Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to clarify what actually occurred during the federal leaders’ debates in Montreal on April 16 and 17.

As with previous elections in 2019 and 2021, Rebel News had to take legal action simply to gain access to the Commission’s proceedings. This year, in 2025, we were again forced to defend our right to attend. Thanks to a legal precedent set by Ezra Levant, not only were Rebel News journalists permitted entry, but other independent outlets gained access as well — including The Counter Signal, The Hub, True North, JUNO, and the Western Standard. Rebel News was represented by a team of five journalists.

In 2021, independent reporters were permitted just one question each. This time, despite being fully aware of how many journalists would attend, the Commission imposed a strict limit of one question and one follow-up per journalist, within a rigid 10-minute window per party leader.

No recordings were permitted inside the venue — a rule we followed.

Independent journalists lined up professionally and came prepared. Yet as soon as questions began, certain legacy media reporters reacted with visible hostility. Some heckled from their seats and slammed papers on their desks. One Radio-Canada journalist even lost her composure, accusing independent journalists of “stealing question time.” We remained professional, despite the overt disrespect.

Independent journalists are granted a rare opportunity — once every four years — to question national leaders. That seems to be too much for some in the legacy media.

That evening, and into the next day, mainstream outlets misrepresented what transpired. Some headlines falsely claimed Rebel News "dominated" the debate — even though only four of our journalists managed to ask a question. Both Drea Humphrey and I were completely ignored by Jagmeet Singh. Drea’s pointed question quickly went viral — prompting CBC's Rosemary Barton to spread inaccurate information about it. A correction was eventually published, but as we all know, retractions rarely garner attention.

Legacy media made no effort to distinguish between independent outlets, often lumping all together under the “Rebel News” label. Contrary to some reports, none of our journalists questioned Mark Carney.

On the second day, Commission Director Michel Cormier began a media tour — including an appearance on CBC — where he openly expressed opposition to our presence. This was despite our legal accreditation.

At approximately 6:10 p.m., Ezra Levant waited for CBC’s David Cochrane and Rosemary Barton to break for commercial before requesting a right of reply. He aimed to address false claims made about Rebel News. The brief exchange — clearly off-air — lasted less than a minute. CBC’s reaction? They called security.

Shortly after, The Hill Times' Stuart Benson shouted accusations at Ezra. Then, a woman informed Ezra that CBC wanted him expelled over a false allegation — that he had attempted to interrupt their livestream. He had clear evidence disproving this. Later, Cochrane falsely claimed Ezra’s media credentials had been revoked. That, too, was a lie.

When Ezra re-entered the media room, reporters surrounded him with questions. The moment was captured on video.

As the debate resumed, we awaited confirmation from the Commission about whether the original approval — five Rebel News journalists, one question each — would be upheld. Instead, the entire media scrum was abruptly cancelled. The reason given by Cormier: “They didn’t feel they could guarantee a proper environment for the scrum.” As expected, the legacy press blamed us.

Then came a more serious escalation. A Radio-Canada cameraman, who earlier had physically pushed reporter Keean Bexte, did the same to Lincoln Jay. When I approached the cameraman — in French — to ask for his name and outlet, he tried to conceal his identity. Lincoln and I pressed for answers.

To our surprise, riot police had already been called to the venue by Radio-Canada.

The situation quickly deteriorated. The cameraman slapped Lincoln’s phone out of his hand. Soon after, Terry Guillon — former lead media handler for Justin Trudeau, now working with Mark Carney — passed by. Guillon has a history with Rebel News: he previously had an altercation with Keean Bexte, physically escorted me out of a Liberal retreat, and cut my microphone at a press conference. When David Menzies pointed a camera at him, Guillon slapped the phone from his hands. Twice. It's on video.

The same Radio-Canada cameraman who assaulted our team? He was later seen boarding the Liberal campaign bus, gear in hand. Despite these clear incidents of physical aggression, police did not intervene.

Meanwhile, mainstream outlets continued to spread false claims — some even suggesting links between Rebel News and the Conservative Party. But let’s be clear: under former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, we were actively blocked from covering their events. The difference today? Under Pierre Poilievre’s leadership, press freedom — a cornerstone of any functioning democracy — has been partially restored.

This is what actually happened in Montreal. Watch the footage. Examine the facts. And decide for yourself.

Please help me stop Mark Carney — before it’s too late!

Mark Carney wasn’t elected — he was installed by the global elites. And now that he’s in charge, they think they’ve won. But not if we have anything to say about it. While the bought-and-paid-for media slobber over their new golden boy, we’re hitting the streets, digging into his World Economic Forum playbook, and calling out the radical agenda they’re trying to ram down Canada’s throat. This is the fight of our lives — and we’re not backing down. Help us keep our reporters on the ground, our billboard truck on the move, and our message uncensored. Pitch in now if you want to stop Mark Carney before he does irreversible damage.

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