👀 While speaking at the Hogue Inquiry into #foreignInterference, former Stephen Harper MP, Christopher Alexander, alleged that 🇨🇦 reporter David Pugliese is a longtime Soviet/Russian asset.
Cdn. Assn of Journalists has fired back:
"We wholeheartedly denounce the ridiculous accusations made against David Pugliese. A sad irony these comments were made in a meeting examining disinformation campaigns. These claims are dangerous & designed to undermine the credibility of journalists."
#Ottawa Citizen reporter, David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist who has covered Canadian Forces and military issues in #Canada for 40 years.
“Mr. Alexander’s fabricated claims are not only ridiculous but dangerous to the safety of my family, particularly my children. His statements would also be libellous had he not uttered them 👉 behind the security of parliamentary committee privilege.” said Pugliese.
#cdnpoli #poilievre #russia
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/postmedia-reporter-says-kgb-allegations-are-ridiculous-and-entirely-false
"David Pugliese's reputation as a journalist is the best rebuttal to this attack. Mr Alexander should never have made such an incendiary statement while protected by parliamentary privilege. He should withdraw the accusation or repeat it without privilege so that David can defend himself."
--John Ibbitson, Globe and Mail, political columnist
#cdnpoli #canada #foreignInterference #conservatives #russia
@gemelliz What a total dick move. I wonder if it was tit for tat for Trudeau naming Jordan Peterson and Tucker Carlson as Russian-funded at the Inquiry last week.
I'm sure Pugliese's defence of Afghan diplomat Richard Colvin - who blew the whistle on the torture of Afghan detainees - when Colvin was being vilified by Con MPs including Alexander in the press 12 years ago had nothing to do with it. 🙄
Alexander said the Afghan torture issue was nothingburgers and then Harper prorogued parliament
@gemelliz @AlisonCreekside
That photo needs a content warning. I’d completely memory-holed those two clowns. Kelly Leach. Brrrr.
*Shudders*
@gemelliz Oh no worries - the journalists will come for each other. Max Fawcett over on X is posting about Pugliese's book on Chrystia Freeland's grandfather being a nazi and how Justin Ling - who appeared at the same Public Safety and National Security Committee meeting as Alexander - says it was a story shopped by the Russians.
Edited to add: Max Fawcett has retracted, adding "Russian interference is a problem. Let's deal with it without falling into their traps."
Good for him.
The concept of Parliamentary Privilege is that Parliamentarians are to be held to a *higher* standard than ordinary Canadians by Parliament itself; instead we’ve had a race to the bottom that allows almost everything *except* actually calling a liar a liar.
Interesting that a Con would be going after a reporter for Putzmedia.
GG
Alison Creekside
*|FNAME|* 🇨🇦
David Mitchell 
Ruth O’Day
Scooter 