Trudeau Doubles Down on Failed Media Bailout

The cozy relationship between the Liberal government and mainstream media has gone from questionable to alarming. FP Newspapers is drowning in $6 million of red ink even after gorging on nearly $1 million of Justin Trudeau ‘s media bailout funds.

This is the clearest sign yet that the controversial Liberal slush fund has been nothing but hush money to keep critical outlets on Trudeau’s good side.

While the Winnipeg Free Press and Brandon Sun publisher bleeds cash, Trudeau continues opening taxpayer wallets – doubling the bailout budget to every newsroom employee.

Yet confidential documents reveal the subsidies haven’t created a single journalism job. Executives once said the funds shouldn’t be permanent but now they’re hopelessly addicted.

The bailout backfire has Canadians seeing red. Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives promise to halt Trudeau’s propaganda payoffs if elected.

But the PM seems happy to keep the cheques flowing as his media lapdogs regurgitate talking points and bury anything damaging.

This bombshell confirms the bailouts have failed. Canada had a free press before Trudeau’s buyout and we’ll have one again when the subsidies crash like FP Newspapers’ bottom line.

Bailout Backfire as FP Loses Millions, Exposing Trudeau

The cozy relationship between the Trudeau government and mainstream media outlets has gone from concerning to downright alarming, as news emerges of FP Newspapers Inc. lobbying for and receiving substantial bailout funds while continuing to hemorrhage money.

FP Newspapers Inc., publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press, Brandon Sun, and other Manitoba news outlets, reported an operating loss of $6.25 million in 2023, even after pocketing nearly $1 million in taxpayer funds through the federal government’s media bailout program.

This bombshell highlights the utter failure of the Liberals’ controversial multi-million dollar slush fund that was originally touted as a temporary measure to help struggling news publishers make ends meet.

But has the so-called “media bailout” actually saved journalism, or merely bought the complicity of news outlets that now rely on regular government handouts? Evidence clearly points to the latter.

While executives like Bob Cox, former publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press, cried poor in front of parliamentary committees in 2019 and convinced the Trudeau government to approve $595 million in subsidies, their organizations continue to lose money.

Cox, who served as chair of News Media Canada – the organization lobbying aggressively for financial aid – painted a dire picture, claiming the bailout was needed to “fulfill the key role that a free press must play in a healthy democracy.”

What role has the Winnipeg Free Press played since securing its first $1 million installment in 2020? It appears to be that of a loyal Trudeau mouthpiece, regurgitating government talking points, refusing to critically hold the Liberals to account, and suppressing damaging stories that could hurt the re-election prospects of its generous political benefactors.

The once-respected publication now looks more like a propaganda arm for the Liberals than an independent, community-based newspaper.

And yet, the bailout money keeps flowing. The program provides up to $13,750 per newsroom employee in payroll subsidies and 15% tax credits to subscribers of approved media outlets. All paid for by the Canadian taxpayer.

While the Trudeau Liberals claim the initiative has helped stabilize the media industry, confidential government documents tell a different story.

A 2021 briefing from the Department of Canadian Heritage acknowledged the subsidies have not created a single new journalism job, stating: “The decrease in advertising revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to service reductions and newspaper closures resulting in the loss of more than 2,500 jobs.”

The bailout was originally due to end in 2024 after a 5-year run. That timeline suited executives like Bob Cox just fine back in 2019, when he told a parliamentary finance committee that the transition period was “appropriate” and the subsidies shouldn’t continue indefinitely.

But with millions of dollars now on the line each year, media companies have become addicted to the handouts and are lobbying aggressively for more.

And Trudeau seems happy to keep the money flowing stolen from taxpayer pockets, as it allows him to prop up propaganda machines masquerading as independent news.

He himself keeps spreading lies and misinformation on a bunch of stuff, including his latest fib about the capital gains tax.

Poilievre Vows to Axe Trudeau’s Propaganda Payoffs

It is clear by now that the CBC and the Liberal government are like BFFs, and it’s seriously messing with how we get our news. Instead of giving us the facts, they’re spreading lies and propaganda, all on our dime. With Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives gaining ground, the CBC has gone into attack mode, trying to smear him left and right.

Take, for example, how they gobbled up Health Minister Mark Holland’s fib that Poilievre was “lying” about the Pharmacare Act. Holland accused Poilievre of making up stuff about the act banning private insurance plans, which wasn’t even true.

But did the CBC fact-check? Nope. They just broadcasted Holland’s lies without batting an eye. Classic CBC move, always siding with the Liberals and dragging Poilievre through the mud.

And it doesn’t stop there. They’re all over any criticism the Liberals throw at Poilievre, making it seem like he’s the bad guy and they’re the heroes. But really, they’re just giving Trudeau’s team a free pass to tear Poilievre down without any real questions asked.

And conveniently, all this drama takes the heat off Trudeau’s own mess of scandals and ethics violations.

With the next election around the corner, the CBC is going full throttle to keep Trudeau’s image shiny and their pockets full of Liberal ad money. They’ve ditched any pretense of being fair and square, going all-in for Trudeau. And if the Conservatives try to call them out on it? Forget it. The CBC couldn’t care less.

Their obsession with slamming Poilievre isn’t just about politics, though. The CBC’s audience has been shrinking like crazy, and they’re desperate for clicks. So, bashing Poilievre might give them a temporary boost, but it’s not going to save them in the long run.

More and more Canadians are ditching the CBC for news sources they can trust. People are sick of being treated like they’ll swallow whatever garbage the CBC feeds them.

And Poilievre is not having it either. He’s promising to put an end to the CBC’s cozy relationship with Trudeau by cutting their funding and shaking up their board.

This whole Trudeau-CBC lovefest is just another example of the corruption eating away at our democracy. From spreading lies to attacking political opponents, the CBC’s lost sight of what journalism is all about.

This cozy bond is like a match made in heaven for spreading fake news and government-approved propaganda, all funded by us taxpayers. While they’re slashing jobs and local news coverage, the CBC and others are chomping down on Liberal gravy while singing their praises.

Pierre Poilievre took to X to give Trudeau a piece of his mind, calling him out for tossing an extra $40 million to the CBC in the latest budget. Meanwhile, the CBC is shedding staff, losing viewers, and patting their execs on the back with bigger bonuses. Poilievre basically said, “Trudeau & CBC are the same—not worth the cost.”

Poilievre got a point – the CBC isn’t about Canadians anymore; it’s more like the Liberal Party’s personal loudspeaker.

And Trudeau, as Poilievre rightly says, wants all the control to brainwash Canadians into thinking he’s the better guy.

This disregard for unbiased journalism was taken to new heights when the Liberals stunningly extended the media bailout until 2025 and proposed doubling the maximum subsidy to nearly $30,000 per newsroom employee.

All while continuing to conceal details on which companies receive the money and how much. Apparently accountability and transparency are not required when it comes to buying media loyalty.

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative bigwig, isn’t holding back on calling out this mess. He’s slamming it as “corporate welfare,” saying media companies should sink or swim on their own. If he gets into the PM seat, he’s swearing to cut off these handouts.

According to him, journalists shouldn’t have to dance to the government’s tune for a paycheck. They should be free to report without any strings attached.

Poilievre is a pro at taking on the mainstream media, shutting them down with his sharp responses.

Poilievre will also scrap anti-free speech bills like C-11 and C-18 that censor online content under the guise of broadcasting reform. And he pledges to defund the partisan.

Canadians are understandably outraged that their hard-earned money is funding bailout cheques for wealthy media executives and politically-connected publishers, while getting nothing in return.

In a poll conducted last fall, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they do not want their taxes spent propping up private news corporations.

Mr. Trudeau’s media bailout is an affront to journalistic independence and a taxpayer rip-off of epic proportions.

FP Newspapers’ millions in losses while feeding at the government trough demonstrate that this corporate welfare has completely failed.

Canada had a robust free press before Liberals started signing bailout cheques, and we will have one again when Conservatives take power and cut off the media gravy train once and for all.