Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Toronto on Wednesday at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce convention, answering questions on the economy, when the following came up:
"I tend to watch (mainly) American news; I don't like to watch Canadian news and hear what Allan [Gregg, the pollster/CBC pundit seated in the audience] and everybody else is saying about me.
"My hobby is to watch politics elsewhere."
Harper didn't deign to say what American news channels got his attention, but I suspect the smart money isn't on any network that broadcasts Keth Olbermann or Rachel Maddow. :)
On Thursday, here was the reaction from Harper's minions (from CP via Google News):
Industry Minister Tony Clement was aghast Thursday when asked about Harper's news viewing habits.
"I'm sure he does" watch Canadian news, Clement said outside the House of Commons.
Told of Harper's assertion, Clement was frankly skeptical.
"We're news junkies, all of us are. Come on. You know what we're all about."
Peter Kent, the junior foreign minister and a former Global TV newscaster, said Harper "absolutely" watches Canadian news, but backed off when pressed.
"Well, I've never sat with him but I assume that he ..."
Jason Kenney, Harper's politically astute citizenship and immigration minister, had a nimble response at the ready when asked about Harper's news-viewing habits.
"I think the prime minister is too busy to sit there being vainglorious and watching himself on TV," said Kenney.
Liberal MP Bob Rae said he was shocked -- shocked! -- to find out Harper didn't watch Canadian TV news.
Now, Mr. Kenney, had he been pressed on the issue, might have conceded Harper has a small army in the PMO to monitor the media for him, thus cutting down on the time required for vainglorious behaviour.
And while former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney professed not to pay much mind to the newscasts and papers, for some reason, his former press secretary Michel Gratton named his memoir So What Are The Boys Saying?
Allan Gregg, who was at Wednesday's event, noted on CBC TV's At Issue panel during The National that Harper was trying for a laugh -- "at my expense."
Gregg used to be a Tory pollster in the Mulroney era. "We never had a meeting that didn't end at 9:59," he said, implying things had to be wrapped up before The National came on.
"I suspect the same is going on here," he said, noting, "How did he know I was on a CBC panel if he didn't watch the news, more logically."
Andrew Coyne of Maclean's said Harper would be wise to skip most of the news. "Most of it's a waste of time ... nothing ever changes -- it's the same characters, the same issues. The pace of events is glacial."
Gregg said for context, the question Harper was originally asked was about American protectionism, and Harper noted "he had seen an incredible rise in nationalism on American news."
At the end of the day, this isn't a big deal, Gregg said.