The Independent Press Gallery of Canada (IPG) strongly condemns the Liberal Party’s continued exclusion of independent journalists from public campaign events, most recently on April 4 in Scarborough.
Journalists Caryma Sa’d and David Menzies were denied access to a public event featuring Prime Minister Mark Carney. This exclusion is part of a troubling pattern by the Liberal Party to control media coverage by selectively granting access to journalists.
No independent journalists have been allowed into Carney’s campaign events since the federal writ was dropped on March 23. Alternatively, the Liberal campaign has promised an additional $150 million top-up to CBC’s $1.3 billion in annual funding to go along with its preferential access to Liberal politicians.
Caryma Sa’d expressed her concerns, stating, “It is deeply unsettling to be stigmatized by the current ruling party. Speaking personally, there is no legitimate basis for barring me from attending any political rallies.”
The IPG asserts that the ability to question and scrutinize elected officials and political hopefuls is not optional in a democracy—it is essential. The Liberal Party’s actions undermine the principles of a free and independent press, which are fundamental to Canada’s democratic values.
The IPG calls on Prime Minister Carney and the Liberal Party to immediately cease this repeated practice of excluding journalists based on perceived political bias. The Canadian public has the right to hear from all voices in the media—not just those that echo Liberal talking points and take government money.
Sheila Gunn Reid
President, Independent Press Gallery of Canada
