https://act.leadnow.ca/rebel-media/
Conservative Party: cut ties with White Supremacists
15,872 actions
goal: 21,000
Update - August 17th - Your campaign is working!
Last night, Leadnow campaigner Logan McIntosh cornered Mr. Scheer at a barbecue in Langley, BC, and asked him to denounce Rebel Media. She caught him on tape calling Rebel Media "worth condemnation"!
Today, CBC is reporting that Scheer has promised not to do any more interviews with Rebel Media unless they overhaul their racist tone. Let's keep growing this petition until every Conservative MP in the country cuts ties with Rebel Media
The world is in shock after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned violent, ending with a terrorist attack that killed one anti-racist protester, and injured almost 20 others. [1]
In the United States, far-right websites like Breitbart have helped to fan the flames of white supremacy and far-right extremism.
But here in Canada, we have our own version of Breitbart. It’s called Rebel Media, and they are bringing the same ugly ideas home to Canada. They’ve published tirades against Jews, organized anti-Islam rallies, and warned of “white genocide” in Canada. [2-3] And on the day of the attack in Charlottesville, one of their own contributors was on the ground, livestreaming her rationalizations for the actions of the white supremacists. [4]
And what’s even more disturbing is that Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer has close ties to this far-right website. He hired a Rebel Media Director, Hamish Marshall, to manage his campaign for party leader. And after Scheer won the leadership, he gave the white supremacist website a one-on-one interview. [5]
The support of Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer could give Rebel Media political legitimacy to bring their dangerous ideas into the mainstream -- and regardless of our political ideology, we all have an obligation to challenge white supremacy whenever it rears its ugly head.
We are calling on Scheer and others in the Conservative party to cut ties with Rebel Media.
Already other conservatives have been speaking out against Rebel Media, including United Conservative Party leadership candidate Doug Schweitzer, MP Michael Chong, and even co-founder of Rebel Media Brian Lilley.[6-7] Now it’s time for Andrew Scheer to join them.
Will you sign the petition calling on Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer to denounce Rebel Media and immediately cut all ties with the hateful site?
Rebel Media is tapping into currents of white supremacy that permeate Canada’s history and institutions. From the early colonists who used smallpox blankets to kill thousands of Indigenous peoples, to the internment of Japanese-Canadians in world war two and a residential school system designed to destroy Indigenous culture, Canada’s history is riddled with racist policies. Racial profiling and ‘carding’ by police, and the ongoing water crisis on First Nations reserves are just two examples that show that the fight to eradicate white supremacy from Canada’s institutions is far from over.
Challenging Andrew Scheer’s connection to Rebel Media’s hateful website is a concrete action we can take today to confront white supremacy in Canada. Sign the petition now.
Sources:
[1] One dead as car strikes crowds amid protests of white nationalist gathering in Charlottesville; two police die in helicopter crash (Washington Post). https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fights-in-advance-of-saturday-protest-in-charlottesville/2017/08/12/155fb636-7f13-11e7-83c7-5bd5460f0d7e_story.html?utm_term=.e7dc16818999
[2] Rebel Media is defending contributor behind 'repulsive rant' that was praised by white supremacists (National Observer). http://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/03/15/news/rebel-media-defending-contributor-behind-repulsive-rant-was-praised-white
[3] Far-right site The Rebel tries to distance itself from the alt right (Vice) https://news.vice.com/story/far-right-site-the-rebel-tries-to-distance-itself-from-the-alt-right
[4] The Rebel Had An Awful Lot Of Sympathy For The White Supremacists In Charlottesville (Canadaland). http://www.canadalandshow.com/rebel-faith-goldy-white-supremacists-charlottesville/
[5] New Tory leader Andrew Scheer campaign linked with controversial Rebel Media (Global News). http://globalnews.ca/news/3485784/andrew-scheer-rebel-media/
[6] Co-founder of The Rebel, Brian Lilley, leaves the conservative media website (Toronto Star) https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/08/15/co-founder-of-the-rebel-brian-lilley-leaves-the-conservative-media-website.html
[7] A Growing List Of People Who Have Cut Ties With The Rebel (Canadaland): http://www.canadalandshow.com/people-who-have-cut-ties-with-rebel-media/
Mr. Scheer is saying do as I say, not as I do. Not good enough.
As for copying Mr. Doug Schweitzer's positive vision idea--well it's a nice mouse trap for voters but without the cheese of cutting off the association of the Conservative party with the Rebel Media folks, it just won't trap Conservative voters like myself. I want a leader who stands up for the human rights of all citizens and doesn't associate in any shape or form with any group that helps other groups present messages of hate.
So until the federal and provincial conservative parties come to the future present I am not voting for these dinosaurs.
READINGCHILDRENSBOOKS.BLOGSPOT.COM
It took an ongoing social media frenzy for the Scheer to even go to this weak step. In my opinion this doesn't say much for him. It requires courage to stand up for the human rights of all and if Mr. Scheer can't do this by cutting ties with the Rebel Media maybe the Conservative movement is dead in Canada.
In any case, this sort of junk makes me think of voting anything but Conservative at all levels.
If Mr. Scheer believes what he yaps here then he should cut off ties with this group because by keeping the relationship he is basically telling us --do as I say and not as I do:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/andrew-scheer-rebel-interviews-1.4251070
"And I think there is a fine line between reporting the facts and giving some of those groups a platform or any kind of legitimacy.
**
Rebel media crossed the line; this is not a single incident. Time for all Conservatives to do as Mr. Scheer has indicated here--not give the Rebel Media folks a platform for spreading the hate of other groups.
Get going Conservatives. Get out of the dinosaur error and join your voters in the future present. Or are y'all in the post Conservatism era--already extinct in terms of philosophy and relevance for voters?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/andrew-scheer-rebel-interviews-1.4251070
NEW
Andrew Scheer won't grant interviews to The Rebel under current 'editorial direction'
Conservative leader says he won't speak with Ezra Levant's website
By Aaron Wherry, CBC News Posted: Aug 17, 2017 11:09 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 17, 2017 11:32 AM ET
Related Stories
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Wednesday he won't speak with Rebel Media as long as its editorial direction remains the same. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer won't grant interviews to Rebel Media if the outlet's editorial direction remains "as it is," he said at an event for supporters in British Columbia on Wednesday evening.
The website, founded by conservative activist Ezra Levant, has come under fire since last weekend's rally of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Va., culminated in violence and an attack on counter-demonstrators that left one woman dead and several others injured. Faith Goldy, a correspondent for The Rebel, was in Charlottesville covering the rally and counter-protests.
"Like all Canadians I viewed the events of last weekend with a great deal of disgust [at] the types of vile comments that were being made by hate groups," Scheer said. "And I think there is a fine line between reporting the facts and giving some of those groups a platform or any kind of legitimacy.
Play
Politics News
Andrew Scheer distances himself from Rebel Media
JUMP TO BEGINNING OF THE TRACK SKIP BACK 15 SECONDS WATCH SKIP FORWARD 30 SECONDS
ADJUST VOLUME
00:00 00:37
SHARE FULLSCREEN
Andrew Scheer distances himself from Rebel Media0:37
"I've got a positive vision [and] I want to get that positive vision out in a positive way and talk to people in a way that talks about issues and brings people together. So as long as the editorial direction of that particular institution remains as it is ... I won't be granting those types of interviews."
Three contributors to The Rebel have resigned in recent days, and Conservative MP Michael Chong released a statement saying he would not grant interviews to the outlet.
After the violence in Charlottesville, Levant released a statement disavowing the "alt-right."
"We are not alt-right," he wrote. "That term now effectively means racism, anti-Semitism and tolerance of neo-Nazism."
"I've got a positive vision [and] I want to get that positive vision out in a positive way and talk to people in a way that talks about issues and brings people together. So as long as the editorial direction of that particular institution remains as it is ... I won't be granting those types of interviews."
The problem is that we're not holding our MLAs to account.
If we did this there would be less waste and more repurposing of public assets.
It is far too easy for government to do what they want to do which often can be the selling of public assets to pay ongoing bills.
Troubling.
Hopefully this poor accountability will change with the NDP folks so that we indeed have a change in the culture at the GOA.