At a South Surrey "beans and jeans" BC Liberal fundraiser over the weekend, B.C. Premier Christy Clark took swipes at the Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer and her former employer CKNW, implying neither will give her government a fair shake. Today CKNW's Gord MacDonald issued a blistering editorial that signals a level of hostility rarely vented by a major B.C. media outlet towards a politician -- particularly one leading the pro-business party in power.
Having once hosted the afternoon talk show at CKNW after leaving the Gordon Campbell-led BC Liberal government, Clark Saturday addressed "the BC Liberal family" who is united, she said, by their belief in free enterprise, and joked "you probably don't listen to CKNW anymore."
MacDonald was so unusually vehement in his rebuke broadcast earlier this afternoon, we reprint it here:
"So much for loyalty to you, the CKNW listener. I guess you, like me, were an idiot for thinking Christy Clark might be a breath of fresh air in Victoria. I guess you, like me, were an idiot for thinking Christy Clark was bright as a politician. I guess you, like me, were an idiot for thinking that Christy Clark could get more out of her Cabinet, get more out of her Liberal MLA's, than Gordon Campbell. I guess you, like me, were an idiot for thinking she could make our provincial government work better than it did under Gordo and his arrogance in springing the HST on us, and trying to talk his way out of it.
"I include you in this listener because right now you are listening to CKNW. By the way, I would like to thank you for listening, because it allows me to feed my family. Just like your listening allowed Christy Clark to feed her son when she was a host here.
"On Saturday at a political barbecue in the Surrey riding of Finance Minister Kevin Falcon, Clark spoke to BC Liberals, and she mocked Vancouver Sun political columnist Vaughn Palmer, and she then mocked you, the listener for tuning in to CKNW.
"I presume Christy Clark doesn't like the criticism she's been getting from the likes of Vaughn Palmer and Michael Smyth and Philip Till and Bill Good and Simi Sara and Jon McComb and Jill Bennett and Sean Leslie and yours truly. I presume Christy has decided that things are going so poorly for the BC Liberals under her leadership that it's time to blame the messenger. 'It's not our fault, dear Liberals, it's that unsympathetic, pro-NDP media... that's the problem.' Rather than try and answer the criticism, it's easier to crap on the messenger.
"My, how things have changed. Remember when Christy left CKNW, how she spoke so glowingly about you, the CKNW listener? Remember how she had so much respect for you, the CKNW listener, who tuned in to her show every day? She of course knew darn well that CKNW and you, the listener, gave her a platform that raised her profile so she could jump back into politics. We thought she was bright... she sounded articulate... and we all understood when she went left radio to seek the premier's job after Gordon Campbell resigned. Boy, were we wrong. Now, she insults the CKNW listener. Nobody listens to CKNW any more, right?
"Loyalty. Funny word, that. Damned hard to earn, but easy to say, and it appears easy to piss away. Loyalty. Now it seems to me that if I she really respected you, the CKNW listener, she would come on air and take on the likes of Smitty or McComb when they criticize. She would make her argument and let you, the listener, decide. But no, not Christy. Yet again, Christy Clark showed on Saturday she's willing to say anything to anybody to get their vote. But speaking as one who clearly misjudged her talents as a politician, a word of warning. When times get tough, some people stay true to their word. Others, like Christy, don't.
"One final thought Christy. Can you say Kim Campbell?"
David Beers is editor of The Tyee.
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Ducky
44 weeks ago
El Gordo!
I have never thought much of Gord MacDonald as a broadcaster but, I think he hit a grand slam this time.
bcguy
44 weeks ago
Nice article. Ms.Clark seems
Nice article. Ms.Clark seems unable to accept that she is going down at the next election. and it seems she won't be welcome if she tries to go back on talk radio.Maybe she can get a job serving ex King Goro tea in his new digs
Lorne
44 weeks ago
Clark's Condolences
I was watching the evening news on the Victoria CTV station and the item was a press conference given by the Premier in regards to the Johnson Landing tragedy. She approached the podium from stage right with the biggest sh*t eating grin that I've seen in some time.
The impression I was left with was that this woman just did not appeciate the agony that the famiies and the community was feeling. Surely this cannot be, I thought, until I read the article above and the words by Gord MacDonald.
Did she not recognize that this was a solumn occasion, and not just another one of her endless photo ops?
The next item was about her support or oppositon to the Northern Gateway, but once again it was photo op time, and she babbled away but said nothing.
Surely, even the most fervent BC Liberal supporters must admit that this lightweight just has to go, and the sooner the better.
Moat
44 weeks ago
CKNW was losing relevance,,,, fast.
When I used to drive for work, I chose to listen to CKNW. Although I knew it was the radio station of "the establishment", I still enjoyed listening to it.
However, the last five years of it really began to turn my stomach. I felt that some of the hosts were not doing any research, and were simply spouting personal opinions. No effort was made to hear both sides. I missed Raif Mair as well as others who did not resort to simplifying everything to a left vs. right debate.
I cancelled my Sun and Province about six years ago, and it was liberating. I told the National Post to stop cluttering my recycling bin with free papers. I have cancelled the Globe and Mail twice, but it keeps coming to my door with a monthly bill. I think I feel a strange loyalty to the delivery person so I don't follow up.
With CKNW, the syndicated Sun Media types in the afternoon keep me from fully returning - The Roy Greens and the Charles Adlers. I am tired of hearing the indignation of Rob Ford and the five cent charge over plastic bags and anything else labelled "progressive".
If CKNW wants to get people like me back, these guys have to be limited. Blow hards are for parties and social gatherings, not for thoughtful dialogue. Michael Campbell used to be thoughtful, and provide good financial advice for people, but now just takes shots at the public sector using selected facts.
I suppose I am writing this in the hope that CNKW is reading these blogs, and getting the idea that endorsing one political movement is not healthy. Journalists have a special role in society. They need to speak with freedom and demonstrate a desire to investigate and work in the interest in the public first - even if they work for a "private" firm. Good journalism goes beyond entertainment. It should provide context and be a safe guard for a free and liberal society.
paisley
44 weeks ago
Eating their own
CKNW is a pathetic excuse for news media. These are the guys that haven't been keeping our politicians accountable since the NDP were swept away over a decade ago. It was only a few months ago Bill Good was cheering Clark on and claiming that she was really beginning to "thrive". He must have been talking to Palmer and Baldrey.
In the strangest turn of events, a good number of callers are suddenly complaining that CKNW is shilling for the NDP and has been for sometime. Imagine that.
It now appears there has been an executive decision since Clark's numbers hit 20 percent to finally hold her feet to the fire. Something they never did even when Campbell's numbers reached dismal. I turned off CKNW a decade ago when I realized it wasn't news it's just corporate media with an agenda to sell out the province. I just couldn't help tuning back in during the last week to listen and laugh while the knuckle draggers eat their own. It appears CKNW is searching for an audience again as their ratings have plunged over the last year and have realized their liberal friends are not salvageable with their former talk show host who used the station to kick start her premiership. They now turn on Clark like a rabid dog and Clark has taken to flinging feces right back. This is an excitingly delightful turn of events.
Now that CKNW has realized their dwindling fortune what better time to pull the rug. If you want to help there are a few simple things you can do. Don't tune in via the internet, never send them an email, don't patronize their advertisers and don't visit their website for news stories.
By the way Mr Beers, thanks for doing your part by not posting any links in your story, you know what I am talking about!
Hakuin
44 weeks ago
CKNW?
Why would anyone feed the trolls?
Grouchy
44 weeks ago
BBQ
Strange that CC would try to say that the Liberal Family is doing so well when so few people showed up at the party. Strsngely enough, most of the Liberal MLAs did not even make a show of being there. Maybe they were scared that after Foghorn and Coleman went by the food table, there would be nothing left for them to eat.
freebear
44 weeks ago
Bullying behaviour pathetic
Wonder how long before Christy Clark wants to 'spend more time with family'!
Skywalker
44 weeks ago
The media does this from time to time.
I think they want a new liberal leader and they will go back to doing just what they do. If that doesn't happen, they will happily bring in the NDP only to dump on them after a few months. It is like they need to purge their sins once in a while. I won't get excited about this CKNW conversion to true journalism just yet. Moat above had it dead on.
Sask Resident
44 weeks ago
Federal Liberal
Christy Clark is a federal Liberal and, like taught to her by Jean Chretien, she is only worried about big corporations and boardrooms and not smaller business. Clark probably still likes Corus Entertainment but not the CKNW local management. Like most federal Liberals, she assumes that the corporate offices of Corus will support her over the local hacks.
Clark seems to forget, or is listening too much to Chretien, that the BC Liberal party is really the "anybody but the Dippers" party and not an entitled extension of the Toronto party. Clark has to govern and stick up for BC is she is to have any chance.
Similarly, Dix has to stay away from Mulcair since Tommy hates anything west of Sudbury and, like federal Liberals, only looks on BC as a cash cow to be milked for the good of the country, meaning Toronto and Montreal.
Waltz
44 weeks ago
Wow!
Premier Christy Clarke comes across in the legislature like a dizzy teenage cheer-leader. She does not speak, behave or think like a leader, let alone a Premier. CKNW's Gord MacDonald is not alone in his disappointment. As a result I suspect that if the truth be known anarchy and chaos probably rule the BC Liberals at present.
Waltz
44 weeks ago
Wow!
Premier Christy Clark comes across in the legislature like a dizzy teenage cheer-leader. She does not speak, behave or think like a leader, let alone a Premier. CKNW's Gord MacDonald is not alone in his disappointment. As a result I suspect that if the truth be known anarchy and chaos probably rule the BC Liberals at present.
Skywalker
44 weeks ago
No fan of Christy but maybe ...
...all this just demonstrates that hell hath no fury like the MSM scorned.
Horatio
44 weeks ago
Listening in on the Family Feud
Thanks for reprinting the rebuke which I otherwise would have missed entirely. Nasty bickering is what happens when the family enterprise faces ruin, soon. Thanks also to Moat. Like Moat, I never listen to NW. Unlike Moat, I was unable to put the reason why so well into words.
Norman Farrell
44 weeks ago
"I guess you, like me, were an idiot"
No, Gord. I was not the idiot. Nor were many other British Columbians. You were and you compromised your professionalism by allowing a personal relationship and political bias to affect your reporting and your opinions.
With the exceptions of Simi Sara and Jon McComb, the commentators at CKNW played softball far too long. A number continue, remaining blind and mute to Liberal corruption and incompetence.
Skywalker
44 weeks ago
Norman, I think you are right.
Only people who thought Christy would be a breath of fresh air were the idiots. How anyone particularly in the media could have thought this given her performance in the past is mind boggling. I rather think that the critical thinking part of the program was turned off for ideological onvenience and in the interests of liberal survival.
TakeAJoke
44 weeks ago
Over the top
Gord MacDonald's rant is way over the top in reaction to what was essentially a pep talk for the troops. The message was directed to the crowd of donors and volunteers to disregard the media and the polls and get on with fighting the next election.
To make this about loyalty to the CKNW listener is ludicrous.
Gary Mason also says to suck it up. We have a proud tradition in BC of politicians beating up on the media.
Gordon Campbell never got a free ride, and he never led in the polls this close to the election. But he won 3 consecutive, comfortable majorities.
cucciolo
44 weeks ago
cknw
This is nothing more than an attempt to improve ratings of a talk radio station sliding further into the bowl.
Skywalker
44 weeks ago
"Gordon Campbell never got a free ride,.."
Yes, I can take a joke. This one is a real knee slapper!
Macarena Man
43 weeks ago
CKNW ... Cristy Clark
CKNW lost its 'bite' years ago ..... Rafe was the only host that would press a guest, and keep pressing until an answer came. Most hosts on CKNW now sound like they are reading cue cards .....
As for Gord MacDonald being the terrier with his teeth in the Premier's ankle ...... nice try Gord, but you just don't have the depth to pull it off ....... trying for ratings?
I believe Cristy is done ....