EDITORIAL: ‘Tough questions’ don’t prompt arrests

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/01/2024 (489 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The headline of a Jan. 9 Conservative press release was designed to create outrage.

“Journalist arrested for asking tough questions of the Trudeau government,” a bold headline stated.

A concerning headline for sure, it would have been even more alarming had it been true.

The press release, which was credited to Marilyn Gladu, Conservative shadow minister for civil liberties was written in response to the arrest of Rebel News personality David Menzies.

But their viewpoint, which they have widely shared on social media, is an account of an incident that doesn’t quite match reality.

To hear the Conservatives tell it, an innocent reporter was merely asking questions before he was arrested for that reason.

“Yesterday, a journalist was arrested and accosted on trumped-up charges by the RCMP after asking the deputy prime minister why the IRGC had still not been labelled a terrorist organization by the government of Canada,” the release stated.

Now there is truth in that.

The arrest did happen after the question was asked, but not because the question is asked. But that’s not what Gladu wants people to think.

There’s a lot to unpack here. It’s unclear if David Menzies even considers himself a “journalist”.

Defending himself in a lawsuit in 2014, Ezra Levant, who would go on to found Rebel News argued he was not in fact a journalist at all but simply a columnist.

But let’s set that aside for now.

What really happened in Richmond Hill on Monday, was what happens when a police officer loses their temper.

In this case, as Menzies was walking beside Freeland asking her why they left the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps off the designated terrorist entity list, a police officer tasked with guarding Freeland walked into his path.

This is a common tactic, one reporters are familiar with.

When trying to keep pace with someone who won’t answer questions, a member of their security detail will often slow down or stop in the reporters path, prompting separation between the potential interviewer and interviewee.

That’s what happened in this case but as the video shows, Menzies did not see the officer.

That led to a collision, nothing more significant than those that happen every day in high-pedestrian areas.

Now we don’t know if that particular officer was having a bad day, was eager to demonstrate his power, or was just incredibly thin-skinned.

We do know that he declared Menzies was under arrest for assault, a charge that baffled Menzies who asked repeatedly how that was even possible.

Turns out the charge was completely without merit as the York Regional Police admitted later.

“It was determined that no credible security threat existed and the subject was released unconditionally shortly thereafter,” they told media.

Neither Freeland nor Trudeau had any impact on the way Menzies was treated.

Yet the Conservatives continued with their narrative.

“Outrageously, this government has created a climate where journalists can face criminal charges for demanding answers on critical subjects,” Gladu said. “By doing so, they are seeking to limit the right of Canadians to freedom of expression. This is unacceptable.”

The press release goes on using phrases such as “egregious assault on press freedom” and an accusation that journalists are divided into two groups, those that have been “bought off” with bailouts and “those he censors and has arrested”.

Menzies isn’t new to this. He was apprehended by Trudeau’s protective detail in 2021, arrested for an encounter that same year with now Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman and was removed from a 2019 campaign event for Andrew Scheer.

Did police have him on their radar and did that provoke their over-the-top reaction?

We’ll probably never know.

There is one positive aspect to come out of this.

For the first time Conservatives are defending media in this country.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre found showing derision to journalists earns him points with his followers.

As a result he trots out his anti-media talking points frequently, accusing media of being biased, of actively working to suppress the Conservative party.

He frequently limited questions from media, despite being one of the strongest orators in government today. Even his leadership campaign explicitly denied media interviews at many events including one he hosted in Morris.

So perhaps this defense of journalists is a good thing, even if it comes with a series of well-massaged facts.

Perhaps those leading the Conservative Party will become more willing to be open about the issues, to answer to all Canadians and not just their followers on social media.

But it’s also a wake-up call for all Canadians to carefully consider all the facts and not just the ones their favourite media personality or political party are willing to share.