More Hillarity

Now the unions have jumped into the fray beween the Harperites and the Hacks of Parliament Hill.

TNG Canada, which represents media workers at the CBC and newspapers in many parts of the country, says the change is worrying because less access means Canadians know less about what the government is doing.

"Any effort to control the media or restrict the flow of information to the public worries us because it chips away at a free and democratic society," said Arnold Amber, director of TNG Canada.

"It also flies in the face of Harper's promises to make government more honest, transparent and accountable."

Amber said his union is considering ways to put public pressure on the Conservatives to lift the media restrictions.

Peter Murdoch of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union said MPs should also be upset and should use a Commons committee to take Harper to task.

"The media is accustomed to news management and spin, but hiding ministers from reporters is bizarre as practice and frightening as policy," said Murdoch.

"As representatives of Canadian journalists, we are alarmed at this tactic. It smacks of totalitarianism, not the democratic process we are used to in this country."

The way things are going, the Hill's daffodils are going to poke their little buds out and retreat back into the cold, cold ground.

Comments

[Bill-Muskoka]

I think many, including myself, saw that one clearly coming! No surprise. No real news to report because there is no Parliament doing anything...yet! So, now we have the great Scrum Debate! LOL!

[Pat Anderson]

I like Rick Mercer's take on it... something to the effect that the media should, on any issue, ask the other elected parties for their opinions, and not bother with the Conservatives. :-D
Give 'em what they ask for... no coverage.

[Charles Hoppe]

And here I thought that the unions did not want to play politics anymore. I guess everybody is looking for an angle. By the way almost everything said about the dead tree industry applies to unions. I would call them the dead ideas industry.

[Peter J.]

Can you clarify the distinction between TNG and CMG, Antonia?

Here's what I've been able to figure out, for what it's worth: TNG Canada is The National Guild of Canadian Media, Manufacturing, Professional and Service Workers according to http://www.tngcanada.org/ (and is also known as The Newspaper Guild Canada according to http://cmg.ca/about.html ). The CMG (Canadian Media Guild) is a local associated with TNG Canada. Both organizations identify themselves as representing newspaper, television, radio and "new media" workers. TNG Canada claims 8000 members, CMG 6000; I presume CMG is a strict subset, but can't identify anything that would distinguish the 2000 TNG Canada members from their CMG counterparts.

Arnold Amber is a director of TNG Canada and also the president of CMG's CBC Branch Executive Council; he was the main CMG spokesperson during the CBC lockout. Lise Lareau, often identified in stories about CBC as a representative of CMG, is the national president of the CMG and a "member at large" and communications chair for TNG Canada.

[Antonia]

Here's the scoop:

CMG, the Canadian Media Guild, is the largest local of TNG Canada.

Arnold Amber wears two hats. He is director of TNG Canada, as well as being president of the "CBC Branch" of the CMG. Lise Lareau is the national president of CMG.

TNG Canada is affiliated with The Newspaper Guild in the US, which in turn is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America.

www.tngcanada.org/en/menu/locals/shtml