Stephen Harper watches a hockey game—is this really newsworthy?

by Charlie Smith on October 9th, 2011 at 4:34 PM

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News alert: Prime Minister Stephen Harper watched the Winnipeg Jets season opener with his daughter Rachel. The Prime Minister's Office sent photos to the media. Presumably, that involved the use of paid government communications staff on a Thanksgiving weekend.

During economic hard times—when Harper has said that a recession is "inevitable" without cuts to global deficits—is it really necessary to employ someone on the taxpayers' dime to take pictures of the prime minister at a hockey game?

Just askin'.

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.

Comments

28 Comments

Moebius Stripper

Oct 9, 2011 at 5:13pm

It's apparently newsworthy enough to be the first item on the straight.com homepage.

MediaMouth

Oct 9, 2011 at 5:54pm

What is really sad about this is that most Canadians will simply 'eat it up', unquestioningly. Sigh, we are so primed for a tyrant.

Buke

Oct 9, 2011 at 6:03pm

Mr Harper sure enjoys his use of the Private Jet, the RCMP entourage and free hockey tickets. Little does he seem to know that these types of excursions infuriate taxpayers.

NeilD

Oct 9, 2011 at 6:05pm

Throwing a hot dog at Tiger Woods isn't news either.

JDot

Oct 9, 2011 at 6:18pm

Wow, are you phucking kidding me with this post? Ugh, you Harper haters need to step your game up...

Steven H.

Oct 9, 2011 at 6:30pm

No, what is newsworthy is that someone else considered it newsworthy enough to employ a taxpayer-funded employee overtime to take this picture and send it out to media organizations. You see, this article is more dealing with the "meta-newsworthiness" of the situation...

turtle's back

Oct 9, 2011 at 6:37pm

We should be asking you Charlie Smith???

eastofrockies

Oct 9, 2011 at 6:40pm

I suppose it is if it keeps reporters like you whining......why can't you people say something positive once in a while.....this dirt slinging reporting gets old real quick.....

PeterLT

Oct 9, 2011 at 7:27pm

Tyrant???

Do you even know what that means? Ask a Syrian what a tyrant is, ask a Somali, ask a Lybian. Tyrant my arse, you have no idea how good you have it here in Canada.

It is very newsworthy if you intend to use it as a slam piece.