.180 What work are you doing?

00:14:05.200 There's nothing in front of you.

00:14:07.640 Oh! Oh! Yes! Yes! The really exceptional work you're doing.

00:14:17.680 Is she telling me you're out of control emotionally?

00:14:28.420 Tantrum board. I'll tell you tantrum board. 0.99

00:14:30.500 Yeah, just sort of crazy.

00:14:59.880 David Menti, it's great to see you as always.

00:15:01.840 Thank you.

00:15:03.640 Why don't you just tell me your, like, it's like we all saw a crazy thing happening.

00:15:10.440 What was your vantage point on the crazy?

00:15:13.140 Before I get to that, Ezra, I just want to say I was momentarily distracted because as you were interviewing Sheila,

00:15:18.860 there was a female CBC employee. 0.94

00:15:21.220 I think she must be a big kahuna. 0.98

00:15:25.000 And she was given an escort by two huge security guards to a waiting cab.

00:15:31.080 I think the presence of our truck and the presence of us here, I don't know, it's maybe a Canadian January 6th.

00:15:38.620 I mean, why did she feel the need to be, you know, guarded by two big security guards?

00:15:45.580 It's unbelievable.

00:15:47.360 You know, I mean, we joke about trigger warnings, but I think, I think this, I mean, it's happening again right now.

00:15:54.440 I think, I mean, they're giving these CBC employees an escort because, you know, they're triggered by this, literally, literally triggered by the sight of citizen journalists.

00:16:11.520 It's actually very, it's, it's actually, it's very sad, actually, that grown, I mean, I thought trigger warnings were for children, but for grownups, oh, it's crazy.

00:16:26.320 But, but Ezra, to, I'm already watching the mainstream media spin, and it's outrageous about what happened.

00:16:35.840 Lincoln Jay was assaulted by a cameraman.

00:16:38.260 I'm not certain.

00:16:38.980 Sorry, not only did Drea see it, I wasn't looking at it, but they hit, he hit Lincoln so hard, I heard it.

00:16:47.880 Like, I heard the impact, and it was atrocious.

00:16:51.440 I saw, I saw it, too.

00:16:53.360 But, unfortunately, I didn't cut it on camera, but I'm pretty sure that someone caught it on camera.

00:16:57.640 It was a couple of journalists, they all saw.

00:16:59.960 Yeah, everybody saw it, and I want to set something straight.

00:17:02.520 There's this narrative going around that we were given special treatment.

00:17:05.400 The CBC reporters had their questions into, we went by bureaus, everything is out there.

00:17:10.780 We've posted it, the legal documents.

00:17:12.900 But here's the thing, we showed up to work.

00:17:15.060 We were first, the independent media were first to get there.

00:17:18.240 We were first to case, hey, where are the cameras going to be?

00:17:20.480 We sat close to the line, we paid attention while they were eating free chips, and we simply stepped into the line.

00:17:27.320 And then the misinformation about how that all happened is really what infuriated these people who became completely unhinged.

00:17:36.520 And I was at the beginning of that interaction with the Hill guy.

00:17:38.940 It started with Kian just talking to another independent journalist, and he just turned back and started raising his voice at Kian.

00:17:49.420 He was yelling for about, I don't know, close to, it felt like 10 minutes before, and no one's saying anything.

00:17:56.400 No one is saying anything when they all saw this guy be completely unhinged.

00:18:00.720 And then when you were respectfully saying, hey, calm down after he went after you, all of a sudden it's Rebel News.

00:18:05.940 I mean, I'll get into the misinformation, there is a reason why the mainstream media is a dying breed.

00:18:12.340 Nobody trusts them anymore, but we saw it in real time unfold.

00:18:16.040 You're right, we saw it in real time.

00:18:17.520 And Ezra, just to finish the story, Lincoln went after the guy by that, I mean not to hit him, but to query him.

00:18:24.740 Why did you assault me, man?

00:18:26.360 And I followed Lincoln because, hey, two cameras better than one.

00:18:30.060 And the guy assaulted Lincoln again by knocking, I mean, there's some perverse irony here.

00:18:35.840 A cameraman objecting to being on camera, knocking Lincoln's cell phone out of his hand.

00:18:41.500 So I was following along, and then who should come by but Terry Guillon.

00:18:46.660 He's the, I guess, the press secretary, the media shepherd.

00:18:50.560 For the PMO.

00:18:51.320 For the PMO.

00:18:52.440 And we know he has a history on Kian Bextie was with our company.

00:18:55.420 I believe it was in Saskatchewan.

00:18:56.940 Yeah.

00:18:57.840 Terry gave him a body check at a venue.

00:19:01.700 It was outrageous.

00:19:03.820 But we have a clip of that, if you want to throw to it, of Guillaume, not once, but twice, knocking the camera right out of my hand.

00:19:14.020 It's absolutely insane.

00:19:14.980 Let's take a look.

00:19:17.080 Oh, Terry Guillon.

00:19:18.860 Oi.

00:19:20.080 What are you doing?

00:19:21.200 Terry Guillon.

00:19:22.460 What are you going to do?

00:19:23.780 You guys are out.

00:19:25.400 You, you touched me with that.

00:19:26.900 I did not touch you. 1.00

00:19:28.200 You're a liar. 1.00

00:19:29.240 You're a goddamn liar. 1.00

00:19:30.880 You're a liar. 1.00

00:19:31.420 Oh, yeah. 1.00

00:19:31.760 Nice try, guys.

00:19:32.640 You just hit me.

00:19:34.180 What are you doing?

00:19:35.600 Look at that.

00:19:35.980 Police.

00:19:37.200 No, the police is backed by the liberals.

00:19:40.000 Police.

00:19:40.020 Police.

00:19:40.060 Police.

00:19:40.140 Police.

00:19:40.580 Police.

00:19:43.240 I have to tell you, it is as crazy as you think it is.

00:19:46.840 We were sitting in there, and we're very careful of the rules, because we fought so hard to be in here.

00:19:52.700 And we spent so much money in lawyers to be in here, and then we spent money to fly everyone.

00:19:58.100 We're not going to lose that over some shenanigans.

00:20:01.820 And I've just never seen such bad behavior from official people.

00:20:07.600 And it started yesterday when we had the questions.

00:20:11.240 It was based on editorial.

00:20:13.000 I mean, I say again, the CBC had four questions.

00:20:15.320 We had four questions.

00:20:16.680 It wasn't the four that made them mad.

00:20:19.420 It was what the four were.

00:20:20.600 If we had asked four questions about global warming and whatever, they would have loved us.

00:20:26.200 They wouldn't have objected to the fact we had four.

00:20:28.400 It's the fact that we had any at all, that we were allowed in there at all.

00:20:33.220 And I think these people had a mass psychological freakout.

00:20:39.760 It was insane.

00:20:40.980 And the way they're spinning it, Ezra, and if I may finish the story, I went right away to the Montreal police.

00:20:46.940 They were there en masse.

00:20:48.060 Terry said something in French to one of them, and suddenly we were being treated like the criminals.

00:20:53.700 They were using their bicycles to make a barricade so Terry could scurry away in the bus.

00:20:58.520 And then some random woman comes by, and she knocks the phone out of my head. 1.00

00:21:03.660 I think it's a dead duck now.

00:21:05.280 Sorry, boss.

00:21:05.880 I might be expensing another iPhone.

00:21:07.480 But right in front of the police.

00:21:10.180 And I said, officer, did you see that?

00:21:12.080 And it was Sergeant Schultz again.

00:21:14.140 You know, I saw nothing.

00:21:15.660 I know nothing.

00:21:16.780 It was incredible.

00:21:18.740 Hey, Mr. Bacon.

00:21:19.520 That's Steve Bacon, the host of the evening.

00:21:21.840 Steve, you did a great job.

00:21:23.260 You know, we're talking a lot about our interactions.

00:21:30.440 But, of course, let me just interject and say Steve Bacon ran an excellent debate tonight.

00:21:35.640 And I think he actually is one of the best debate hosts in the country.

00:21:39.280 And we should be talking about that.

00:21:41.060 But the misconduct of the journalist, for us at least, is the story of the day.

00:21:46.360 Anyhow, forgive me for giving a holler to Steve.

00:21:48.460 I think he's a really good egg.

00:21:49.620 Back to you again.

00:21:50.700 Yeah.

00:21:51.020 No, and it was incredible.

00:21:53.820 And then the final, you know, epilogue to this story is the police formed a human wall

00:22:00.160 preventing us from getting back into the building.

00:22:03.200 I said, guys, my jacket, my coat, my equipment bag with my car keys are there.

00:22:08.700 I need it.

00:22:09.500 And they said, come back at midnight.

00:22:12.780 And that was like three hours of way.

00:22:15.560 And thankfully, you guys were in the building and could bring it out for me.

00:22:18.960 This is crazy.

00:22:20.620 You know, this is what happens when oil and water, when matter and antimatter, yin and yang

00:22:26.640 come together.

00:22:27.860 Rebel News is a real news company.

00:22:30.780 We have millions of subscribers, 1.7 million on YouTube alone.

00:22:35.520 We have millions of people.

00:22:37.320 We have had billions of views.

00:22:40.600 We have a full-time staff equivalent of over 30 people.

00:22:43.780 We are a real place.

00:22:45.780 We've been around for 10 years.

00:22:47.740 There's no measurement by which we are not as legitimate a news source as any other.

00:22:52.540 In fact, that's the trouble that the Debates Commission has.

00:22:56.020 How do they keep us out and the others in?

00:22:59.400 They can't find a principle or a rule that lets them do that.

00:23:03.200 And so when we make our way in, and we didn't force our way in.

00:23:07.540 We basically argued our way in by saying we pass every test.

00:23:13.100 But the people inside here, the dying last guard, the last hurrah of the regime media, the pampered

00:23:21.740 media, the spoiled media, the subsidized media, the government media, they just can't stand

00:23:27.620 the fact that you and you and you and you and me have made it into their holy place.

00:23:33.160 This is their holy temple, and we're not allowed in here, and we're not as good as them, and

00:23:38.480 they're morally superior to us.

00:23:40.100 And oh my God, we're actually asking more questions than them, and our questions aren't

00:23:43.540 ones that they like.

00:23:44.720 And we're, they couldn't stand it.

00:23:47.460 They couldn't stand it.

00:23:48.860 And like dogs protecting their territory, they barked and barked and barked, and that

00:23:53.340 didn't stop us, so they just shut the whole place down.

00:23:55.140 It was the most atrocious thing.

00:23:57.380 And, and I, I've used the word demonic to describe some of the people inside, because

00:24:02.840 that, that is just how it was.

00:24:04.680 Drea, you felt the, the brunt of it yesterday.

00:24:08.200 I'm just sorry we didn't have a chance to ask more questions today.

00:24:10.580 I, I'm the one guy on our team who didn't get a question.

00:24:12.840 I had a lot of good questions written.

00:24:14.820 Actually, can I just say something really quickly?

00:24:17.140 All this shenanigans could have been avoided if the commission see, oh, we have a lot

00:24:23.400 of media, we'll do one question per person.

00:24:27.160 Everybody would have, have a question in, and avoided the fact that they were complaining

00:24:33.740 that we had like, oh, so much time.

00:24:36.760 But the thing is, why they don't actually say, maybe you should review the number of

00:24:42.460 questions, or maybe like, oh, you're doing all the process.

00:24:45.460 It's not us, it's all, they made the rule, and the rule play in our favor because we

00:24:51.680 were alert, and we, we worked, and we were there.

00:24:55.240 So.

00:24:56.020 I mean, they could have, they could have said only one question, not a second follow-up.

00:24:59.680 They could have said, keep your question under 30 seconds, and even had a clock.

00:25:03.400 I'm just brainstorming here.

00:25:04.940 I mean, and those, but those are content neutral, and they're reporter neutral.

00:25:09.120 But that's not what they really wanted.

00:25:10.960 They wanted it to, they didn't care about that.

00:25:13.820 They just wanted the five people standing here, not in there.

00:25:17.620 Now, I, um.

00:25:19.680 And Ezra, if I may add, you forgot one part of the story that pertains to you.

00:25:23.500 When it looked like, uh, that's it, curtains, no more, uh, scrums for the English debate.

00:25:29.720 There was that journalist from the Ricochet who was saying, oh, you're happy, Ezra?

00:25:35.020 Thanks to your bad behavior.

00:25:36.640 There was some crazy guy who thought, he was screaming, he said, because I. 0.78

00:25:41.580 Because of your, he was screaming at the top of his lungs.

00:25:44.520 Actually, I'll, I'll give you a little, I'll give you a little behind the scenes.

00:25:47.700 As soon as we got word from a leaked source that the scrums would be canceled,

00:25:53.380 I sent a message to everybody and said, have your phones ready.

00:25:57.340 This place is going to pop off, and they're going to blame us.

00:26:01.560 And guess what happened?

00:26:02.760 A left-wing journalist, uh, who looked textbook.

00:26:08.160 Like, if I looked up left-wing journalist in the dictionary, I'd be like, yeah, that's him.

00:26:11.820 He starts screaming at the top of his lungs, Ezra, your bad behavior.

00:26:17.420 And you know, and he, he said, I mean, you know, Kian Bexty, he was a reporter with us.

00:26:22.760 And he started.

00:26:23.520 Yeah, he, and, but he left us a few years ago.

00:26:25.500 But we're, we keep in touch.

00:26:26.600 I like the guy.

00:26:27.560 I get a real kick out of him.

00:26:29.320 And, and so I love seeing him in events.

00:26:31.560 I mean, just, anyhow.

00:26:33.440 So I was chatting with him, because I, I, I know maybe 10 people here, and, and Kian's

00:26:37.580 one of them.

00:26:38.300 And so because I was chatting with him, this guy concocted some conspiracy theory about

00:26:43.260 how I was controlling all these different, and he said, you have 13 people here.

00:26:49.860 I said, no, we only have six, no, five, no, you have 13, oh my God.

00:26:54.480 Anyhow, I mean, it's a funny story, but it's also deeply embarrassing how crazy these people 0.93

00:26:58.040 are.

00:26:58.240 Oh, and, and Ezra, I know our audience is saying, the ricochet, what in blue hell is

00:27:03.100 that?

00:27:03.320 I came across it only last month because they had a hit piece on Pierre Poliev's campaign

00:27:08.820 slogan of Canada First.

00:27:11.120 Evidently, that's racist and code for white supremacy.

00:27:14.520 So, because of you, we can't ask questions that we have in the public, because you wanted

00:27:19.380 to have a media service.

00:27:20.660 Maybe your ally shouldn't be trying to get the commission to do something unlawful.

00:27:25.800 It's embarrassing.

00:27:26.800 It's embarrassing.

00:27:27.640 Look at all of you.

00:27:28.640 Look at all of you.

00:27:29.460 What journalistic rationale is there to have this many people in the room?

00:27:33.560 What journalistic rationale is there?

00:27:35.340 There's not 13 of us.

00:27:37.020 There absolutely are 13 of you.

00:27:39.080 There absolutely are.

00:27:39.740 I saw Kian Bexty coming over to Ezra throughout the debate.

00:27:43.080 Kian Bexty, who supposedly has a different media outlet, was taking direction from Ezra.

00:27:49.480 You're, you're, you're wrong.

00:27:50.860 Kian Bexty doesn't work for Rebel News.

00:27:52.520 So why did he come over to you three times for direction during the debate?

00:27:55.760 He showed you on the, he showed you his phone and he took direction from you during this debate.

00:28:01.120 So I don't think that Kian Bexty is independent.

00:28:03.960 I don't believe that.

00:28:08.080 We're not allowed to talk to people?

00:28:09.740 He's shaking.

00:28:11.280 Which is much less than the CBC has.

00:28:13.720 You've got to control your emotions.

00:28:15.100 I know you don't like me or Rebel News and that's okay.

00:28:17.940 What I don't like, Ezra, is you preventing us from being able to ask questions on behalf of the public.

00:28:22.760 How have I done that?

00:28:23.500 You created a circus here before this debate started.

00:28:26.580 Questions that you don't like?

00:28:27.520 You created a security incident.

00:28:28.860 What is, what incident was that?

00:28:29.600 You created a security incident before this debate started.

00:28:32.860 That guy from the Hill Times?

00:28:34.220 When you got into a screaming match with people before this debate started.

00:28:37.920 And that's the justification that has been used to cancel the Q&A.

00:28:42.140 So the circus that you created before this debate.

00:28:45.140 Where did you get this information?

00:28:46.400 I'm not, I'm not making anything, huh?

00:28:48.440 Where did you get these thoughts?

00:28:50.320 I was there.

00:28:50.380 We were all there.

00:28:51.460 What are we talking about?

00:28:52.360 In the front of this room, right before this debate.

00:28:55.620 You caused an incident that caused the security concern that got this Q&A shut down.

00:29:02.580 So Ezra Levant, I blame you 100% for the Q&A being canceled here.

00:29:06.680 There's not 13 rebels here.

00:29:08.380 Kian Bexty doesn't work for us.

00:29:10.160 You're angry because you didn't like four questions.

00:29:11.260 Well, it's a Potemkin village, right? 0.95

00:29:13.100 Why don't you let him talk now?

00:29:14.620 You can start up websites, right?

00:29:15.640 You guys don't listen to the facts.

00:29:17.060 Let him talk.

00:29:17.580 I mean, I understand, listen, I understand you don't like our point of view.

00:29:27.540 We don't actually take government subsidies.

00:29:28.200 You don't take any government subsidies?

00:29:30.080 We take LJI funding.

00:29:31.560 We have one LJI funded position.

00:29:33.400 I don't even know.

00:29:34.080 Oh, there you go.

00:29:34.560 That's government funding.

00:29:35.680 You know, it's okay for you to hate Rebel News or hate our ideas.

00:29:38.840 I don't hate you, Ezra.

00:29:40.700 But you caused an incident.

00:29:43.220 You're not listening.

00:29:45.340 You're spreading misinformation.

00:29:46.580 You can watch you all you want.

00:29:47.560 You can say I'm lying all you want.

00:29:48.760 You caused an incident.

00:29:50.900 There was a huge incident at the front of this room, which everyone here saw.

00:29:54.860 You got yelled at to get out of the way.

00:29:57.100 What are you talking about?

00:29:57.920 That's literally not what happened.

00:29:59.440 This is 100% your fault.

00:30:01.740 You caused this, Ezra.

00:30:03.200 And I hold you accountable.

00:30:04.740 And everybody in this room knows what happened.

00:30:07.580 Everybody saw the incident you caused earlier, Ezra.

00:30:10.140 You know what?

00:30:15.740 You know, the problem was we go in there thinking like journalists and many of the people in there

00:30:20.260 are journalists, but others are just Antifa with a press pass.

00:30:24.260 I want to talk a little bit more about the actual misinformation since yesterday I was

00:30:29.420 accused of spreading misinformation by Jagmeet Singh.

00:30:31.960 And I was told from a lot of journalists who did reach out, they were disgusted with Jagmeet

00:30:36.460 Singh and they were disgusted to hear that journalists heckled me while I asked that question.

00:30:40.420 And they told me, you said it as well, in the past, journalists would have stuck together

00:30:44.580 and said, hey, answer her question.

00:30:47.440 Don't do that.

00:30:48.480 But that solidarity was gone.

00:30:50.260 And then you have Ms. Rosie Barton. 1.00

00:30:53.240 She said this about my question.

00:30:55.600 Okay.

00:30:55.840 So that was NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

00:30:58.140 Up next will be Conservative leader Pierre Polyev.

00:31:00.940 But I think we have to sort of address the elephant in the room.

00:31:04.720 How are these people chosen to answer these questions?

00:31:08.240 And I don't know if either one of you have an answer for that, but I think there will be

00:31:11.200 people at home saying some of these seem like odd questions.

00:31:14.140 Some of them aren't getting answered.

00:31:15.720 How come we've heard so often from this one particular outlet?

00:31:18.800 Any idea what's going on there?

00:31:19.980 There's three right-wing, very right-wing media, we can call them media, websites that

00:31:26.740 are present in there.

00:31:28.620 They get in line to ask a question like anybody else.

00:31:31.200 Their accreditation has been approved by the Commission of Debates.

00:31:34.480 And so they get the right to stand in line and ask a question that they choose to ask.

00:31:39.740 In this case, you saw Mr. Singh, and this has been his position for some time, to refuse

00:31:44.180 to answer questions.

00:31:45.200 Rebel News in particular, traffics and misinformation, facts, lack of facts.

00:31:51.000 And as you heard in that question, which was woven with some truth and some things that

00:31:56.300 weren't true.

00:31:57.020 Yes, there have been burnings of Christian Catholic churches.

00:32:01.300 Yes, there have been remains of Indigenous children found in various places around the

00:32:06.260 country, which she met.

00:32:07.460 That's not true.

00:32:08.400 There have not been any remains found.

00:32:10.440 So I nicely went up to her today.

00:32:13.580 I simply said, hi, I'm Dr. Humphrey with Rebel News.

00:32:16.520 I put my hand out.

00:32:17.320 She goes, I don't shake with that hand.

00:32:19.300 She shakes my hand with the left.

00:32:21.020 What?

00:32:21.220 And then, so, I mean, that's not really the point of the story, but.

00:32:24.660 It's just a weird little thing.

00:32:26.200 It's weird.

00:32:27.020 And I'm telling you how nice I was.

00:32:28.780 And I said, yesterday, you spoke about me without speaking to me first.

00:32:32.760 And you told people I spread misinformation.

00:32:35.860 She goes, no, I didn't say that.

00:32:37.480 I said that there's no way you would know that there was bodies.

00:32:41.200 I said, no, you said I told truth and misinformation.

00:32:43.640 And I said, so could you please tell me which site you're aware of where there's unmarked

00:32:50.180 graves and they have discovered remains?

00:32:52.780 And she goes, I don't want to talk to you.

00:32:54.300 And I said, why?

00:32:54.940 And she goes, I don't want to.

00:32:56.220 And as I'm walking back, her and this other CBC mean girl who was like this the whole time,

00:33:00.540 one of them, I don't know, said, back off.

00:33:02.640 And she went and complained about me. 1.00

00:33:06.240 The same thing happened to me.

00:33:07.640 I waited until they were on a TV break. 0.92

00:33:10.060 And I said to David Cochran, I said, look, you've been talking trash about me. 0.79

00:33:14.840 But I didn't say that.

00:33:16.520 Actually, I was much calmer.

00:33:18.820 I said, listen, you've been talking about me.

00:33:20.400 I'd like you to write to reply.

00:33:21.880 Who should I talk to?

00:33:23.220 No one.

00:33:23.860 Go away.

00:33:24.820 I said, well, no, is there a producer or a lawyer?

00:33:28.000 Go away.

00:33:28.400 No one.

00:33:29.760 And I mean, just the fact that you spoke to Rosemary Barton and I spoke to David, whatever,

00:33:36.480 for five, like not even five minutes.

00:33:38.220 So then they got dozens of private security and police to stand around them because you're

00:33:47.580 so terrifying.

00:33:48.820 But that's what they claimed.

00:33:50.500 So they they claimed that something happened with the far right.

00:33:54.020 So there's no scrum and and the security is watching us now.

00:33:57.500 But we asked the security that was behind them on the way out, you know, guys, like we're

00:34:02.280 not a danger.

00:34:03.080 I just asked why, you know, she lied about me.

00:34:05.260 And they're like, we don't know what you're talking about.

00:34:08.020 We're here watching everybody.

00:34:10.000 So, again, yeah, he said, we're not here for you.

00:34:14.320 Let me tell you one more.

00:34:16.060 So I this crazy guy from the Hilltimes was like ranting.

00:34:19.960 And I said, calm down.

00:34:21.100 And he was causing a bit of a scene.

00:34:22.600 And just then someone from the Debates Commission came in over to me and said, hey, can we talk

00:34:28.320 somewhere quiet?

00:34:29.620 I said, OK, whatever.

00:34:30.760 So I went out with this lady and everyone thought it had to do with this Hilltimes going crazy.

00:34:36.200 The timing was like this while this guy was ranting, this lady from the Debates Commission

00:34:40.500 says, hey, can we just chat?

00:34:41.900 And I I didn't know what that was about.

00:34:43.900 So I went with her.

00:34:45.140 I said, what's cooking?

00:34:45.840 And she said, well, the CBC wants to kick you out.

00:34:49.820 They said that you were I forget exactly the accusations.

00:34:54.280 And I said, well, no, that's crazy.

00:34:55.640 That didn't happen.

00:34:57.620 And I just I just I said what I just said here.

00:35:00.540 I they were talking about me.

00:35:02.000 I asked for a right reply.

00:35:03.120 They said no.

00:35:03.980 And I left in like 60 seconds.

00:35:05.720 And that convinced them.

00:35:07.040 And that's after that is when the guy said on TV I'd been disaccredited.

00:35:12.880 So he made it up.

00:35:14.120 But here's my point.

00:35:14.840 I just want to tell you, I had left the room for a minute is what I'm saying.

00:35:17.960 I left the room for like, yeah, while this guy was great.

00:35:20.100 So I was out of the room for five minutes and it looked sort of official.

00:35:23.300 So I came back in and I was chatting with Michelle Cormier, the commissioner.

00:35:27.360 And I was saying, when are you going to tell us the rules?

00:35:29.660 Like I was just chatting with them.

00:35:31.260 And and I was sort of hamming it up because he was the guy who was hostile to us.

00:35:37.500 And he was so stressed out.

00:35:39.840 And everyone was had been walking all over him.

00:35:42.240 And I actually felt a little bit bad for him.

00:35:44.200 And I was walking with him and I and I didn't put my arm around him or anything, but I was like chummy with him.

00:35:48.940 And I walked back in and I had just let it wasn't even 10 minutes.

00:35:53.840 And every journalist was there.

00:35:57.100 What happened?

00:35:58.380 And I walked back in thinking, OK, I'm going to go get a sandwich now or something.

00:36:02.280 And there's like 20 journalists circling me.

00:36:05.080 And can I add?

00:36:07.180 So I want to tell the story, but you keep going.

00:36:09.640 Sorry.

00:36:10.080 He walked out.

00:36:11.100 I just want to tell you when he was walking, the journalists got up behind him and were tripping over each other.

00:36:17.800 I felt I felt so validated.

00:36:20.440 Oh, it's like the debate is just right here.

00:36:23.340 Actually, sorry, Ezra, I know you really want to tell the story, but they had to tell the journalists who were scrumming Ezra as he's holding court there.

00:36:31.300 They had to tell him the actual debate is starting.

00:36:35.600 You guys have to go sit down.

00:36:36.740 Yeah, that's right.

00:36:37.240 You know, I want to show you that little scrum.

00:36:40.140 I swear, I just they just stepped out for five minutes like it could have been to go to the bathroom.

00:36:45.980 And I'm coming back in and I'm just with this Michelle Cormier, which is why I thought it was funny.

00:36:51.160 And I walk in and every like I do what?

00:36:55.000 And I want to play it for you because it took me about 30 seconds to get my feet under me.

00:36:59.260 But then I thought, oh, an audience.

00:37:02.560 Well, unaccustomed as I am to public speaking.

00:37:07.240 I might say a word.

00:37:10.180 Let me play for you my speech because I think it was actually OK.

00:37:14.740 Here's what I said to all the journalists there.

00:37:17.160 And I got in a sparring match with a few of them.

00:37:20.020 But here, take a look.

00:37:25.700 Thank you.

00:37:33.700 OK.

00:37:34.300 Mr. Cormier, are you having a comment on what has happened?

00:37:40.060 I had a heart to heart with Mr. Cormier.

00:37:42.460 And I think we found common ground.

00:37:44.160 Mr. Cormier, what's the common ground?

00:37:48.460 Well, I'm kidding around.

00:37:50.320 We don't have common ground.

00:37:51.040 I don't know what his...

00:37:52.240 Yesterday, I think the independent journalists were a little bit too independent.

00:37:56.760 And the regime journalists are too friendly with the regime.

00:38:01.720 And I've seen a full pork press by regime journalists over the last 24 hours to bring in limits to what independent journalists can do.

00:38:10.520 You mean third-party advertisers, Ezra?

00:38:12.120 Can you talk about the $180,000 you're spending to do advertising voter contact both through For Canada and into Rebel News Network Limited?

00:38:20.340 I see you're wrong on that.

00:38:21.720 And that's what concerns me, is that For Canada is a different group.

00:38:26.100 It was registered...

00:38:28.100 It's made $170,000 to Rebel News Network Limited.

00:38:31.260 Is that not true?

00:38:31.840 You're getting your facts wrong, Justin, and I want to make sure you're cancelled.

00:38:36.720 What did the picture say to you?

00:38:38.100 We were actually talking about the CBC, who want us out of here.

00:38:42.760 The CBC want us kicked out.

00:38:45.260 We're not leaving.

00:38:47.040 The CBC were outraged that Mr. Cormier let us in.

00:38:51.180 The CBC had four questions yesterday.

00:38:54.820 Rebel News had four questions yesterday.

00:38:57.460 The CBC thinks that's normal, and it's abnormal that we need it.

00:39:01.460 Was he talking to you about your accreditation and asking questions, or was it about the incident here right now, Mr. Cormier?

00:39:07.800 It was about neither.

00:39:09.420 It was actually about, what's his name, the ball guy in the CBC?

00:39:14.240 Maybe, Cochran.

00:39:14.760 Cochran.

00:39:15.380 Yeah, I mean, Cochran wanted me kicked out.

00:39:18.700 I ain't leaving.

00:39:20.560 Cochran's really thin-skinned.

00:39:22.340 I talked to Rosalie Martin, too.

00:39:23.740 I invited her to a challenge, and she declined, but that had nothing to do with it.

00:39:28.900 Anyways, I want to get back to the journalism here, but it's a pleasure to be in the center of the attention.

00:39:33.760 I want to give a shout-out to my fellow independent journalists, Keem Bexky, proud alumnus of Rebel News.

00:39:40.240 A. Lee is not associated with us, but I admire his independence, and I would like to encourage everyone who's watching.

00:39:46.240 You can be a journalist.

00:39:47.400 If you've got a phone, you're a journalist.

00:39:49.420 If you've got a Facebook page, you're a journalist.

00:39:51.460 Yes, it is, Judy.

00:39:53.120 In fact, you're a government journalist.

00:40:01.440 Every single one of you takes...

00:40:02.800 No, no, no, no, I'm not a government journalist.

00:40:05.480 If you get the government subsidy, you're a government journalist.

00:40:08.140 I'm not a government journalist.

00:40:09.120 Who do you work for, sir?

00:40:10.180 I've heard of Canadian Press.

00:40:11.460 Canadian Press gets massive grants from the government.

00:40:13.920 No, no, no, it's someone wearing a liberal.

00:40:15.200 It's an admission in funding.

00:40:16.340 I mean, you're literally wearing a liberal blanier.

00:40:18.520 Because I follow the liberals, you know how to work.

00:40:21.260 So you're ready to handle your own by the government.

00:40:23.420 Sir, may I just think about making a game?

00:40:26.480 Sir, what do you think about the third-party advertisers that are supporting the C&C?

00:40:29.380 Only your own media can ask you questions.

00:40:31.320 All right.

00:40:31.640 Go ahead.

00:40:32.020 No problem.

00:40:32.700 Come on, do run over. 0.99

00:40:33.720 Why don't you answer his question?

00:40:35.020 What was his question?

00:40:35.660 Let me get out of the way. 1.00

00:40:37.760 I didn't...

00:40:38.080 I didn't...

00:40:38.560 I actually didn't hear the question.

00:40:40.360 I'm flattered to be here.

00:40:41.460 Let me just say this.

00:40:42.200 I think that journalism needs to be democratized.

00:40:44.860 And I think it's sort of creepy that the enemies of rebel news in the press gallery

00:40:50.500 stop us from asking questions of politicians 99% of the time.

00:40:54.960 Once every four years, we're allowed to put a couple of questions to these high priests

00:41:00.140 of politics.

00:41:00.620 And there's a total freakout in the press gallery.

00:41:02.900 Like, seriously, it's like leap year.

00:41:04.720 Fifteen minutes every four-year season, we're allowed...

00:41:07.900 Can you move your scrum now?

00:41:12.840 We want to watch the stars and fade.

00:41:14.660 Thanks very much.

00:41:16.020 Okay.

00:41:16.380 Thank you.

00:41:16.740 Thank you.

00:41:16.760 Hello?

00:41:18.760 Hello?

00:41:20.760 Hello?

00:41:22.760 Hello?

00:41:32.760 Hello?

00:41:34.760 Hello?

00:41:36.760 Hello?

00:41:38.760 Make sure you mention

00:41:40.760 Me is the reaction

00:41:42.760 when you say that all of you guys

00:41:44.760 You're a journalist with your phone and the reaction of the mainstream media.

00:41:49.320 And that's true.

00:41:49.880 Look, everyone who's got a smartphone, guess what?

00:41:53.200 You've got a TV camera.

00:41:54.220 And the power of your smartphone today would be equivalent to like a quarter million dollar camera 15 years ago.

00:42:00.760 It's a fact.

00:42:02.000 And if you've got a Twitter account and a camera, you can do anything.

00:42:06.280 And I'm not saying that every single human with a cell phone is a journalist.

00:42:11.740 I'm saying every human with a cell phone could become a journalist because there's no more barriers to entry.

00:42:17.460 Your talent is the thing.

00:42:18.540 It's not a regulated profession like being a doctor.

00:42:21.400 I'm not saying every single person in the world is a journalist, but everyone could be.

00:42:25.100 And that's what terrifies the people in the inner sanctum is that, no, you have to be part of the special priesthood.

00:42:32.020 You have to think the way we think.

00:42:33.840 And you have to be part of our order.

00:42:35.700 No.

00:42:37.180 And I don't know.

00:42:38.360 To me, I thought that was a clarifying moment.

00:42:39.920 I just want to correct you, though.

00:42:43.480 It's not somebody with a cell phone.

00:42:46.340 It could be a journalist.

00:42:47.420 It's a cell phone and a sense of hard work.

00:42:50.340 Right.

00:42:50.460 What we what I think set us apart and what caught the mainstream media flat footed is that we showed up ready to work and they are so entitled and they're so used to having their stories served up to them and not having to work to get access to politicians that they were shocked that we showed up ready to give her.

00:43:09.140 And we did.

00:43:09.880 And we beat them to the story.

00:43:11.500 We beat them to the questions.

00:43:12.960 And so their heads were spinning.

00:43:14.700 But it's because they've never had to work for anything.

00:43:17.440 And we do.

00:43:18.840 And their subsidy, their failure is subsidized because they get one point five billion a year.

00:43:24.060 And then when Mark Carney says, guess what?

00:43:25.720 I'm going to slop another few hundred million on the fire.

00:43:28.880 They said, oh, we know who our man is.

00:43:30.400 We always did.

00:43:31.680 You know who went of all this shenanigans tonight?

00:43:35.680 Mark Carney to not face again independent journalist question.

00:43:39.060 Because last night didn't really look great when they had the question from independent journalists, isn't it?

00:43:48.700 Yeah.

00:43:49.360 Well, listen, it was a very interesting time.

00:43:52.060 And I think we kept our promise to our people.

00:43:54.480 What was the promise?

00:43:55.420 First of all, the fight like heck to get in there.

00:43:57.880 And we did that with the help of our lawyer, Chad Williamson.

00:44:01.380 And the fact that we had fought and won twice before.

00:44:03.820 So the president was on our side.

00:44:05.160 The second thing we promised is that we would ask questions that the regime media, the mainstream media, wouldn't do.

00:44:11.100 And we achieved that.

00:44:12.880 In the case of Alexa and Drea, Jagmeet Singh did not answer the questions, but that is on him.

00:44:19.220 We asked the good questions.

00:44:21.060 And in fact, Drea's went super viral because the question was so interesting.

00:44:26.020 Finally, we conducted ourselves in a manner that I think set an example for other independent journalists.

00:44:31.420 And that's not just my vanity saying that.

00:44:33.160 And we really worked collegially with the other citizen journalists.

00:44:38.460 And one of them thanked us for having fought these legal battles to clear the way like an icebreaker.

00:44:44.920 The first icebreaker that has to break through the ice has the tough job.

00:44:48.180 But other boats come behind.

00:44:49.500 That's Rebel News.

00:44:50.260 We're the big 10-year-old boat.

00:44:51.860 And these littler boats can come behind us.

00:44:53.640 And it's a real pleasure to be in that position.

00:44:55.680 But all of it, of course, comes down to our viewer.

00:44:58.460 You know, Donald Trump has a meme.

00:45:00.720 My favorite Donald Trump meme gives me a little bit of a chill every time.

00:45:04.080 She's looking very sober.

00:45:06.140 And it's a black-and-white photo.

00:45:07.500 And the caption is, they're not coming for me.

00:45:10.000 They're coming for you.

00:45:11.080 I'm just in the way.

00:45:12.300 And I think about that sometimes because I think Rebel News is like that.

00:45:16.220 The contempt that they feel for us.

00:45:18.240 Sure, they don't like me.

00:45:19.220 I accept that.

00:45:19.880 But the people standing next to me are pretty likable.

00:45:22.920 David sometimes grates some people.

00:45:25.140 But he's a pretty likable guy, let me tell you.

00:45:27.580 And, of course, the ladies are completely lovable. 1.00

00:45:31.280 So why do they hate them?

00:45:32.500 If these are lovable people, why would they be hated?

00:45:35.220 Because they're effective.

00:45:36.780 No one shoots at a dead duck.

00:45:38.360 And the reason why they were so outraged with the people next to me is precisely because

00:45:44.040 they were asking questions on behalf of the people who were normally shut out and ignored.

00:45:49.380 The deplorables.

00:45:50.960 And that's who we were here for today.

00:45:53.880 People who are not part of the Mean Girls Club.

00:45:56.380 People who have questions that were not answered.

00:45:58.520 I want to leave you with a clip.

00:46:00.300 Look at this.

00:46:00.920 Adrian Arsenault and a couple others.

00:46:03.080 Here's the problems they had with us.

00:46:05.100 We were asking questions that were not in the debate.

00:46:09.100 We were asking questions that you don't hear a lot in Canada.

00:46:13.520 They literally said those were reasons we should be kicked out.

00:46:17.960 Take a look at that.

00:46:19.660 It was sad that it came out of that debate, which was a good debate.

00:46:22.720 It was a healthy dialogue and it was a good discussion.

00:46:25.260 But what were a lot of the headlines about today was about the aftermath.

00:46:28.800 It was about the fact that these illegitimate organizations that frame themselves as news organizations

00:46:34.060 took up all of this time and energy and posing questions and lining up

00:46:39.380 and really preventing media from having the opportunity to ask those questions.

00:46:43.420 And it's so important because people are still trying to make up their minds.

00:46:45.960 They're tuning into these debates because they're looking for information.

00:46:48.980 They want legitimate questions answered.

00:46:50.880 They want them answered by the leaders.

00:46:52.720 Instead, a number of the leaders had to say,

00:46:54.300 actually, I'm not going to take your question.

00:46:56.000 I refuse to answer your question.

00:46:57.360 That's what Jagmeet Singh said, for instance.

00:46:59.180 So I think it's a shame and I think that the commission did a pretty terrible job of explaining itself

00:47:04.700 and must do better.

00:47:06.260 Tim, what are your thoughts on how it all went down and where things stand?

00:47:09.340 Oh, David, I'm all for free speech, but it has to be sensible

00:47:12.140 and it has to have a purpose and not be about the people who are trying to elicit it.

00:47:16.000 I mean, that was a hustle last night by those organizations

00:47:18.960 to have the four of us and everybody else who's critiqued it have them get that attention.

00:47:24.900 And the critique will get them money, no doubt.

00:47:26.840 I don't know what service it provided to the viewing public last night.

00:47:30.920 I was watching you and Rosie and Adrian, and the point you made I thought was a great one.

00:47:35.200 There were no questions asked by Rebel in particular about anything that happened during the debate.

00:47:40.000 It was about their own agenda and the things they drive.

00:47:42.860 In another place, another form, maybe that's fine, but not in a national debate.

00:47:47.100 And they could show some grace and decency.

00:47:49.440 I think Canadians want debates to be about what Mr. Cormier said.

00:47:53.120 Talk about the issues.

00:47:54.120 So let the reporters who are covering the debate ask follow-ups on those issues.

00:47:58.560 Yeah, they're coming for you, Tim.

00:47:59.680 I think that's what those are.

00:48:00.560 You're right here, Tim.

00:48:01.560 I think that's for you, actually.

00:48:02.860 But, you know, Brad, on that, look, it is common for questions after debates

00:48:07.700 to deal with issues that either weren't touched on or broaden it out,

00:48:10.760 but they are broadly, you know, in the mainstream of what the election is actually about.

00:48:16.960 And I know what is a journalist, what is media.

00:48:19.140 I know that it has all changed in the year of our Lord, 2025.

00:48:23.340 But I just wonder, the response we got from viewers and voters to sort of the spectacle was pretty strong.

00:48:33.160 I've never really seen anything like it.

00:48:34.620 Yeah, it was, there's no question this was a hijacking.

00:48:37.040 From the minute the first question was asked to Mr. Carney, this was a hijacking.

00:48:42.000 And I'll weigh in.

00:48:43.860 These are not journalists.

00:48:45.480 They hijacked the post-debate scrums in an effort for their fundraising.

00:48:50.660 These will be clips for fundraising.

00:48:53.040 And I don't think that the public airwaves and the consortium of media outlets that put on the event

00:48:59.600 and the Canadians that tuned in, I'm only going to imagine great numbers

00:49:04.740 because it wasn't up against the Habs game entirely.

00:49:08.380 Same thing happened in 2011.

00:49:09.840 Same thing happened in 2015.

00:49:11.020 If the Habs would just make the playoffs earlier, the consortium would... 0.98

00:49:14.140 Yeah, you're gone, yeah, you're gone.

00:49:15.220 I didn't even get into the scheduling conflict because it seems like whatever.

00:49:18.180 It all worked out for everybody.

00:49:19.460 It's difficult to pile on.

00:49:20.540 And this is, I think, putting at risk the viability of going forward.

00:49:26.320 But let me just...

00:49:27.240 You mentioned the remedy tonight.

00:49:29.920 I fear, and I'm an optimistic person,

00:49:32.620 but I fear that the remedy that you were just announcing here,

00:49:37.740 first of all, it's asking these outlets, and I use that term very loosely.

00:49:41.680 They will not respond to an ask.

00:49:44.540 They must be compelled as to what to do.

00:49:47.500 Now, if you have one 20-second question to ask with no follow-up,

00:49:51.780 this will mean, and I fear this,

00:49:53.360 I'm hoping that this prediction does not come true,

00:49:55.540 but these will be 20-second speeches live on all of our consortium outlets

00:50:01.940 going into millions of households across this country,

00:50:04.980 and I fear that that will only embolden them for more fundraising.

00:50:08.820 And this has to end, and it hopefully will end.

00:50:11.620 And then the last point I'll make, David,

00:50:13.040 we have to ask ourselves, what is the point of the post-debate scrum?

00:50:18.700 All of the good content is there on the debate floor.

00:50:23.580 What is the value?

00:50:24.960 I've helped a number of leadership candidates.

00:50:29.000 The last thing we have time for is the post-leaders' debate scrum.

00:50:35.520 It adds no value whatsoever, in my opinion, to the debate night,

00:50:41.240 and I think we should just look at scrapping the whole thing altogether.

00:50:44.020 Well, I mean, you wonder, just as a campaign tactic and strategy,

00:50:47.280 if you're going to be asked conspiracy-laden questions,

00:50:50.080 why would you expose yourself to it, right,

00:50:52.020 in this sort of a time in the campaign?

00:50:55.020 Shatiu, what are your thoughts?

00:50:56.120 I don't know how much you watched last night.

00:50:59.620 Just what do you think of where things are today?

00:51:01.800 Well, I think we all watched last night, David.

00:51:04.340 I watched.

00:51:05.440 Did you watch?

00:51:07.020 We all watched.

00:51:08.320 I was shivering through most of it,

00:51:10.860 so I tried to absorb as much as I could.

00:51:13.060 It was very cold here yesterday.

00:51:14.260 But anyway, what are your thoughts?

00:51:16.000 Well, first of all, I mean, I do really question at this stage

00:51:20.580 what is the point and the purpose of the debate commission itself.

00:51:23.860 This is an organization that, clearly, based on that interview that we just saw,

00:51:29.840 is not used to a lot of frontline accountability,

00:51:32.580 is not used to a lot of transparency in terms of the way it communicates.

00:51:36.420 It is rare that you see a real, live, living member of the debate commission

00:51:41.500 actually coming out.

00:51:42.940 They had to do that today.

00:51:44.400 Props to Mr. Cormier for doing that.

00:51:46.140 But you know what it's like to be on the frontline of having to deal with accountability.

00:51:50.820 When people are ticked off at you, you've got to take that.

00:51:53.020 When people are ticked off at me, I have to take that.

00:51:56.520 And so, you know, you've got this organization that calls itself independent

00:52:01.540 and arm's length for government, that is supported by the Privy Council office.

00:52:07.280 You know, you had a former governor general who was appointed

00:52:11.080 to then look at foreign interference as the last debate commissioner.

00:52:15.100 And who, you know, who's making these decisions?

00:52:18.540 Who are the commissioners?

00:52:19.440 I know because I've gone on the website and looked at them.

00:52:22.060 You've got some academics.

00:52:23.280 You've got some retired politicians.

00:52:26.160 But, you know, not people who are experienced in television production.

00:52:31.100 Not people who are experienced in doing live television.

00:52:35.100 And I just find myself so utterly, utterly flummoxed.

00:52:40.200 I know we've spent a lot of time talking about rebel media and what happened after the fact.

00:52:45.660 Let's go back, and I know you would have talked about this yesterday,

00:52:48.620 to what happened before the fact.

00:52:50.440 On the day, the morning of the debate, you kick the Green Party out.

00:52:56.400 So the Greens can't participate in the name of whatever independent, democratic best practice.

00:53:04.080 But that is allowed to happen.

00:53:06.860 You know, the whole genesis of the debate commission was a function of the Trudeau government.

00:53:13.920 It was born out of what happened in 2015 in that election,

00:53:17.980 with some leaders tapping in and other leaders tapping out and saying,

00:53:21.220 I will participate in this, I won't participate in that.

00:53:24.140 But that campaign actually brought forward some really interesting, creative debates

00:53:30.560 that some leaders chose to show up to and others didn't.

00:53:34.960 And they either took the political benefit of that or paid the political price for it.

00:53:39.960 What are we doing as taxpayers?

00:53:42.480 You know, having this organization come in that claims it's arm's length and independent

00:53:49.340 as some sort of eminence that knows everything better about debates

00:53:53.820 than individual newsrooms, journalists, and experienced people who do this.

00:53:59.880 Translation.

00:54:00.820 We aren't like them, and so they want to ban us.

00:54:04.900 Well, I think we achieved our goals, and Alexis is just having a bit of a cough out there. 1.00

00:54:11.060 She's been hoarse.

00:54:12.880 She's been talking and elocuting and advocating so much,

00:54:17.760 and she has shown us great hospitality in her home city.

00:54:22.480 On behalf of all of us, the whole team out here,

00:54:25.840 our home base in Toronto where they were working on the internet and the live stream in the studio,

00:54:30.200 our special friends to Mary Ugolini and Lise who were hosting the live stream while we were here,

00:54:37.040 everyone on the team, you know, for every one of us on TV, you know,

00:54:40.540 there's two people behind the scenes, whether it's Guillaume and Lincoln,

00:54:43.640 our videographers out here, Betty in the truck.

00:54:46.440 There's a lot of people putting this together that you don't even see.

00:54:49.820 And, of course, our donors.

00:54:50.880 Without you, it would simply be impossible.

00:54:53.540 So on behalf of all of us here, thank you.

00:54:55.980 And I promise we will keep fighting for freedom of the press,

00:54:59.460 not just for us, but for everyone else in Canada.

00:55:02.520 And I don't care if the demonic media party shrieks at us.

00:55:07.100 I don't care because I know what motivates me, and it's freedom.

00:55:11.500 Good night, everybody.

00:55:12.640 Thanks for your support.

00:55:25.980 Good night.

00:55:26.940 Good night.

00:55:34.320 Good night.

00:55:34.740 Be here.

00:55:35.320 Good night.

Rebel News Podcast - April 18, 2025

EZRA LEVANT ｜ Rebels counter narrative on Leaders' debate chaos after media scrum shutdown

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