So much for the stereotype of Canadians being polite, calm people.
On Thursday, following a debate in Montreal between Canadian party leaders in the upcoming parliamentary election, one of the reporters went stark raving mad to the extent that he went on an extended rant for over 5 minutes in the press room following the debate. Stuart Benson of the Hill Times couldn't control his outrage that one of the few independent news outlets in Canada, Rebel News, was allowed to ask questions of the party leaders.
Here is the extended bizarre rage rant by Benson against Rebel News that lasted over five minutes.
It's pandemonium in the media centre as a Hill Times reporter has a wild temper tantrum at the independent media. This is WILD! pic.twitter.com/2Tpw9xn5EU
— Alex Zoltan (@AmazingZoltan) April 17, 2025
As any observer can see, it was Benson who went completely unhinged which caused Rebel News CEO Ezra Levant to label him as "Tantrum Boy." Yet, it was Benson who on Friday falsely blamed Levant, not himself, for the post-debate media scrum to be cancelled.
The commission continued to take heat as its decision to allow Rebel News and other right-wing activists additional slots in the media availability bubbled over into the second night, with the independent body ultimately cancelling the post-debate media scrums.
In addition to Benson falsely insinuating that Rebel News, not his own unhinged meltdown, was the cause of the post-debate media scrum, the Toronto Star went far over the line into outright misinformation on that situation as you can see in their Friday headline and story by Dylan Robertson, "Debates chief cancels post-debate Q&A after Rebel News clashes with reporters."
The head of the Leaders’ Debates Commission cancelled a planned question-and-answer session between journalists and party leaders scheduled to take place after Thursday’s English-language debate, following heated exchanges between reporters and representatives of the right-wing media group Rebel News.
Notice there are apparently objective "reporters" vs. the "right-wing media group." Unfortunately for Mr. Robertson's outright misinformation attempt which completely avoids any mention of the key role of Stuart Benson's unprovoked and unhinged extended outburst, the video exists to serve as a fact check on what really happened in the press room.
PS: Benson also objected on Twitter, on his "third party advertiser" argument:
Leaders Debate Commission just told CBC’s David Cochrane that it was unaware that Rebel News founder Ezra Levant—accredited at the debate alongside four of his employees—is also the owner of ForCanada, a third party advertiser registered with Elections Canada…..… pic.twitter.com/gEcEG2icix
— Stuart Benson (@LeftHandStu) April 17, 2025
