Couillard defends the ready-to-Group capital cities Media

Photo courtesy
The prime minister Philippe Couillard

Patrick Bellerose

Friday, 26 January, 2018 07:13

UPDATE
Friday, 26 January, 2018 07:13

Look at this article

SHANGHAI | The loan of $ 10 million granted to the newspapers of the Group capital cities Media (GCM) does not impair the independence of its newsroom, considers Philippe Couillard.

• READ ALSO: Aid of$ 10 Million to the Capitals Media : Lisée on the same wavelength as PKP

In economic mission to China, the prime minister has been caught up by the critics of the leader of the parti québecois Jean-François Lisée, who complained Wednesday that the government Couillard has granted this financial aid, “without transparency, without accountability to a press group led by a liberal and you know the editorial line of their owner, it is to support the liberal Party”.

Jean-François Lisée blamed the government Couillard of having acted on a discretionary basis, rather than through a program target, to help the group belonging to the ex-minister federal liberal Martin Cauchon.

Philippe Couillard rejects the idea of a program target for the media and claims to have acted with caution in granting ad hoc assistance. “We don’t want to give the impression that in Quebec there is a program standard by which the State invests heavily in the media,” he said. I prefer it to be done in circumstances where one has identified a specific need and it adjusts.”

“It should not, no longer, to develop a situation where regularly, the State – taxpayers – actively supports, financially, through the media,” he adds.

Diversity

However, the aid to GCM was necessary to maintain a diversity of media, argues Philippe Couillard. “We think it is important to have the maximum diversity in the information, particularly in the region, to maintain these written media,” he says.

He points out that the aid granted to GCM, including the owner of the daily The Sun, does not translate into a direct intervention in the organization, but aims to “develop new opportunities” for the company.

Independence

The prime minister also rejects the idea that this loan could jeopardise the independence of journalists BCM, as suggested by the CEO of Quebecor, Pierre Karl Péladeau, on the social networks recently.

He stressed that the newspaper, le Devoir has also received financial assistance from 556 000 $. “You’ll notice that nobody can tax The Duty to be favourable to the liberal Party, historically, is launching Philippe Couillard. So, I don’t think we can say, as mr. Péladeau has said, that it is a political question.”

The prime minister then went to a peak which seemed to be a Quebecor and its CEO, without naming the name. “I would tell you that there are other issues that may interfere with the independence of a newsroom, which, apparently, does not pose a problem,” he said.