For a right-winger like Godfrey to not only ask government for help, but a Liberal government at that, it must have been excruciating. This is the same fierce critic of media subsidies, the same owner who sold a chunk of his empire to an American hedge fund outfit, the same publisher who ran a full front-page Conservative campaign ad in Elections Canada colours two days before last year's federal election. The Liberals on the committee were quick to point this out.
Godfrey is one of a long line of conservative businessmen who rail against government handouts, but when their business or their industry falls on hard times, they don't hesitate to justify a little welfare for themselves, always for the good of the country of course.
I doubt Mr. Godfrey will have much luck begging largesse from this government. Nor should he. Postmedia is a staunch promoter of neoliberal philosophy and should be expected to live by its principles. Live by the free market, die by the free market.
You know, I don't think Godfrey is in the least bit mortified in asking the Libs for a handout. He's as amoral as they come, a man who sells himself to the highest bidder to be a hard-nosed "manager". He got paid $1.76 million last year including a $400,000 bonus for the buying out of Sun Media, and then almost immediately reneged on the condition that newsrooms wouldn't be integrated into the PostMedia pap and "anger against anyone who isn't an avowed conservative" system. Probably highly illegal - do you think he cares or loses a moment of sleep over it? Nah. Many journos lost their jobs, but Old Godfrey did just fine, thanks all the same. The man has no ethics whatsoever and is obviously incapable of remorse.
ReplyDeleteNo, he's just going to bat for his owners who are a bit upset that PostMedia is sliding inexorably down the drain and that their investment is worth the square root of eff all. So, in the spirit of conservatives everywhere who are losing money, it's time to sidle up to the public trough and beg and plead for a handout when competition is too strong and their business is for all intents and purposes, bankrupt.
You're ascribing normal human emotions to a man who couldn't care less about anyone other than himself. So, I'd say he's not even the teensiest bit embarassed about blathering about its all government's fault for not handing out enough advertising money. He's still using the occasion to blame government, it's not his fault, blah, blah, blah. The sad thing will be if anyone actually listens to his self-serving drivel. No matter what the outcome, there will be nasty articles in the National Post, count on it.
Paul Godfrey and Sophie Gregoire have a lot in common on that front, both with their hands out, begging from the taxpayers.
ReplyDelete