Media out of touch
To the Editor:
In his first 100 days as Prime Minister Stephen Harper seems to have gained the respect
of just about everybody except the Ottawa press gallery and left-leaning segment (which is considerable)
of the media. A new cultural deal with Quebec, settling of the softwood lumber dispute, the new Accountability
Act, an innovative trip to the troops in Afghanistan and a generally well received federal budget
are considerable achievements in a short period of time.
Polls indicate his Conservative government is hovering anywhere between 39% to 41%, which is
majority territory. Decisiveness and focus have characterized Mr. Harper and his government
in stark contrast to Paul Martin’s indecisiveness and lack of focus and the new Prime Minister is
gaining popularity for achievements as opposed to rhetoric.
Mr. Harper has made a decision to focus on clearly stated priorities and
the governing of the country and is wise to avoid the biased segments of
the media and concentrate on the issues Canadians elected the government to address.
The Ottawa press gallery and national press corp would do well to examine their objectivity and relevance
with Canadians. Mr. Harper is on the right track in refusing to cater to the whims of the press and stick to
being Prime Minister. He and the government priorities are in touch with Canadians. The same
cannot be said of certain segments of the media.
Gerald R Hall
Nanoose Bay, B.C.
