Sexism Duffy Style

On Mike Duffy Live yesterday the issue of Maxime Bernier's jilted girlfriend was the big story. No news there, however he had a woman reporter on from Le Devoir; Helene Buzzetti, who exposed the fact that Julie Coulliard former boyfriend, who was part of her biker past, was trying to get contracts with a provincial government justice department. Now thats news.

According to the opposition Parti Québécois, a firm whose principals once included a former boyfriend of Couillard's won a $158,000 government contract last year to escort detainees from Quebec's jails to outside medical and dental appointments.

The problem is that Robert Pépin, Couillard's former flame and the key figure behind Agence d'investigation et de sécurité D.R.P., was a convicted felon who owed six-figure debts to a loan shark with direct ties to the Hells Angels and to a member of another well-known Montreal criminal gang.

So what does Duff ask her about, well to comment on Couillard's interview with the French language journal; Seven Days; 7 Jours,which focuses on her personal pain at being jilted by Maxime. 7 Jours is a fluff journal published by Quebecor, the owners of the Sun chain of papers.

Does he ask the Le Devoir reporter about the real news breaking in Quebec about how Couillard lied about her being a Real Estate agent, or about her biker boyfriend attempts to gain government contracts, or about what Maxime knew about her past?

'Maxime knew' of biker ties, Couillard says

Nope he asks her to respond to the pain Couillard suffered over being jilted he read sections of the Seven Day's interview, all mush and gush, with nary a political implication, all about her bosom being exposed, and her belief she was seen as a tart in the English press, because her photo was national news.

Not satisfied he goes on at the end of the program to interview two more female reporters about Le Affair Couillard, and again nothing of political import, rather he again asks them to talk about the Seven Days interview and her bosom.

Maxime Bernier and Julie Couillard arrive at Rideau Hall last August for his swearing in as Minister of Foreign Affairs. (PAUL CHIASSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Is it me or do I detect an attempt here to avoid the real issue, that Julie Couillard who has biker connections held onto secret government documents for a month, in favour of salacious fawning over her bosom.

For Duff it was as if nothing political happened rather this was a news feature worthy of Women's Wear Daily. And he demeaned his female colleagues by his focus on the Seven Days article, avoiding the more important political implications of this sordid affair. Had they been male reporters he would not have asked them to comment on Couillard's personal feelings, but rather he would have asked them about the political impact of the Bernier affair in Quebec. It was as if we had gone back to the days when women reporters were relegated to the social and fashion pages of the newspapers where they worked.

And on a different note, the Duff used to be accused by the Blogging Tories and their ilk of being a shill for the Liberals. The more I watch the Duff the more I believe he is simply acting as a Government Mouth Piece. His focus on the personal trauma of Couillard reinforces the governments claim that this is all about a personal affair which is none of the publics business.

His fawning interview with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty further proves it; Duffy=Shill for the Government.



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