‘Thank God we don’t have the media’: Ford praises closed-door announcement
The joke was Doug Ford's last remark at an event which looked like a news conference but had no reporters in attendance, part of a recent trend for his government.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford made an appearance at a Mississauga construction site on Thursday, holding a news-conference style announcement without any media present. Ford joked, “Thank God we don’t have the media,” before adding, “No answers, no questions – we’re good to go.” The event, which was live-streamed on the Premier’s official YouTube channel, was attended by the federal government and Mississauga’s mayor.
Ford utilized the same podium and placard that have been used for previous housing announcements, but the identity of the stakeholders was not disclosed. This closed-door event appears to be part of a trend where the Ford government organizes publicly funded events that resemble news conferences but exclude the press. This approach has drawn criticism, with Interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser accusing the government of avoiding scrutiny and accountability.
The Ford government has been increasingly making it difficult for journalists to follow the premier, as they do not release official itineraries and have changed Ontario's freedom of information laws.
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