A message from blogger Garth Turner!!!

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Originally uploaded by Oldmaison.

Independant MP Garth Turner's video weblog is available at www.garthturner.ca


A message from Garth Turner:

I need your help.

Some visitors to the site will notice that, on the brink of the same-sex vote, we gave more coverage to Charles McVety’s press conference than any mainstream media. He is the crusading televangelist and force behind Defend Marriage Canada, which is fighting to stop gay marriages. He is also my avowed political enemy.

But that did not stop my sending MPtv cameras and staff to his presser Wednesday, and then uploading pictures and sound, so you can make your own decisions about the guy and his cause.

In fact, in the last few days, MPtv has given you McVety and his friends, the president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, a whole mess of citizens from the streets of Ottawa, some Liberal and NDP MPs, action from the foyer of the House of Commons, highlights of Question Period, analysis by national experts like economist Mike McCracken and the voices of various lobby groups.

MPtv is produced at absolutely no cost to taxpayers over my basic MP’s budget, and on equipment I bought with my own money. It is the only daily news-oriented political webcasting in Canada, and the videos are downloaded by up to 70,000 people a day. Nobody has tried before to open up Parliament to Canadians in this fashion and, frankly, I expected more than a slap on the puss for going to the effort.

And this is where I need you.

At the McVety media conflab this morning, our MPtv guy tried to ask a question along with all the other reporters, and was shut down (very rudely, I might add) by the press gallery poohbah running the show. Not content with embarrassing us in front of the national media, the gallery guys then threatened to kick us out of the scrum area in front of the House of Commons – you know, where the MPs stream out after QP.

In fact, a week ago I was doing a standup in the foyer and was asked by the Parliamentary Press Gallery president to move along. He suggested we relocate our operation into an area full of coat racks down the hall. Yeah, coat racks. Now, I am told, the same media meanie is writing to the Speaker of the House to have us blackballed.

Hey, maybe the people who populate Parliament just don’t know how to handle us. Maybe the MSM guys are nervous about the power of the web, the unfiltered nature of this broadcasting and the potential of this content. Maybe the whole damn place just doesn’t like this effort of mine to take you as deep inside our political system as possible. Maybe it’s the awesome power of two middle-aged guys with a second-hand camera, some used TV lights and an old-fashioned microphone with two yards of black wire attached.

Whatever. We ain’t moving. And when the inevitable confrontation comes, it would be good to have a few words of support from our viewers. So, if you can send me a comment to use when the Speaker dumps on me, please do so: garth@garth.ca.

I need to go now and remind my wife why I got back into politics.
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MPtv incurs wrath of Parliamentary Press Gallery person

Who owns the Parliament buildings?
Who owns the space in it?
And who gets to give media credentials to an MP?

Halton MP Garth Turner, who is not shy with words, has been running a fairly popular vid-blog (video blog) for his constituents along with his text blog. The vid-blog is called MPtv. The two times I’ve chosen to watch it, it’s been really interesting, timely and gave me the information I wanted.

Now it appears someone in the Parliamentary Press Gallery has taken exception to the concept. I suppose the Gallery doesn’t want every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jacque and Pierre with a blog and video camera romping around Parliament Hill and press conferences. But then again, every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jacque and Pierre probably doesn’t care to romp around Parliament Hill and blog about it. I doubt Tom Dick, Harry, Jacque and Pierre have 70 thousand dollars to throw into video blogging anyway.

I think it would be great if my MP was this innovative, but he isn’t, and I doubt the 303 other MP’s in the House are likely to be either.