If you want to know why there is so much antipathy aimed at the Harper government in the press corps, just read the A section of today's Globe and Mail. Today is budget day. The old practice is that the press is leaked all kinds of goodies the night before, so that the day the budget is read the papers are already full of what's going to be in it. Not anymore. The Globe has a single substantive story, quoting one source and reprinting Jim Flaherty's public comments from an event he was at yesterday. This is just not the kind of treatment they are used to.
This is the real reason for the recent public sparring. It's not so much about reporters having to go to another room for press conferences or the protocol changes, it is all about the amount of news. The Tories are firm in their resolve to stick to their five priorities no matter what, and that is making for not much news in Ottawa. With the hundreds of reporters that make up the press gallery roaming around hunting for stories, that is making for not enough news. It's as simple as that. They don't have enough work and they are frustrated.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:31 AM
