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NDP goes after Jean and Kenney over Rebel ties; both respond

Last Updated Aug 17, 2017 at 5:24 pm MDT

The Alberta NDP is calling on United Conservative Leadership candidates Brian Jean and Jason Kenney to not only denounce the controversial Rebel Media, but also explain just how close they are with the site.

Government House Leader Brian Mason said Thursday he’s concerned about the past interviews and events both candidates have participated in with the organization.

“Explain to Albertans their association with Rebel Media,” Mason said. “Make sure that people in this province understand why exactly it has been that this racist media outlet, so-called media outlet, is something that has been promoting these kinds of views and is also something which they have regularly associated, by appearing on its programs.

“I think it’s disgusting, I think that Albertans deserve better.”

Both leaders have responded to Mason’s comments, with Jean saying in a statement that he’s always denounced hatred, bigotry and racism and that he doesn’t believe it is the role of elected officials to dictate who the media is.

However, he also said he is concerned with the recent commentary and editorial direction coming from Rebel.

“I have not appeared on the Rebel in seven months and unless their direction changes in a significant way, I will not in the future,” he said.

Kenney also responded through Twitter saying it was sad to see Mason resorting to such tactics and that he’s been repeatedly attacked by the Rebel for criticising the site.

“We can expect many more ridiculous attacks like this,” Kenney said, adding the government is “desperate to talk about anything but its disastrous economic record.”

Kenney also claimed he hadn’t been interviewed by the Rebel in over a year, but videos posted on the website show him speaking to the organization in September and November of 2016.

When that was pointed out to Kenney’s official fact-check Twitter account, it responded: “One appears to be some Qs in a parking lot in public (should he have run away?). Other a difference of a couple weeks. Splitting hairs, no?”

Jean and Kenney are just the latest politicians to distance themselves from Rebel in the last few days following the backlash over its coverage of the chaos in Charlottesville.

One of its correspondents on the ground called those marching on the neo-Nazi side as patriots and the coverage led to the resignation of co-founder Brian Lilley, as well as contributors Barbara Kay and John Robson.

It also prompted the head of Rebel Media, Ezra Levant, to publish a memo denouncing the alt-right, calling it a racist movement and not conservative.

Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer said he wouldn’t do any interviews with Rebel until it changes its ways and fellow UCP leadership candidate Doug Schweitzer has been outspoken in criticizing the site, calling for Jean and Kenney to do the same days before.

Before Jean’s statement, he said earlier in the week that he hadn’t been on for months and had he been asked to go on now, he wouldn’t.

But Mason said that wasn’t good enough.

“Just quietly stopping appearing now that Rebel Media has been exposed for the racist outlet that it is, is not nearly enough,” Mason said. “They need to be held accountable, it’s too late in many respects.”

There’s another connection between Jean and Rebel, as his campaign manager Hamish Marshall also serves as director on the company’s federal incorporation records.

However, the Jean camp says Marshall was never part of any editorial decision-making and has been transitioning out of his role with Rebel since May, adding he had no day-to-day role in “quite some time.”

When Mason was asked why Albertans who dislike the NDP would listen to him, he said that isn’t the point.

“It’s the right thing to do and it’s something that Brian Jean and Jason Kenney should’ve done months and months ago and they haven’t done that,” he said. “It’s pretty clear where Rebel Media stands and it’s pretty clear that Brian Jean and Jason Kenney are standing with them.”