

We’re less than 90 days away to the 2019 Canadian federal election. But most Canadians aren’t paying attention right now. After Labour Day, it’s going to be a quick sprint to October 21.

One of the moments that wake everybody is the leaders' debates.

Look at this, from the Liberal press release announcing the rules:

In the interest of time, and as a starting point for the upcoming 2019 debates, the Government has established clear criteria for participation by political party leaders. In 2019, debates would include leaders of political parties that meet two of the following three criteria At the time the general election in question is called, the party is represented in the House of Commons by a Member of Parliament who was elected as a member of that party.

That is a rule written to address precisely one person — Maxime Bernier.

That’s the rule now. Trudeau says so. Even if the media want it otherwise; even if all the party leaders want it otherwise.

In the past, those were all private decisions. But now there’s actually a government commission for debates.

And — extra gross — they’ve appointed former Governor General David Johnston to run it. Why is he doing errands for Trudeau?

And look at the news today:

Who will be the reporters shaping the questions, shaping the themes? It’s Trudeau’s pets.

Here’s the government’s list of approved journalists:

CBC News, Radio-Canada, Global News, CTV News, The Toronto Star and the Torstar chain, HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Quebec, La Presse, Le Devoir, and L'Actualité.

So, the Ottawa-Toronto-Montreal establishment. Five out of the ten institutions are based in Quebec. Two are state broadcasters. The newspapers are bail-out media from Trudeau’s $600 million election bribe.

And the Toronto Star? I saw this news story in Blacklock’s, the great independent outlet in Ottawa:

The largest daily newspaper in Canada, the Toronto Star, yesterday estimated its take of federal media bailout money is worth the equivalent of $115,385 a week. Payroll rebates will see publishers awarded up to $13,750 per newsroom employee.

Yeah, gee, do you think they’ll have a theme or section of the debate about the carbon tax, or Trudeau’s war against pipelines and industry; do you think they’ll talk about the foreign policy mess he’s created with India, China, Saudi Arabia, everyone?

Or do you think they’ll talk about the climate "crisis"?

I’ve said it before:

Under Trudeau there will be only two types of media soon, only two types of conversations at all:

Those approved by the government, and those banned by the government. Nothing else.

How do you feel about that?

NEXT: Our intrepid reporter David Menzies joins me to talk about his investigation into the LCBO.

FINALLY: Your messages to me!