# The great, ongoing Canadian current events and politics thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059 "2011-05-16T03:05:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 45
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/883 "2011-12-16T17:04:36Z")
I think the CBC does an adequate job of covering stories from across Canada; I never noticed them pandering to any particular region, but their coverage is very Liberal-biased. I listened to the Ottawa news on my local A.M. station this morning on my drive in, and then listened to the Ottawa news on CBC. Here’s the top 3 stories from each: A.M. 1. Two shootings and a knifing in Ottawa last night. 2. Moody’s warns Ontario credit rating at risk. (We have a Liberal provincial government.) 3. Russia supports the Harper government’s pull out from Kyoto. CBC 4. Two shootings and a knifing in Ottawa last night. 5. Fire at Ottawa retirement home. 6. Protestors will be marching from Parliament Hill to Congo Embassy to protest the Harper government’s recognition of the newly elected government. See the difference? This is what it’s like daily. These are all valid news stories and viewpoints, but the problem is there aren’t enough right-leaning news agencies to balance the left-leaning ones. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/884 "2011-12-16T17:26:02Z")
No, I really don’t see a difference. Right now the Conservative government pulling out of Kyoto is big news. That isn’t “liberal-biased”, that’s fact…they are doing it; pulling out of an obligation they had signed up for. You can argue that it wasn’t _this_ government that signed up for it, you can argue the merits of Kyoto, but on the international level that doesn’t mean a thing. What would a right-wing source say differently? Would they couch it in terms loaded with just how awful the Kyoto protocol is, and that pulling out is a good thing? Sure, fine… but it doesn’t change the _facts_, now does it? I wonder if conservatives feel that there isn’t any “good” press about the government _because the government doesn’t ever release any information_. Harper doesn’t trust his own staff enough to let them speak anything but talking points; there’s a wall blocking any information whatsoever from getting out other than carefully worded press releases. If the Conservatives won’t even talk _themselves_ up, why on earth should anyone else? **Spoons** , I want to continue this media discussion, I just don’t really have time to fully respond right now…just making a quick round of the boards as I procrastinate getting ready for errands 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/885 "2011-12-16T17:34:08Z")
Pulling out of Kyoto _is_ a good thing. That’s why the right-leaning station mentioned the support of Russia. The facts are that the targets are unattainable without bankrupting the country. Of course maybe that’s the goal of some environmentalists? I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/886 "2011-12-16T18:06:56Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > \ > The creator of _Little Mosque on the Prairie_ grew up and was educated in Toronto, but _chooses to live_ in Saskatchewan, which is where the show is based and partially filmed. That’s not “western” enough for some people?\ I just went and looked up the show on Wikipedia - my God, CBC, what is the matter with you? I’ve gone from thinking they simply missed the point to thinking they were actively trying to insult Westerners. Jesus Christ. I’ll grant that CBC’s acknowledgement that there isn’t just a blank space between Toronto and Vancouver is getting better, but people in the west have long memories, and I personally remember watching the National one night when half of Saskatchewan was on fire, and the lead story was some trivial thing from Toronto. You add up a lifetime of that, and it’s going to take a long time for Westerners to change their opinions of CBC. > [@Leaffan](#): > > \ > The facts are that the targets are unattainable without bankrupting the country. Of course maybe that’s the goal of some environmentalists? I dunno. I’ve wondered about that, myself. Do they really want to shut off the money flow from Alberta’s oil sands? ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/887 "2011-12-16T18:30:55Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I agree. But I would ask you to look at the people around you–they may well hold the same feelings. Oh, not like the westerners whom I have described–but generally, as in “those who live in the \_\_\_ region of the country are ignorant and misinformed.” > > I think one of the problems that we, as Dopers, face, is that we tend to be well-educated, tolerant, open to various points of view, and so on. In this regard, we’re not much different from those anywhere who have been exposed to debate, education, life experience, and so on. The challenge we face is that not everybody is like us; and those who are not like us are our friends and neighbours. > > Who have you known who is not like you? In my case, I can think of many: the guy who taught me how to drive a semi-rig, and who is still a friend today. The warehouse boys I worked with in Toronto. The guys I worked with on an assembly line in Calgary, and who I still catch up with when I am in Calgary. The construction worker who always talks to me at the local sports bar. As you know, I am educated and hold two degrees–but these guys mostly quit school as soon as they could; and not being exposed to much else (as you and I have through education), hold the views they always have. No disrespect to them intended–they are hard-working, pleasant, friendly, and as informed as the Toronto and Calgary Suns allow them to be. But they do not have the breadth of experience and education that you and I do. > > I hate saying the above, because those folks remain my friends, and I value their friendship. They are good, salt-of-the-earth people, and I’d rather spend time with them drinking beer in a blue-collar bar than I would sipping martinis with the “beautiful people” in a Bloor Street cafe. (As an aside, I’ve done the latter; it’s boring.) > > But I would also suggest that these are the people whom the CBC doesn’t reach (to bring the discussion back to that). They have nothing in common with the Bloor Street martini drinkers, but that is what the CBC seems to pander to. QFT I know and work with lots and lots of perfectly nice people who are perfectly average in most respects and they are nothing like the average Doper. The perspectives of the two groups are so different some days as to make me question whether they’re even the same species. > [@Raygun99](#): > > Maybe the problem is that Lethbridge is just boring. The sanity-destroying winds in Lethbridge keep it from being boring. Also, it was my observation in my younger days that the female population of Lethbridge is unusually attractive, which is the furthest thing from boring. I can no longer comment on that subject, since I am now married and do not notice the attractiveness of other women. Don’t you people get me started on a rant about The Weather Network! On the one hand, I probably watch that channel more than any other channel (as a sterotypical Western-Canadian, I am moderately obsessed with the weather). On the other hand, the Ontario bias is so far over the top as to be ludicrous most days and I have the unscientific evidence sitting at home to prove it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/888 "2011-12-16T18:35:00Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > Don’t you people get me started on a rant about The Weather Network! On the one hand, I probably watch that channel more than any other channel (as a sterotypical Western-Canadian, I am moderately obsessed with the weather). On the other hand, the Ontario bias is so far over the top as to be ludicrous most days and I have the unscientific evidence sitting at home to prove it! 😃 My friend the meteorologist says that the best place to get weather info is straight from the source: [Environment Canada](http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html). ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/889 "2011-12-16T18:41:37Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > My friend the meteorologist says that the best place to get weather info is straight from the source: [Environment Canada](http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html). Yes, but I don’t get to praise/mock the clothing choices of the on-air talent on the Environment Canada website, now do I? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/890 "2011-12-16T18:56:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I think the CBC does an adequate job of covering stories from across Canada; I never noticed them pandering to any particular region, but their coverage is very Liberal-biased. I listened to the Ottawa news on my local A.M. station this morning on my drive in, and then listened to the Ottawa news on CBC. Here’s the top 3 stories from each: > > A.M. > > 1. Two shootings and a knifing in Ottawa last night. > 2. Moody’s warns Ontario credit rating at risk. (We have a Liberal provincial government.) > 3. Russia supports the Harper government’s pull out from Kyoto. > CBC > 4. Two shootings and a knifing in Ottawa last night. > 5. Fire at Ottawa retirement home. > 6. Protestors will be marching from Parliament Hill to Congo Embassy to protest the Harper government’s recognition of the newly elected government. > See the difference? This is what it’s like daily. These are all valid news stories and viewpoints, but the problem is there aren’t enough right-leaning news agencies to balance the left-leaning ones. Today I listened to the CBC local radio news in Thunder Bay: – An apartment fire in TBay – A few other local and regional stories I also listened to the CBC national/world radio news in Thunder Bay: – Lethbridge sucide/murders – Moody’s warning about Ontario’s rating – Russia agreeing about Canada pulling out of Koyoto Now I don’t know what the CBC does in other places, but in TBay and Sudbury, where they have local news departments, there is a very great difference between its local coverage and its national/worldl coverage, and the two are for the most part kept separate (the same goes for the web news via myBblackberry, in which the CBC local TBay regioal news is separate from the national/world news), whereas the other radio statons in TBay and Sudbury tend to mix both in the same broadcast. It sounds like you might have listened to a mixed AM broadcast, and a specifically local CBC broadcast, as opposed to the CBC national broadcast. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/891 "2011-12-16T18:56:37Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > Yes, but I don’t get to praise/mock the clothing choices of the on-air talent on the Environment Canada website, now do I? 😛 Oh, well, if you want _entertainment_… :: nose in the air :: ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/892 "2011-12-16T19:15:19Z")
This summer, I went over to using Weather Underground rather than Environment Canada for both local conditions (as in what it actually is at this time up the street at a personal weather station) and local forecasts. Environment Canada was good for radar, satellite and marine conditions for the west end of Superior, but was dropping the ball with its forecasts. While I am happy with Weather Underground here in TBay, both it and Environment Canada are poor at forecasting further up the lake by Marathon and north of Marathon into the bush by Manitouwadge. How inaccurate were Environment Canada’s forcasts? One of my padding crew lives on high ground. Every single time we went out on the lake this summer, she made better forecasts than Environment Canada simply by looking out over the harbour. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/893 "2011-12-17T00:35:38Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > (and my estimation of Conservatives, especially Conservative supporters, has gone downhill ever since they voted in our local Tory member, who hasn’t got the intelligence that God gave a bag of hammers) Oh, is that the guy who made gun gestures at the Opposition when the gun bill passed? I remember he was from Lethbridge. You won’t be surprised to learn that I find that more offensive than Trudeau’s outburst, and I don’t even like Trudeau. (Of course, I don’t actually believe he intends to shoot Opposition members, but I agree with your assessment of him.) > [@Spoons](#): > > The CBC is seen as condescending and paternalistic, in other words, and an attempt by Toronto and Montreal to teach those of us who have to stay here (because doesn’t everybody want to move to Toronto?) how to behave in polite company. Try being a francophone from Quebec. The anglo left wing in this country thinks we’re a bunch of retarded xenophobes. The anglo right wing doesn’t know what we are but fucking hates our guts. We’re called the most corrupt people in Canada and people try to explain it by references to Catholicism – the religion we hate the most – and to our Latin genetic stock. People in this very thread call our language dying and express hope at the idea that our culture is disappearing (which it isn’t). **mnemosyne** might not see it, because even though she’s bicultural, most people are likely to think of her as anglophone. But it’s definitely prevalent. **RickJay** laughed at me when I said that Quebec is being called a “sick society” by English-language media. He just couldn’t believe it. But I’m sure I’m heard it again since then. > [@](#): > > regionally-popular musicians rarely-to-never get exposure on CBC (unlike Maritime or Quebec musicians) Certainly not French-language Quebec musicians, other than Céline Dion of course which you consider a laughingstock anyway. (Yes, **Spoons** , I know you’re aware of the existence of Gregory Charles, but you’re definitely an exception among anglos and I don’t think of him as a musician anyway.) Otherwise how could Canadians believe that we bring nothing of value to this country’s culture? (I’m sure I remember **Cat Whisperer** saying something like that.) I know English speakers just aren’t very interested in non-English-language culture, but it’s kind of funny that Quebec cultural exports often get noticed in Australia and even the US while they’re completely ignored in Canada. I don’t care about it very much, but it’s rich hearing how much of a worthless money drain we are for Canada after that. > [@mnemosyne](#): > > I don’t even watch the CBC, so I can’t comment on the news and any slant it might have. On CBC I watch _Jeopardy!_ at 7:30 if I happen to miss it at 7:00 on NBC. I also watch hockey when there’s nothing else on, and I think I’ve watched the _Rick Mercer Report_ once in a while to see what all the hoopla was. (I find it way too “Canadian”, and even though _Infoman_’s not as good as it once was, it’s still better.) But I watch quite a few things on Radio-Canada. (Speaking of _Infoman_, I recently noticed that there was a portrait of the Queen on either Jean-René or Maude’s desk. I guess that guarantees they’ll never be cancelled. :p) > [@Spoons](#): > > No disrespect to them intended–they are hard-working, pleasant, friendly, and as informed as the Toronto and Calgary Suns allow them to be. I don’t want to sound like an Eastern Elite, but :eek:. I’d call somebody who reads only the _Journal de Montréal_ not very informed. But it describes plenty of people, and they get by anyway. But the _Toronto_ or _Calgary Sun_? It just doesn’t compare. Honestly, I’m kind of wondering where English Canadians got the idea that they’re an exceptionally nice and polite people. I just don’t see it. See: the _Journal de Montréal_ and _Journal de Québec_ on one hand, and the Sun network of papers on the other are both Quebecor tabloids, so you’d expect them to be French-language and English-language equivalents of the same thing. But the Suns are much angrier and aggressive than the Journals. Same thing on television: from all I’ve heard, Sun News is definitely not the English version of LCN. What’s that all about? ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/894 "2011-12-17T02:10:17Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > … people try to explain it by references to Catholicism – the religion we hate the most – Obligatory wiki [link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Canada) I guess you could make the argument that all those christians in Quebec aren’t Catholic, but then that wouldn’t be true. [Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec) > [@](#): > > People in this very thread call our language dying and express hope at the idea that our culture is disappearing (which it isn’t). I think you confuse hope with apathy. The only reason it isn’t dying is because you have to over ride the constitution with language laws and only take french speaking immigrants. > [@](#): > > Honestly, I’m kind of wondering where English Canadians got the idea that they’re an exceptionally nice and polite people. I just don’t see it. That is propaganda for the Americans. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/895 "2011-12-17T03:03:53Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > **RickJay** laughed at me when I said that Quebec is being called a “sick society” by English-language media. He just couldn’t believe it. But I’m sure I’m heard it again since then. Then you should have no problem providing plenty of cites. If it’s such a common thing, why, you could link to them right here on the SDMB. Is there criticism of things that happen in Quebec? Well, of course… but there is criticism of things that happen in the other provinces, too. To hear it told, the mayor of Toronto is Genghis Khan, Alberta’s full of stone cold killers, British Columbians are all pot-addled rioters, and so on. > [@](#): > > People in this very thread call our language dying… Let’s be honest, it’s mostly Uzi. One guy. That’s his thing. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/896 "2011-12-17T04:39:43Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Please, please, please, I beg you, do not encourage your missionaries to wander about annoying people at their homes in the ROC. Mormons are easy to deal with–just say, “no, thank you,” and they will wish you a good day and walk away. Jehovah’s Witnesses and various forms of Evangelicals, on the other hand; not so much. I’m surprised at some of the local Mormons. Like I said, they serve missions all over the globe, but they are woefully ignorant of the ROC in a “personally experienced” sense. One of my Mormon acquaintances speaks fluent Japanese, thanks to a number of years spent on a mission in Japan, but except for a few trips to Calgary, has never spent any amount of time outside of southern Alberta. The intolerance of this person, and other Mormons with similar experiences, toward normal Canadian life (where abortion is legal, gay marriage is legal, alcohol is legal, etc.) is surprising. They want the government to overturn all these things, and more; and seem to want to turn Alberta into Utah North. On the bright side, a Mormon colleague who attended law school in Toronto is a lot more worldly. He adheres to the tenets of the LDS religion, but perhaps owing to his time in a cosmopolitan city, recognizes that there are a number of faiths, practices, and points of view out there; and doesn’t complain or point out my sin when I have coffee or a beer in our off hours. If only there were more like him! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/897 "2011-12-17T04:56:57Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > \Otherwise how could Canadians believe that we bring nothing of value to this country’s culture? (I’m sure I remember **Cat Whisperer** saying something like that.)\ I don’t recall saying that, and since I don’t actually believe that, I think you might be mis-remembering or mis-understanding something I did say. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/898 "2011-12-17T05:08:00Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Oh, is that the guy who made gun gestures at the Opposition when the gun bill passed? I remember he was from Lethbridge. Yes. He embarrasses us at every turn. > [@](#): > > Certainly not French-language Quebec musicians, other than Céline Dion of course which you consider a laughingstock anyway. (Yes, **Spoons** , I know you’re aware of the existence of Gregory Charles, but you’re definitely an exception among anglos and I don’t think of him as a musician anyway.) I liked Charles’ show on CBC, though he was over the top a few times. (The First Lady of Song is the Virgin Mary? I was guessing Ella Fitzgerald.) Good memory, **HJ**! It is true that we don’t tend to get Quebec music stars out here, but if they sing in English, they will get airplay. I often heard Rene Simard and Patsy Gallant on Toronto radio, for example (I’m showing my age with these two; and I am aware that technically, Gallant is a New Brunswicker who often sings in French). I do recall hearing artists like Garoulou (sp?) and Diane Dufresne on the air when I lived in Toronto, but as you say, I am an exception. I doubt very many Torontonians listened to the radio stations I did, all those years ago. But at least your artists got some airplay outside of Quebec. Just wondering … how are Paul Brandt and Terri Clark doing nationally? > [@](#): > > But the Suns are much angrier and aggressive than the Journals. Same thing on television: from all I’ve heard, Sun News is definitely not the English version of LCN. What’s that all about? I don’t know. When the Sun first started publishing, it was like the Toronto Telegram. Not surprising, as many of its staff were ex-Tely (what the Telegram was often called) employees. For those who don’t know, the Tely was about as right of centre as the Toronto Star was left of centre; and for a number of years, the Sun held that position. Then something changed. The Suns (they had expanded by that time) went farther to the right, and became “more aggressive,” as you say. I don’t know why, but a friend who worked at the Toronto Sun said, when he and a number of others were fired some years ago, that the tone of the paper would change. He was right; it did. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/899 "2011-12-17T20:07:21Z")
I just listened to the first half hour or so of the latest The National broadcast online. I assume it’s representative of an average news show by them; I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. I tried to take notes during it, so the following is really poorly written, but these were my observations as it was playing: > [@](#): > > Top story - airline ticket prices - federal government new regulations - a legit questioning of what the delays are to implement this, which I fail to see as any bias from left or right. Generally a positive spin, though warning that since it will take time to implement, keep an eye on the fine print because the prices will still be “falsely” advertised until then. Top destinations…Toronto, new york, montreal. > > Next - Alberta- Lethbridge murder-suicide..non political, facts, sympathy. More from Charlottetown…I’m freaked out that one victim shares a name with someone I know from Charlottetown! > > Inmate, mental illness in prison…no mental health prisons for women in the federal system. Quote of Vic Toews acknowledging the problem…fact that so far, no money/solutions have been made available. Hopeful spin? > > Christopher Hitchen’s death - mentionning the controversial nature of his writing. I guess you can see this as biased against the right, since Hitchens himself was… but that’s the reality of this man’s life and there’s not much point pretending he didn’t say or do the things he did. I don’t see this as MEDIA bias, but rather reporting on a prominent, outspoken, controversial man’s death. > > Radioactive metal in a Russian airport. Kinda randomly tossed in there! > > Stable nuclear plant in Japan… no commentary on it, just the statement. > > Penn State scandal - McQueary’s testimony about what he saw and what he told others, and why the police weren’t contacted. Quotes from the courtroom, quotes from Sandusky’s lawyers. Fairly factual. > > Barry Bonds - sentencing stayed during appeal, just statements of facts > > Doctor went to USA with illegal drugs…kinda didn’t pay attention to this one > > Mike Milbury charged with assaulting a 12 year old. Milbury denies. (I think Milbury’s an ass and this doesn’t surprise me). He’s a host on HNIC so it’s newsworthy for the CBC. > > Arturo Gati’s fortune - legal battle settled in Montreal (uh oh!). The widow was in Brazil. I can’t imagine left/right bias here. Family and ex girlfriend and widow bickering over money. I happen to think it’s a boring story. > > Bear foot bandit - sentencing in Washington - factual > > Court appearance in Toronto - cold case arrest, 30 year old crime… interesting story, IMHO. I believe it would make the news regardless of where this story took place > > Wheat Board monopoly over…happy farmers…reporting from Saskatchewan…Minister of Agriculture “finally you have marketing freedom”…Harper’s been on this since Reform party days…quote from Harper about how farmers have asked for this for some time…opposition revolves around previous law requiring a pebiscite for any changes…courts agree, the government may have broken that law and the government is appealing and passed the bill anyways. Canadian Wheat Board employees lost their jobs, will continue their arguments in court, converting to a private company. Happy farmer again, statement that government will fight all challenges in court but can’t guarantee they will win them all but hope to ensure an open market. Bias? I don’t see it. There are two sides to this issue, they are both being reported. No editorial on it. > > General Motors - lots of money into plant in Oshawa to create/save 350 jobs despite production line closure. I gave up. The National seems to place their stories in random order and the anchor having to stand the whole time annoys me. On the one topic that is political in nature - the Wheat Board - I felt both sides were presented and didn’t get the sense that the reporter was choosing one over the other. There were three happy people quoted - farmer lady, Minister of Agriculture, Harper - and one unhappy person. Kind of missing legal facts… all the news reports are kind of broad-brush “headline” kind of things without any real information provided. Perhaps the mention of the GM plant in Oshawa wasn’t worthy of a National headline, since it’s more of a regional thing, IMHO. I have no idea why the Wheat Board story came so late into the news show…is that part of the bias people see? Frankly, I don’t know why radioactive material in Russia is a top-5 headline especially given as there was so little information provided. So… what am I missing? What am I not seeing? Where’s the bias? I’ve concluded that The National is a badly organized news show that doesn’t actually provide many in-depth facts about things…even in their “in depth” report about mental health issues in prisons… but I’m not seeing any anti-government or anti-rightwing bias. I’m also wondering why I’m actually defending the CBC, since I don’t even watch it and have no particular opinion on it’s continued existence. I guess it comes from my trying to understand what people are claiming to see. I’m also still waiting to hear which of the news sources that I cited above are acceptable for a right-wing perspective. If I want balanced news, I should be reading both sides, no? And also…why is left-wing bias bad, but right-wing bias good to some people? I’m thinking way to much for a Saturday afternoon… ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/900 "2011-12-17T21:34:17Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > \And also…why is left-wing bias bad, but right-wing bias good to some people?\ You don’t get it. For these people, anything and everything that strictly doesn’t toe the right-wing propaganda machine line, is a bias for the other side (in other words, neutrality is left-wing). ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/901 "2011-12-17T22:49:17Z")
> [@detop](#): > > You don’t get it. For these people, … These people? You mean the ones talking about it in this thread? As to the bias of CBC, there can be little doubt that years ago it was very oriented to central Canada. Nor is it surprising that it would be so as that was where most of Canada’s population resides, and still does. And as Canada is left leaning politically (at least compared to the US) it is also no surprise that the public broadcaster reflects that. But what ‘you’ people don’t seem to understand is that it could only take an different emphasis on a word, or facial expressions, or some other minor thing and a story that would be neutral to an unbiased observer becomes one with a slant to someone else. For example: I just hate it when Oil Sands are called Tar Sands. THERE IS NO ‘TAR’ IN OIL SANDS. Tar is a different thing. Yet, inevitably those against the oil sands say, “Tar sands”. But tar sands is the more common usage by those unknowing. So, some broadcaster may say tar sands without intent to be biased just due to ignorance. It doesn’t stop me by default labeling them a tree hugging, rather send money to Middle East dictators than for jobs at home, mindless noodle heads. I just have to spend more time looking at the content to make a rational determination. But how much time should I spend to give the person the benefit of the doubt for their sloppiness? ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/902 "2011-12-17T23:05:08Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Let’s be honest, it’s mostly Uzi. One guy. That’s his thing. How much money have we as Canadians wasted talking and whinging about language? One of our major provinces has tried twice to separate just because they speak a different language. If it just affected them, I’d say let them bitch and moan, but it doesn’t. It affects all of us all the time. If it wasn’t for Canada and Quebec supporting the French language, it would be slowly dying out in Canada to be superseded by English as most of the French language has died out in the US. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059.md?page=44) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059.md?page=46)