Doug Ford is not winning any favour with the media lately. First, his party announced that they would be creating their own news channel called Ontario News Now. The service is completely run by the Conservatives and fully funded by taxpayer dollars which Ontarians are claiming reports all biased fake news.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the Conservatives have developed a ridiculous tactic to dodge questions at press conferences and reporters are pissed.
@fordnationdougfordembedded via
One Queen's Park reporter tweeted recently that at almost every Conservative party press conference, staff members, who are paid with taxpayer dollars, are on hand and after a couple questions have been answered they clap on cue to drown out any more questions from reporters.
The tweet also included a video from a recent press conference with Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod where some of her staff members began clapping and the reporters in the room were not impressed. Colin D'mello, a CTV reporter actually stands up for the media and tells the staffers to stop while another person in the room yells "this isn't kindergarten."
After answering a handful of questions @MacLeodLisa staffers and other PC staff clap on cue to drown out reporters...something we have seen at most @fordnation news conferences. Caught tail end, press gallery colleague @ColinDMello stands up for media & tells them to stop #ONPoli pic.twitter.com/EX5DppxzN6
While Ontarians are especially not pleased with the fact that they are paying for Ford's online news service, they are also pretty unimpressed with how the party has been treating reporters.
The tweet has been viewed over 100,000 times and Ontarians replying to the shocking situation are appalled by the fact that the Conservatives have been using this tactic.
Someone remind them they are PUBLIC servant's, they are answerable to the #people
Who’s idea was this? Who told these staffers to behave this way? That person should be ashamed of themselves! I don’t support this type of immature and unprofessional behaviour at all. 🤦🏻♀️
Thank you to @ColinDMello and others who criticized MacLeod's staff's antics. News media are the public's eyes and ears and we need you to ask questions of politicians on our behalf.
Many are demanding explanations from MacLeod as to why she got her staffers to do this, while others are applauding Colin D'mello for standing up for the press. Some Ontarians have tweeted that the media is there to inform them on what is happening at Queen's Park and they are livid that Doug Ford is silencing them.
And of course, people are also outraged that they, the taxpayers, have been paying the salaries of these people just to have them stand around clapping.
@lisamacleodpcAs if the situation wasn't bad enough, the staffers can be seen at the end of the video smirking and drinking their coffee to avoid laughing as the reporters call them out.
The Rockyview General Hospital is pictured in Calgary, Thursday, March 20, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
B.C. Green Leader Emily Lowan following a media availability in Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Light