Speaking to the press in King City, Ontario, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went off about Bell’s layoffs yesterday, as he stood in front of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
When a reporter asked, “your heritage minister accused Bell Canada of breaking promises after receiving $40 million in regulatory relief funds, and what is your view of that company’s layoffs? What is your commitment of future government support with that company?”, Trudeau gave a long answer about just how mad he is about Bell’s job cuts, which slashed 9% of its total workforce.
“I’m furious. This is a garbage decision. By a corporation that should know better. We have seen over the past years, journalistic outlets, radio stations, small community newspapers, bought up by corporate entities, who then, layoff journalists, change the offering…the quality of offering to people,” said an angry Trudeau.
“And then when people don’t watch as much, or engage as much, the corporate entity says oh we’re not profitable anymore, we’re gonna sell them off. This is the erosion—not just of journalism—local quality journalism, at a time when people need it more than ever, given misinformation and disinformation,” he added.
“But it’s eroding our very democracy. Our abilities to tell stories to each other of how people’s lives are, stories that reflect our own communities and not central offices in our biggest cities, is part of what binds this country together, from coast to coast to coast,” said the Prime Minister.
“I’m furious. This is a garbage decision by a corporation that should know better,” PM Justin Trudeau tells reporters in King City, Ont., as he responds to a question about recently announced layoffs at Bell.
#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/udtnqbY8O7— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) February 9, 2024
“With incredible diversity of experiences and geographies, we need those local voices. And over the past years, corporate Canada—and there are many culprits in this—have abdicated their responsibility toward their community that they have always made very good profits off of in various ways. As a government we have been stepping up the past years,” he went on.
“Fighting for local journalism, fighting for investments all the while fending off attacks from Conservatives and others who say, no no, you’re trying to buy off journalists. We’re trying to support journalism in this country and across this country, but no government can do it alone. Canadians need to demand better, we will be demanding better, from corporate leaders like in this case Bell, that are eroding Canadians’ ability to know each other, to trust each other, and to trust in the country and the future we are building together,” explained Trudeau.
“So yeah, I’m pretty pissed off about what just happened,” he concluded. What will Trudeau do about this though?
Bell also capped its fibre internet speeds and has been slashing its investments as well.
