There is one angle about the disgraceful, deceitful actions of the BC Liberal government in the Horrifying Sales Tax scandal that the media have either deliberately ignored or just not fully realized:
The Liberals USED and ABUSED the media to spread the BIG LIE in the last election: that a new HST wasn’t planned or even being contemplated.
I simply don’t believe that, within weeks after an election, they could have done all the due diligence studies of the impact of such a huge taxation change will have on our economy; complete all the negotiations with Ottawa … and no one would have heard a peep of any of it going in.
The HST fix was in , I believe, well BEFORE the ballots were cast in May.
Frankly, my argument is not with the pros or cons about the tax itself. It certainly looks like it will wallop consumers in a big way; but some economists say it will help industry and business overall. My beef is the the way they DECEIVED everyone … including their own supporters, about bringing it in.
And the lie was spread … in consultations with business and restaurateurs and builders and anyone else who wondered about it … and it was delivered to the public by any media who were following the issue at all.
So the media were USED to spread the Big Lie. Where is their anger at this?
We will never really know how such reassurances by the Liberals that no HST was being contemplated added to the media’s comfort and any media endorsements of the Liberals.
If the Liberals had been honest and said the HST would be coming in … maybe, just maybe, the media coverage would have been different; the public’s reaction to the Liberals might have been different; and the election result might have been different.
There is no need or the media to do a “mea culpa” in this … they were duped just like the rest of us.
BUT they should be angry enough at the way there were used and abused to go after the culprits … Gordon and company … and at least raise the issue, raise a question and raise a protest over the way they were manipulated and their own credibility was damaged by the Liberals in such a selfish and wilful way.
Harv Oberfeld
P.S. Those who oppose the tax might want to check out former Premier Bill Vanderzalm’s website: he’s organizing a protest against it.
Tell him Harvey sent you. 
22 responses so far ↓
1 genuine // Jul 31, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Good point on abuse but … I got on cknw this morning around 10:54, and, asked the grand puba ,to enlighten me on what the commission meant by,not in the best interest of the consumer!, and, again just like the other two shill’s, palmer, and,baldry reverted to the old gas plant that wasn’t the question ,the question was ,what did the commission mean by ,it’s not in the best interest of the consumer,by the way that would be us,and I do believe the media is ignoring ,they don’t realize ?It’s their job to realize and if the can’t ,why are they masquerading as a news group?They seem to be an extension of the PAB!OH and by the way I was cut off real quick?
2 DMJ // Jul 31, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Without appearing too vitriolic, just when did the Liberals tell the truth during an election?
People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.”
Otto von Bismarck
3 Norman Farrell // Jul 31, 2009 at 8:51 pm
I waffle between believing that some main media people are too dull or lazy to sort fact from fiction OR they are partisans, not detached observers.
This week’s radio edition of the legislative song and dance act had the three amigos dismissing the complex ruling of the BC Utilities Commission by claiming the report was all about the BCUC dictating more power production at the Burrard Generating Station.
If they drew that conclusion, they didn’t read the report, they relied on a digested version from their friends at PAB.
4 Knuklz // Jul 31, 2009 at 10:59 pm
It would help if you guys translated PAB to gain new readers ,not scare them away.
(Response: Welcome to the discussion! PAB stands fror Public Affairs Bureau .. the provincial “Information” service …which Province newspaper columnist Michael Smyth recently described thusly: “that media-management/spin-doctoring operation the government runs with your tax dollars. The Liberal spin shop employs an astonishing 223 people (including seven new staffers just this year) to mould and monitor the news, with a budget of $29 million.” Kind of scary to know what efforts they go to, with OUR money, to manipulate our opinion h.o.)
5 Olivia // Jul 31, 2009 at 11:08 pm
If the MSM were “used and abused” by the Liberal Government, I believe they were very happy to help out, and would not be suprised if they were in collusion with the government about spreading the “big lie”and were not “used or abused” at all. Their objective was to elect Gordon Campbell and they fulfilled that job. As for damaging their credibility????? What credibility? They lost that with Glen Clark’s deck, with (that … edited h.o.) teachers strike before the election bit, and so very much more. They haven’t had any credibility for many years, Baldry, Smyth, Palmer et al are only puppets for their bosses, and they seemingly will do anything for Gordon Campbell’s government.
6 Patrick Bell (Not the MLA) // Aug 1, 2009 at 5:44 am
I love when Harvey puts (edited h.o.)
Being an elementary school teacher it makes me try and fill in the rest of the sentence…lol.
Great discussion!
I love Mike Smyth…he is my favorite!
Harv. I do a mock up of the House of Commons in my class…I have the kids try out a debate similar to question period (complete with screaming and insults). You could make a cameo and interview the kids I pick as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition…that’d be really funny…hit ‘em with some really hard questions…we’ll videotape it for Global to run…lol
quotes Olivia:
and would not be suprised if they were in collusion with the government about spreading the “big lie”
I would. Conspiracy theory gone too far
(Response: I actually hate to edit anything out ..I believe in free speech as much as possible. But I kind of would like to keep my home, so try to avoid possible libelous statements or slander …as well as outright name-calling. As for cameo appearance, a friend of mine who is a teacher kind of did that …and none of the kids knew me … too young, not news watchers. LOL! It took my ego a long time to recover …or at least until I had a nice donut afterwards at Timmy’s! h.o.)
7 Gary E // Aug 1, 2009 at 6:33 am
Has anyone considered that this HST Harmony BS may just be a deflection that the Public Affairs Bureau thought up to cover the ruling by justice Bennett that the Liberal emails are” likely relevant” and need to be produced in court. Personally I wouldn’t put it past Campbell.
As for the media not doing their job, I have been saying that for years. All a person has to do is look at the questions then the answers that are given. Simple.
8 Crankypants // Aug 1, 2009 at 7:15 am
I too suspect that the local media is for the most part Liberal friendly and tends to carry their message without much question.
During the early part of the last provincial election a caller to Bill Good questioned the disproportionate number of third party ads promoting the Liberals compared to those championing the NDP. Bill said he would try and get some information on how many ads for each party and report his findings. I do listen to his programme on a regular basis, much to my wife’s chagrin, and never did hear a response. It is possible I missed it, but I seriously doubt it. My take was that there were many more ads promoting the Liberals than the NDP from third parties. I just wonder if the pro Liberal side were getting preferential rates for their ads as third party supporters are limited to a maximum number of dollars they may spend on a campaign. I know that advertising rates are tied to ratings, but I assume they don’t publish a rate schedule so that everyone pays the same rate. It makes one wonder.
Harvey, do you know if advertisers on radio, tv and the printed media pay PST on the price of their advertisements? If not then I assume that if the HST goes through, then they soon will be. Won’t that be a boon to Canwest, CTV and the others. Maybe the old adage of “what goes around comes around” is more than just a saying.
(Response: No idea if they pay PST on advertising …would be a good story for the “working media” or maybe even the Tyee. As for preferential advertising rates … I doubt it for several reasons: the Libs have bags of money, so don’t need it; the stations would have to show it as a contribution and that wouldn’t look too good; and, the Libs dont need it because they get so much support from what I view as the anti-NDP right wing slants in newspapers, on radio, and on t.v. for free! h.o.)
9 RS // Aug 1, 2009 at 3:45 pm
The MSM is just as culpable as the BC Liberals.
Well
You lie down with dogs you fall in with thieves
You’re gonna catch something but you do as you please
You’re scratchin’ an itch that nothing can ease
You lie down with dogs you get up with fleas–
Alan Parsons Project “Eve”1979
RS
10 CB // Aug 1, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Great article, Harvey. Slightly off topic rant here:
I listen to the “Cutting Edge…” segment on CKNW. It’s about the only thing I listen to on NW anymore and I’m about ready to give that up, too.
The last few weeks has made for a frustrating listening experience. Bill Good has taken to a mock tone when asking the panel for updates on the BC Rail case. You can practically hear his eyes roll into the back into his head when he does it. He’s already tempering his initial criticism of the HST because big business thinks the tax is great. But then Bill has always been Bill — an affable guy, who’s safe, predictable and boring.
What exactly does Keith Baldrey bring to the table? He’s on constant auto-pilot, regurgitating government press releases or serving up warmed over news from his week on Canwest. Has the man ever uttered a controversial opinion? Has he ever been responsible for breaking a major political story? Maybe you have an answer for that last one, Harvey?
Most disappointing of late has been Palmer. Palmer’s still capable of writing nuanced and insightful commentary but those columns have become few and far between, imo. On the radio, he has this annoying tendency to turn every discussion into a joke (in the ha, ha sense) and is surprisingly flip on many topics. Perhaps he’s become too embedded in BC’s political culture to see things for what they are. Nothing seems to rattle him anymore. I mean, where’s the outrage?
If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is what eventually happens to all political reporters and commentators — co-opted by the system they’re supposed be keeping tabs on. But then I read blogs by you, Rafe, and Wilcocks (to name a few) and I realize it doesn’t have to be that way. I don’t always agree with you (or the others) but I respect and admire the passion, knowledge and, yes, outrage that you bring to the table.
Maybe it’s time NW drops the “Cutting Edge” bit from the segment title. It’s anything but.
(Response: I was actually quite surprised and disappointed at last Friday’s cuttting edge. I also thought they were putting down the BC Rail case …and a couple of other issues too (too many chuckles heard throughout) … even though we know the government may have tried or has DESTROYED thousands of e-mails after knowing they were being sought out in court. I must admit I wondered at the time if radio stations in D.C. also put down the allegations over Watergate on air ..until it was all proven fact and the President was forced to resign. But here, they sure didnt sound like a motivated investigative team of journalists eager to get to the bottom of it all … just mostly poo-pooing comm,entators waiting to react instead to whatever info real investigative reporters come up with. h.o.)
11 Dan R. // Aug 2, 2009 at 1:52 am
I do not even listen to local media anymore. BCTV now Global used to be pretty good at one time, then in the early 90′s they changed for the worse.Not long after the Griffith ‘s got out.
The problem here is Canwest owns so much media here and their right wing bias shows and shows bad.
I wonder if the media bias violates any election laws regarding advertising? I guess it would be hard to prove.
I also know it is a long shot but when Chan, BCTV, Global or whatever they call themselves these days license comes up, I wonder if it could be opposed? It would not work as big corporate business usally always wins but if enough people wrote letters to the CRTC opposing their license renewal would they get a message?
With media like that it will be hard for the NDP to knock off the libs in 4 years as the Libs will have a new leader but the NDP won’t..
Harv your ‘Lying and Deceiving the Voters Works’ hits the nail on the head to in regards to how the media/ BC Liberals manipulate the people…
(Response: I think in the current economic clinmate, the CRTC is more likely to cater to the corporate owners than the Canadian public. From everything I’ve seen ther CRTC has bought the private stations shrill ransom demands for more and more revenues from the viewers (through cable operators) rather than make them responsible to clean up their own mess from greed and over-ambitious expansions. BUT if enough people write the CRTC about the declining quality of, say, local news and espeically political coverage, they may be forced to take notice. h..o)
12 claudia // Aug 2, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Well said CB. I also do not listen to BCTV news any longer. I simply cannot stomach CKNW either. The catering to their right wing fantasies are turning everyone off except the die hards. Why is it so difficult to get the real news these days Harvey?
For me it is to the point of being bitter. The lies and deceit of this government has been known for years, and yet people still voted Liberal. I cannot get my head around the fact that no one cares about integrity and honesty in our representatives. Clearly Campbell has gotten the message that he can do whatever he wants without any public consultation. Bring on the HST, it is what everyone voted for, discussed or not.
(Response: In my personal view, the biggest problem from a TV point of view has been in the hiring. BCTV in its glory days paid big buck premiums to hire well established senior newspaper reporters and then taught them how to tell their stories on television. After the BCTV golden era, when Griffiths died, that all changed. Even when they had the dough, it seemed to me all the stations started hiring cheaper, less experienced much younger reporters who lacked any deep BC historical or political interests … but were cuter, and great for covering fires and accidents and puff pieces without complaining (and they just adored being on television). There ARE still some very good reporters out there, but MOST, in my personal view, lack any exceptional or colourful writing skills. And there are also very few “characters” who show their personalties and entertain as well as report…. drawing viewers and making $$$ for the owners. And now the economic woes of the stations have made it unlikely that will change. h.o.)
13 Circus Bear // Aug 2, 2009 at 3:22 pm
“Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.” ~ Robert .A. Heinlein
The modern media lost all credibility when the profit motive was introduced into the management of media outlets. Anyone who maintains otherwise is a fool.
Politicians are simply professional liars. The really successful ones convince the masses they are to blame for the politician’s crimes. The unsuccessful ones become civil servants or reporters.
(Response: There is nothing wrong with profit ..our economy is based on it; and where states have tried non-profit economies (from each according to his ability and to each according to needs) the world has always ended up with dictatorships, corruption and incompetently run infrastructures. What is needed is return to profit based more on quality performance and product, and not just acquisitions, dispositions and greed. h.o)
14 Ruaridh // Aug 2, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I would be more inclined to ask the question less why the HST was carefully screened from the electorate and possibly the government’s own officials and more to the advice provided by the government’s economic advisory committee. This group may or may not have strong ties to the federal government.
Is BC’s admininstration now run to suit federal timetables ?
(Response: I suspect its run to cope with the burgeoning deficit …and a philosophy that says hit the taxpayers in the early years of a term and then give them a bit back towards the next election. h.o)
15 genuine // Aug 2, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I mentioned ,the relationship between,the harper federals and campbell provincially,when I stated that baird speaks to campbell via phone calls nightly and likes the way things are done here ,for the love of God, People, (notice only the capitol letter’s in what I have respect for!)harper is keeping things secret from us now with a minority,just imagine what he would do with a majority!As for the media ditto izzy and lenny have lot’s in store for us,I wish in the future for a truly free press!
16 Cliff B // Aug 2, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I agree that the media and journalists were used and abused by the BC Liberal government. But in all honesty, journalists let it happen. Journalists and the media owners have been on snooze control ever since 2001 when it comes to the BC government. Your bosses didn’t want the hard questions asked and you journalists went along. Even the CBC was asleep.
Convention centre over runs, Baski-Virk case – the latter a carbon copy of Nixon and his tapes. In both situations, you journalists did not ask the hard questions. Those few who did were marginalized. Had this been happening to an NDP government, all hell would have broken loose. And I’m not making excuses for the politically incompetent Clark government.
I see a parallel with journalists in BC and their relationship with the BC Liberals and the USA media who were lap dogs for Bush after 9-11, going along with Afghanistan and Iraq. American journalists went along with the politics – Canadian media are still supporting Afghanistan. The journalists may have been awakened from a Rip Van Winkle sleep over the HST, but I doubt it.
Your mea culpa on behalf of journalism is a bit late. I respect that you have made this confession. How many of your colleagues feel the same as you? We’ll see how hard the journalists go after the BC Liberals in the next few months. We’ll see if any of your colleagues have the desire or ability to more critically examine the BC Liberal government.
My guess: journalists will soon be snoozing again. They can’t or won’t connect the BC Liberal dots from 2001 to the present, nor will they delve too deeply on the HST. In some cases their bosses won’t let them. In other cases, the road most travelled is most comfortable.
I should also add that while I am critical of journalism and journalists, I am well aware that the power rests with the editors, publishers and owners. Sometimes journalists are the meat in the sandwich.
(Response: Most interesting analysis …but I’m afraid I do not see my blog on this topic as a “mea culpa” in any way. First, not sure if you realize I have now been retired more than three years (yikes!) … no longer an active working reporter. BUT I ALWAYS asked the tough questions … on any story and of any political party … and no one at any level of management at BCTV/Global EVER told me to pull back or go easy. They, in fact, loved my hard-stories … so sorry if that doesn’t fit completely with your preconceptions or conclusions. And I have no prouder proof to back that up than the fact that, even though I had personally known Gordon Campbell since the early 70s when he was just assistant to Mayor Art Phillips ..and throughout his own political career .. he made no phone call or sent any kind of note congratulating on my retirement (as many others did) when I left. So I clearly didn’t fit the on-side almost blanket caricature you seem to attribute to the media.
But I do agree with many of your other comments .. and blame management for not choosing to assign reporters to aggressively go after enough political stories under the Liberals … no doubt turning off voters and viewers. h.o.)
17 Powell river persuader // Aug 2, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Harvey……..
The title of this story :Liberals used,abused the media:
The Campbell Liberals have used abused,the public for 8 years,………
Harvey,I have never seen such anger by the public over the HST and all of Campbell`s election lies,err promises,err suggestions……
There are,if I am correct, there were 6 new ridings and 7 liberals that didn`t run again……..
Which means there are like a dozen new Liberal MLAs who will not have earned lifelong pensions by the time the next election rolls around……
I figure Campbell to resign after the olympics or at least before the next election…..new MLAs must have full email accounts and voice mails at their constituency offices over this HST……….
How many Liberals are prepared to vote against the HST? Campbell will be gone,these newbie MLAs who ran in many neck and neck ridings,are they prepared to be voted into oblivian?
Even if Campbell resigns before the election these newbies will be guilty of association if they back this new tax…….
The people won`t forget this one,this tax will be everywhere,on nursing costs for seniors,every hydro bill,every other utility bill….housing,food,funerals alone could be a 2000.00$$ hit……Best estimations it will cost the average family 2000.00$$ per year….
If I was a new Liberal MLA,what would I fear more,a belligerant resigning Campbell or a one term end to my political carrer with no pension?
The dynamic exists on this Harvey,where do new MLAs hide in the Comox valley or Kamloops or Dawson creek?
Cheers-Eyes Wide Open
18 A. G. Tsakumis // Aug 3, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Firstly, there are some significant dreamers in this stream!
Bill Good and Christy Clark are “right wingers”?!
Um, okay…
Secondly, for something as broad sweeping as the HST to be implemented, it would require at least a six month period of projections and screens over such a rapidly shifting economy. So the fraud extended from far before the election.
Lastly, this is the best damn blog in town. Harvey, your opinions remain clear and crisp and are not steeped in the crap of political correctness.
It’s made the heat in the Okanagan bearable!
(Response: Thanks Alex. I appreciate the support of those who read the blog …because others in politics and the media apparently are not fans: discovered last week I was NOT invited this year to be a judge at the Webster Awards, where I had volunteered since retirement. Must have stepped on someone’s toes? But that will never stop me from Keeping it Real.
h.o.)
19 genuine // Aug 3, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Harvey ,that award and the person who receives it, well let’s put it this way ,all the kids get a trophy for participating and the winner get’s one for participating in this farce, that has fooled no one as you can see by the posts,it’s not what that award was meant for and if I were a journalist ,I wouldn’t attend!Any journalist with any self respect would stay away and boycott ,what there bosses have done to them,to lose the respect of readers is saying something ,maybe they should say nothing and show us their dismay by not attending!!!!maybe there bosses would get the message!!!!But I doubt it ,even there stock nose diving to ten cents a share did nothing ,so it’s not about the money anymore it’s about control,they have all the money and no control over us!
20 Patrick Bell (Not the MLA) // Aug 3, 2009 at 10:57 pm
“discovered last week I was NOT invited this year to be a judge at the Webster Awards, where I had volunteered since retirement. Must have stepped on someone’s toes?”
Oh oh, some really fragile egos?
Try teacher’s training…I’m a pretty confident guy, but they ripped me apart
(Response: But I hope you never sacrificed your principles … they are much more important. h.o.)
21 albe // Aug 9, 2009 at 6:40 am
Let me guess , Olivia may have a point, the media is not owned by a consortium of poor folk,right , it is owned by persons or shareholders which can and probably do have the inclination to donate to partisans which can favour laws that favour themselves, say Quid Pro Quo. Isn’t that the basis for all the speculation of collusion? When is a party donation not a bribe?Or could it be an encouragement. TEE HEE.
22 S.R. // Aug 9, 2009 at 5:41 pm
MAYBE WE COULD SAVE SOME MONEY BY NOT PUTTING ABOUT A 400 MILLION DOLLAR RETRACTABLE ROOF ON BC PLACE.HOW MANY DAYS IS IT IN USE.?OR
HOW ABOUT SELLING THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER THAT WAS ABOUT 400 MILLION OVERBUDGET.?
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