Hi, @AnneMarieOwens.
Just thought I’d let you know why one of your customers is cancelling his subscription to the @TorontoStar today.
Short version: being called idiotic by your reporter, Althia Raj, for a mildly critical tweet this morning.
Longer version in the following 🧵…
It starts with my tweet about current defensiveness amongst @cdnmedia in general (not directed to Ms Raj personally at all):
Right after posting that, up pops Ms Raj’s (unrelated), rather condescending tweet effectively setting out an ultimatum for the terms on which she’ll stay on Twitter:
QThat was so à propos my own comment, I followed up with this:
To which Ms Raj delivers this highly professional reply:
And our conversation ends thus, just before she blocks me:
Astonishing, really, the contempt in which one of your journalists holds your readers. And she’s not alone amongst your #cdnmedia colleagues. Others, in fairness, know that strenuous criticism comes with the job (not excusing vile abuse) - eg @acoyne, @JohnIbbitson, @RobynUrback
and many others.
Frankly, your Ms Raj needs to grow up a bit.
Meanwhile, my final thought on this: #LetsAllCancelTheTorontoStar
Have a great day.
PS: just called the @TorontoStar to cancel, and they want $106 to allow me to do so.
So, they call their customer an idiot, and then want to charge him big bucks to get rid of them 🤷🏼🤔🧐🙄😒🤷🏼 #LetsAllCancelTheTorontoStar
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The Canadian Coalition for "Firearm Rights" have recently threatened to sue critics of the CCFR in defamation lawsuits.
To dispel any unfair intimidation or libel chill, an informal network of senior Bay Street lawyers with extensive experience in this field of litigation
have decided make themselves available to respond.
These public spirited counsel are prepared, in cases they deem appropriate, to offer pro bono advice and, where needed, pro bono representation to critics who might otherwise shy away from proper exercise of their rights of
free expression.
While the group is strongly supportive of better gun control for Canada, as lawyers their main purpose here is to push back against some of the gun lobby bullying that has been so evident of late.
I will be acting in effect as intake person for the group.
Now who says that the summer election call was a mistake?
It caused the bedrock of the Conservative Party to be laid bare for all to see: anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, anti-abortionists, homo/transphobics, pro-assault-style gunnies, etc.🧵 #cdnpoli
The “big tent” is shredded and flapping in the wind, while @erinotoole runs about trying to decide which tent peg to hammer back in. To retain the leadership, he’ll lose the next election. Doing what he needs to do to win that election, he’ll lose his leadership first.
Surely the best thing for the country is to ease the death spiral into which Harper and MacKay’s Frankenstein monster has now entered. A new Progressive Conservative Party could emerge while the Sloan/Lewis/Poilievre Reform types slither over to join Max Bernier’s doomed PPC.
🧵Despite anguish over the election’s timing and notwithstanding all its nastiness, the practical reality is that this campaign has brought the parties and issues into sharp focus and presented Canadians with real choices:
@erinotoole: flip flops on everything, trying to figure out where the most votes are @theJagmeetSingh: hasn’t thought things through, blames the Prime Minister for everything but claims credit for all the good the Prime Minister has done @JustinTrudeau: keeps calm*, carries on
with world-beating COVID record and recovery plan, best climate plan, best child-care plan, best housing plan, only student debt support plan, unequivocal reproductive rights position, heart always in the right place, etc etc #Elxn44#cdnpoli #IStandWithTrudeau
🧵 So, @erinotoole now tells us he won’t lift the Liberals’ 2020 gun ban until a “transparent and open” review process of gun classifications has been completed.
That would be the transparently rigged review he promised the gun lobby, run by gun owners, gun manufacturers and …
some handpicked police officers and political appointees of the Conservative Party.
No gun victims’ representatives. No anti-violence against women advocates.
A predetermined outcome.
But that’s not what his platform says anyway.
It says “we will *start* by repealing the OIC”
Never mind the weasel words he’s using now.
Focus on his rigged review that’s supposed to come before or after the 2020 ban is lifted, depending on when and where he’s speaking.
He’s still promised his gun lobby buddies that he will lift the ban.
One way or another …
So, Canada, elect an @erinotoole government, majority or minority, and lose:
$10/day childcare, which has been a roaring success in Québec for years.
Certainty of universal access to abortion services.
The ban on assault-style firearms like the one used in the Poly massacre.
…
A stellar Minister in Anita Anand, who organized world-leading procurement of vaccines in the global marketplace.
A stellar Deputy Prime Minister in Chrystia Freeland, who stared down the previous President over NAFTA.
The best programme on home ownership for the young.
…
Relief from the burden of student debt.
A federal COVID vaccine mandate.
A humane Prime Minister in Justin Trudeau, who’s had Canadians’ backs throughout this pandemic.
The ban on conversion therapy.
Modernized medical assistance in dying.
…
So, if you want weaker gun control in 🇨🇦Canada, vote for @erinotoole.
Here he is pandering to the dreadful Canadian Coalition for “Firearm Rights” while seeking the @CPC_HQ leadership last year, promising to do away with existing legislation … #cdnpoli youtube.com/embed/bK3huhPM…
and replace it with something drafted by gun owners, gun manufacturers, police and 'members of the public' (appointed by his party, no doubt).
He promises to 'educate' Canadians who have no contact
with what he calls 'gun culture'...
...(an NRA term?).
He claims suburban voters are 'prone to Liberal lies and deception'.
He characterizes himself as a 'proud Blue Conservative' who's not in the 'mushy middle'.