Rebel News owner Ezra Levant was ‘mentor’ to Poilievre, says author

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has found himself in the midst of controversy due to his historic ties to Rebel News owner Ezra Levant. The media personality has been at the centre of a controversy that has engulfed Canada’s Leaders’ Debates Commission. The commission recently faced criticism for allowing right-wing media activists to dominate the post-French debate press conference. As a result, Thursday’s post-debate question-and-answer session was cancelled, citing undefined security concerns.

The cancellation of the question-and-answer session came amidst tensions between Levant and some journalists covering the English debate on-site. The controversy surrounding Levant and his right-wing Rebel News online media employees partly overshadowed the main event of the evening, the federal leaders English-debate. This debate was a crucial moment for Poilievre, who was seeking to gain momentum and polling lead away from Liberal Leader Mark Carney as the campaign headed into its final week.

Mark Bourrie, author of a recently published book on Poilievre, Ripper, highlighted the significance of Levant’s presence at the debate. Bourrie mentioned that Poilievre and Levant had a long history of working together, dating back to their time at the University of Calgary. They both played key roles in the push to have Stockwell Day lead the Canadian Alliance party. Poilievre even campaigned to help Levant secure the nomination for the riding of Calgary Southwest, although Levant ultimately did not win the seat.

Despite their paths diverging after this failed campaign, Bourrie noted that Levant had been a mentor to Poilievre and had opened up opportunities for him in the political arena. Levant’s presence at the recent debate, campaigning through his third-party advocacy entity, ForCanada, further solidified their connection.

The controversy surrounding Levant and Poilievre’s ties has raised questions about the influence of right-wing media activists in Canadian politics. The cancellation of the question-and-answer session has sparked debates about transparency and accountability within the Leaders’ Debates Commission.

Moving forward, it remains to be seen how Poilievre will address his relationship with Levant and navigate the fallout from the recent events. As the campaign enters its final stretch, Poilievre will need to focus on his own campaign messaging and avoid any further entanglements with controversial figures like Levant.