Tonight on The National, Claire Martin, the British accented weatherbimbo, not once, but twice, alluded to the Income Trust changes announced by the government. The first time, she even called it the Income Trust debacle.
For Claire’s information, the Income Trust debacle was when Ralph Goodale’s Ministry of Finance leaked the Liberal announcement in October of 2005. To call the current government’s decision to debaucle is just wrong. And weather reporting eye candy has no place commenting on the governments decision anymore than a sports caster.
The CBC has gone too far this time. No matter what your opinion on the governments decision, this was a further blatant attempt at the CBC trying to influence the viewers against the government and is simply wrong.
Claire Martin should apologize and the CBC needs to get their act together.
I highly urge you all to visit their ombudsman’s website and register a complaint.
The broadcast took place November 2nd, 2006 at approximately 10:55pm EST.
ADDENDUM I took the liberty of recording the rebroadcast from CBC Newsworld at 11pm to 12pm and got the clip on YouTube. You can see it by clicking the link below.
If the above image does not work for you, then you can try visiting the YouTube page by clicking the link below.
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First, can you post a link to her comments? Second, I think she’s an Aussie, not a Brit, but not sure. She was in Edmonton for awhile, getting groomed for CBC I guess, but she wasn’t liked very much here, who can compete with Bill Matheson (God rest his soul).
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Hunter, I don’t have a link. I have better. I set my pc recorder to tape the next session on CBC Newsworld and will post it online shortly via YouTube.
And thanks for the background check. I am usually pretty good at picking out accents.
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You know, while I agree that the CBC is biased beyond belief and that a weatherperson really has no place to discuss politics outrightly, this really seems like a non-issue to me. The Income Trust issue was on the minds of everybody and — as it seems to me from that broadcast — was the last piece of news discussed before her weather report, so I don’t see how her mentioning it in passing is a big deal.
Probably the only thing I can see as being problematic is her use of the word debacle, since there is no disaster in the Income Trust situation, there is thus no debacle presently. In that, she is simply incorrect in her use of the word. But, honestly, I’d save my powder if I’m going to lob assaults at the CBC and wait until I have several points of reference where its reporters went into heavy bias.
The fact that some weather person mentioned it doesn’t really strike me as important. That in combination with something else might.
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I believe I’m with surecure on this – it’s important to choose your battles. However, she is not qualified, you are right, no question. I’m a complete non-partisan voter, and I think the Tories have done the right thing on this matter – there is no question in my mind they acted rightly, and it is most definitely not a debacle at all. I like what they did more and more the more I understand the issue.
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“. . . And thaaaaat’s the weather. . . .!”
BTW, hate to break it to you, it’s ‘Debacle,’ no Income trust for “U”!!
I’m as irked as you are, but let’s face it. You gotta sing for your supper, and you gotta dance with the one that brung ya.
We can’t expect better from the new CBC, so let’s work to gut it, replace, rewrite it.
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The only ‘debacle’ is the lack of widespread understanding of why Flaherty acted as he did.
CBC bottle babies wouldn’t get it – they get their money from the Ministry of Bias.
I agree with Surecure though, that the remark should be taken as trivial – consider the source.
I also agree with Mulder, that it is another example of the endemic sniping by CBC at the government.
Thanks for posting this!
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Heh… I thought she got her start down here in Vancouver first… which is much more likely to explain deranged politics.
I am not surprised she slipped them in – think about the context. She is in a newsroom full of liberals. Before, during and after filming each news report, they are all talking about what they consider the big news is. They go on and on and on about the “Income Trust Debacle”, and she slips it into her weather bit, because it is on her brain. She might have even been using the word “debacle” sarcastically… being sick of hearing about it – certainly that was how she phrased her references in the report, like she really didn’t want to hear anything more about it.
Maybe her politics are actually conservative, and she was reacting on air sarcastically against the moronic liberals running too many stories on it. You know, that could actually be plausible – Australia is much more conservative in many respects than Canada.
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Reeguarding m=eye pour spelin, tuff knuts 2 ewe. twas layte.
Regarding saving my powder, I have plenty as server space is cheap.
Regarding the topic being the Income Trust announcement right before the weather, it just furthers the CBC making more out of it than they should because they practically lead the show with the story and the weather took place 55 minutes after the newscast.
Regarding the meaning of debacle, her use was WAY over the line. This is not a debacle. The tories having to break their word for the good of the country and doing it may be a debacle for the party, but it is not a debacle for Canada.
Regarding “No Income Trust for me”, I am already beyond that point and if it means helping keep the federal and provincial governments from losing billions that is ciphoned off by Income Trusts, then so be it. I’ll take my hit now while I am young. The seniors hopefully can recoup some of their losses on the new legislation for income splitting and many Canadians have NO money invested and couldn’t care less other than they just need to know it saves the government billions in tax loop holes corporations won’t have. Good for the government. Debacle my butt Claire.
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TOM: I think I might have been a little bit vague in my point of saving your powder. I wasn’t referring to you making a comment here on this space. What I was referring to was actually taking the time out to contact the CBC ombudsman over this. Considering how very slight this whole thing is, I doubt that it would register on its own… hence my mentioning about how there would be a point made in mentioning this in conjunction with something else.
I’m cool with people pointing out stuff like this and I was in no way trying to say that you can’t do whatever you want on your own blog. I was just trying to point out that something like this is really not big enough to contact the ombudsman over.
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CaNN :: We started it.
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I would have no problem with CBC weather news as long as they make a formal annoncement that “this is a party political broadcast” first.
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Anyone hung-up on this issue really needs to find other ways to entertain him/herself. Now, I have been voting Tory for as long as I have been making the trip to the polling station, but your desperate and pathetic attempts to try and find any bias in every CBC newscast are ridiculous. There is no doubt that the CBC’s views are skewed toward the Liberal party, but if this is the best you can find, then you need to get into another business. My family and I have been watching Claire Martin since she first came to Edmonton, and she is a fantastic broadcaster and a real weather expert. Frankly the only people that take the time to post notes that try to discredit Claire (or any broadcaster for that matter), are people that have nothing better to do with their lives.
Shame on you! You are too stupid to realize that senseless rants such as this only discredit all Tory supporters. My God, we’d be the laughing stock of the country if people thought that every Conservative voter was as psychiatrically unstable as you!
As for Claire’s comment, I see nothing wrong with it. It was clearly not meant to influence, and anyone that believes that it was scripted is foolish! Are you that much of a conspiracy theorist? I strongly suggest you stop watching so many movies, and as my teenage son says “Get a life!”
I am now going to remove myself from this useless dialogue, so please don’t expect a response to your rebuttals.
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Debacle (#12) First off, your own words tell alot.
“There is no doubt that the CBC’s views are skewed toward the Liberal party, but if this is the best you can find, then you need to get into another business.”
It just shows you how far the bias permeates this money sucking tax pit. Anyone who feels the CBC puts out quality and nothing else must either be an employee or have family working there.
Secondly,
“and she is a fantastic broadcaster and a real weather expert.”
I never questioned her weather reporting skills. I just questioned a weather broadcaster jumping into editorial and financial role. So be careful what you go accusing someone of.
I may have been wrong in calling Claire a “weatherbimbo” but I certainly was not wrong in my assessment that a weather reporter should become a financial commentator while doing the weather. Most sane (i.e. non political) people watch the news for the sports and weather and avoid the politics. For them to hear “income trust debacle” it would most certainly give a negative impact of the decision.
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Why, oh why, does Canada have a british accent hosting its national weather forecast???? CBC has really gone downhill. Wow
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Accent gets annoying. She always says “it is going to be rainy I’m afraid”. What is she afraid of. Sounds like Bugs Bunny…. afwaid.
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Claire Martin is English, not Australian – full stop.
We think she is intelligent and full of humour.
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I love Claire Martin… watched her when she was in Edmonton and now I enjoy her again on CBC…The National… she is a breath of fresh air, sparky, and I love her new haircut….
Keep up the good work Claire….
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Just saw Clair Martins make a report about the tragedy of the HMS Bounty, Nova Scotia built ship during Hurricane Sandy and Clair Martins had an inappropriate happy, stupid smile on her face….is this report suppose to be funny?…and does Mansbridge have a crushon her…please keep the new professional!
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This woman takes fingernails on the chalkboard to a whole new level. The single most annoying person on TV today. In case you are wondering, this is a fine example of why the English have such a poor perception internationally. she is ill informed, flippant and condescending. She is unimportant, overconfident, and from a bygone era of empire that has left an unfortunate legacy around the globe. PLEASE go home Claire. We do not want you in our country….Hey, here’s a thought..Maybe there is a job opening in Derry or Belfast? There is no reason to believe you wouldn’t fit in is there Claire. No reason to believe these common folks wouldn’t secretly admire you right?