The Prime Minister's Office has warned Conservative MPs not to comment on the marriage next month of two gay RCMP constables.The gag order went to all MPs but was aimed at "the small minority who might say something stupid," said one caucus member.
It's just the latest in a determined effort by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to control and limit his new government's public message track.
And it follows party strategists' successful suppression during the election campaign of outspoken social conservatives whose opinions might have harmed the party's climb to power.
At one of Harper's campaign events in January, party officials spirited a well-known anti-abortion advocate into a back kitchen — in full view of bemused reporters — rather than risk the local Tory candidate's views being aired by the media.
Now the marriage of RCMP constables Jason Tree and David Connors in Yarmouth, N.S., appears to be causing some unease in the PMO.
Sandra Buckler, Harper's director of communications, was not available for comment Thursday. But several Conservative MPs quietly confirmed they had received the PMO gag order after the story of the Mountie wedding received widespread media coverage last week.
Opposition MPs said the gag order is telling.
(Source: Toronto Star) - Keep Reading
No comments:
Post a Comment