@charlesrusnell.bsky.social:
Andrew Coyne said this fiasco ends any suggestion that The Rebel and other far-right outlets are journalists. He called them thugs and bully boys who stake out an extreme far-right position and then accuse any legitimate journalist who challenges them of bias. All that is true.
Good for Rosie Barton and David Cochrane for pointing out that The Rebel people confronted journalists, including them, and wilfully disrupted the debate coverage and ended the after-debate scrum with leaders. Cochrane called out the rage farming for profit.
Massive failure by the debate commission.
@reneestephen.bsky.social:
Poilievre worked for Ezra Levant on his nomination campaign to win Manning’s old riding (then Harper won the CCRAP leadership and wanted it for the symbolism, to Levant to pound sand, lol).
But yeah they go way back.
David Reeves aka Photoline @photoline.bsky.social:
They are evangelical non-conformists who pound the table because they have no legitimate reason to be there.
@smeetwo.bsky.social:
The debate commission needs to be replaced.
I smell Harper Hanky Panky on the commission.
@markoleksiw.bsky.social:
The real story is the ties between the PP campaign and the far right. Someone planned this.Harper Hanky Panky is the stench I smell.
@hab3261.bsky.social:
I find it really unsettling—especially knowing Danielle Smith supports these guys, and that they’re getting money from the UCP government
Question from True North if Carney believed that biological women have the right to their own spaces.Incel douche fucker question.
***
Sarbjit Kaur@sarbjitkaur1:
The founder of Rebel, Ezra what’s his name, called me a racial slur specifically a “porch [slave]” on this site years ago-never apologized. How the hell are they allowed anywhere near any respectable event? Ridiculous. …
@cathmckenna:
The Debate Commission should consult Federal Court decision where Rebel Media was found to be not engaged in production of original news content & not entitled to ““qualified Canadian journalism organization”” designation. Scared? Get better lawyers. Stand up for democracy.
@acoyne:
Rebel/True North got as many questions as CBC, Global, Radio-Canada and Presse Canadienne combined.
@thewarylemming:
It was a set up. Especially when they questioned Pierre. They sent him up to answer his questions the way he wanted to while setting everyone else up to fail. This was an inside job and a set up and you need to investigate it.
@kit-hrh.bsky.social:
How did this happen a judge ruled they were not a news outlet?
@travisfigures.bsky.social:
Rebel ‘news’ is a garbage entity and some of their content providers were paid by Russia?
Difficult to understand how they qualify to be there at all really.
Some political parties aren’t even allowed..
@cadguy50.bsky.social:
How the fuck is that even possible? Forget any “tough questions to P.P. Is the commision controlled by maggots?
@d-marquis.bsky.social:
How is this… wtaf. They’re legitimizing a racist propaganda machine? Who the eff is running the commission, the PPC? Is the CAJ filing a complaint? How do citizens file a complaint?I bet the douches on the commission or controlling it, will just deny/brush off any complaints. In my view, Trump, Musk and Putin need Harper puppet Pee Pee to be PM to give Canada to them and their errand boys are getting desperate and sleazier than usual because Piss Pants is tanking in the polls, and sounding stupider and more evil by the day. His fake Mr. Nice Guy smile coaching isn’t working.
@twochords.bsky.social:
email hidden; JavaScript is required is the contact email for the debate commission
@linesdrawn.bsky.social:
I just emailed to complain. Got an auto-response saying they get lots of emails. No phone or other contact information given. Very fishy!
Bev Pausche, APR @bevpr.bsky.social:
Yeah, same. I think it should at least be a story by #CanPoli #Media.
@cbcnews.ca
@mobayl-a.bsky.social:
Truly disgusting
@nabalkattu.bsky.social:
Not a good sign that the debate commission rolled over like this–who is the commission anyway?
@justinling.ca:
Ahead of this evening’s critical — and chaotic — Canadian election leaders’ debate, the debate commission has given right-wing conspiracy news outlet Rebel News five times as many spots for its (fake) journalists as actual news outlets.
@twochords.bsky.social:
!? how is this possible (not a subscriber atm) according to the commission’s site there is a limit of one reportter and one photog per media organisation?
@nikiwalker1.bsky.social:
Why are they given any? Wasn’t it decided in court that Rebel News isn’t journalism? (Serious q, not rhetorical)
@newsandcoffee.bsky.social:
Rebel News is pure dogshit
@mikevlasic.bsky.social:
5 Rebel scumbags to toss soft balls for Skippy. Hate raging thinly-disguised as ‘news,’ but it fooled some people.
Yeah, why bother with a debate commission at all.
@barbtwodoto.bsky.social:
I also sent an email. This is very troubling. And so late in the game that there’s literally nothing anyone can do about it. I want to say every debate participant who disagrees with it should not even show up in protest. It would be a pretty quiet debate of one, I suspect.
@mattivated.bsky.social:
What the fuck is the [debate] commission doing?
I’d love to see their social media accounts to see what info they are consuming that led them to conclude Rebel Media is a legitimate news org
@d-marquis.bsky.social:
They didn’t read the Federal Court’s ruling that’s for sure.
Alt text “Absolutely. At the end of the day, someone, somewhere needs to decide what a journalism organization is and isn’t. The commission dodged, and this is the consequence. Could have just used QCJO.”
@inallfairness.bsky.social:
It’s mind boggling that we’re still at this like it’s 2017. Saying “no” to them works; anything else just emboldens them further. Truly maddening
Anne Buchanan @abottawa.bsky.social:
I forget where I heard it, but I’ve started to call them news influencers and not journalists or even media.
@kcaissey.bsky.social:
Rebel news is not news, just a BS machine.
@tabathasouthey.bsky.social:
“Rebel is a conspiratorial partisan outlet that spreads misinformation and actively campaigns against candidates it doesn’t like. This isn’t journalism and it’s obscene that the Debate Commission let them on — and even more wild that it allowed so many of their faux-journalists to hijack…
Grant email hidden; JavaScript is required:
Rebel News? Jesus fucking Christ.
@consbegone.bsky.social:
Fuck Ezra Levant! Who the hell does he think he is??
@clareblackwood.bsky.social:
Listen, if Rebel News gets to ask questions, @thebeaverton.com should get to ask questions. Let me ask Pierre if he thinks my biological clock looks fertile enough. I’ll wear a blazer and everything. Don’t deny me my rights, you cowards
@mooncreek.bsky.social:
Overall @thebeaverton.com is more trustworthy than Rebel News.
@emmetmc.bsky.social:
All rebel news has achieved is pointing out the absolutely ridiculous nature of the alberta fringe conservatives. Little peepee has shot himself in his dainty little size 5 foot.
@204queenb0574.bsky.social:
Who is running that commission? Pierre’s wife?
@headingwest.bsky.social:
Wtf! Why?! And who can I call to complain?
@redshan.bsky.social:
But Rebel “news” is not recognized as news media so how did they get spots for their propaganda team. You can search, they are not listed.
French-language leaders’ debate live: Greens disinvited to federal faceoff; Rebel news wins fight to send five reporters as other outlets limited to one April 16, 2025
Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault slams last-minute decision to exclude Greens as ‘undemocratic’ By Ryan Tumilty Ottawa Bureau
Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault said the debate commission’s last-minute decision to exclude his party from the federal leaders’ debates is “unjust,” “baseless,” and “undemocratic.”
The commission issued a decision Wednesday, with the first debate in French scheduled for Wednesday evening, excluding Pedneault and the Greens from both the French and English debates.
Pedneault said the debate commission’s decision is completely unfair and said he fully expects it to be reversed.
“Let me be clear, their last minute decision to exclude the Green Party of Canada from the leaders debate is not only unjust and baseless, because we met the criteria, it is undemocratic,” he said. “Somehow they decided that what matters most here isn’t a fair debate. It’s a debate the one that they’re trying to create that protects the status quo.”
Pedneault read a statement to reporters in Montreal, but refused to take questions.
…
Rebel news wins fight to send five reporters to post-debate scrums as other outlets limited to one by Justin LingContributing Columnist
A hallmark of the leaders’ debates are the free-for-all post-debate scrums. They are egalitarian exercises, where parties hold no control over which journalists get to ask questions.
In past years, fringe outlets like Rebel News have protested being excluded from the debate facilities and, thus, the post-debate scrums. Things have really changes this year. The debate commission had tried to limit news outlets to sending just a single reporter each into the post-debate scrums — this year, that includes Rebel. But, according to Rebel News founded Ezra Levant (who is also conducting conspiratorial anti-Liberal advertising across the country) that wasn’t good enough.
Levant says they are sending 16 people to the debates and they demanded access to the scrums for all 16, even threatening to sue. Levant, yesterday, announced they won. “They wrote back to us, at the last minute, calling off our lawsuit, by agreeing to allow not one, not two, not three, not four, but five Rebels to ask questions.”
The debate commission responded to me this morning, confirming the news: “Rebel News’ legal representation has identified to the Commission that Rebel News has five distinct divisions.” As such, the conspiratorial right-wing fringe outlet gets five spots, while everyone else just gets one.
The debate commission seems to be trying to maximize how many chaotic and inexplicable decisions it can make at the last possible minute, raising the question: Why do we have a debate commission, anyway?
@wallykibler.bsky.social:
The so-called Rebel News are still selling Trump mugs
Bunch of traitorous assholes
@kateheartfield.com:
This is definitely a response to Trump, although Trudeau leaving opened up space for it; the incumbency factor’s smaller now. I don’t think it would have been so dramatic if Trump had not come out of the gate attacking Canada, but it’s probably partly “yikes, fascism, no thanks”, which is heartening
PS