Angry in the Great White North

Liberal MP Garth Turner of Halton was the subject of a profile by CPAC.  In that piece, Garth Turner is filmed knocking on the door of a constituent's home.  A man answers, and they exchange introductions.  The man asks about the carbon tax.  Garth Turner explains that it will mean more money in his pocket.  The man is satisfied and the visit ends.

Did Garth Turner knock one out of the park?  Well, as it turns out, the man is Michael Shaye, the son of Esther Shaye, Garth Turner's campaign manager.

It has all the appearance of a contrived encounter designed to look good in front of the cameras.  Unfortunately, CPAC does not run commercials.  The CBC interviewed me, then asked CPAC for an explanation, wondering why CPAC would be complicit in this.

Needless to say, the journalists at CPAC were furious.  I encourage you to watch the video at Stephen Taylor's blog, but to help those how can't listen to the audio, I've transcribed the entire segment below.  It begins with Peter Van Dusen asking colleague Martin Stringer about how it was that they were at that house to begin with:

Peter Van Dusen: How did you end up at the home of Garth Turner's campaign manager's son while he was out canvassing?  How did the CPAC crew come to be there?

Martin Stringer: Well, Peter, in a nutshell, we had done an interview with Garth Turner, the candidate, in his office.  We did a long extensive interview, very interesting interview with him.  Then after that we expressed interest, as we always do with candidates, we expressed interest with the candidate and his manager, we said we'd love to follow Mr Turner out on the doorstep.  This is a slice of his life, this is a day in the life of a candidate.  So can we follow him out on the doorstep.

There was some discussion about, well, it was getting dark, and there was some concern, as there always is, that we don't want the cameras to intimidate people at the doorstep.  We said we're always non-invasive, we step back. 

So we agreed to a region in the riding, an area we would head out to, and then on the way out there, we were to meet with Mr Turner as well as the campaign canvasser, and we got an address, we were given an address on my cell phone, on the way out there, and that's where we met Mr Turner and his campaign organizer.

PVD: Were you ever told in the campaign office, while you were talking to Garth Turner, that this would be...you were going to start the canvassing, or that you would be talking to, on the doorstep, the son of Mr Turner's campaign manager, and that you said, "Oh, that's OK, that's OK with us."

MS: No, we were never made aware, we were never told that this was a member of the family or a member of the campaign.  That was never brought up.  That was never brought to our knowledge, because that is the last person we would want to have on camera.  That's not an interesting doorstop exchange.  Basically what we're looking for is spontaneous, honest, regular people, on the doorstep.

So we were never told that.  We were never made aware that this was a member of the campaign staff or a member of the family of a campaign staff.

PVD: Some people watching will want to know, why don't we ask at all these stops, are you connected to the candidate, are you a family member, do you work for the candidate.  Why don't we ask those questions?

MS: Well, if we did that at the doorstep... I mean, already we have told the candidates in all the ridings that we are laying back, and we're watching as they have an honest, spontaneous exchange with people at the doorstep.  That would sort of entail us going up to each exchange, and trying to interview or question the person who just opened up the door with the candidate.

We have to rely on the candidate and their organizer's honesty when we say we'd just like a random sampling, an honest random sampling of doorsteps.  And we'll start at this address, and we'll follow the candidate along this street or along that street, and that's how we operate.

PVD: At any time, during the videotaping process, before it or even after it -- I mean before today -- did anyone in the Turner campaign, or the gentleman himself who is at the centre of the story, did any one of those people ever identify to our crew, that this was the home of the son of Mr Turner's campaign manager?

MS: No, Peter, and I've heard all sorts of versions as the day's gone on of multiple conversations we're alleged to have had with this person.  The first time we saw this person and knew anything about this person is when he opened the door and our cameras lit up his face as he had the exchange with Mr Turner.  That was it.  We we never told who it was, and ever afterward, no discussion of who it was.

We reviewed the tape afterward.  We found that this person seemed relatively positive, positively inclined, but there was no identity, we never know until this blew up today. 

PVD: It wasn't until the story went to air that somebody watching it had recognized this individual as the campaign manager's son.

MS: Yeah.

[New graphic.  Stylized map of souther Ontario.  Halton is highlighted.  Garth Turner's face appears beside the graphic.]

Garth Turner [by cell phone]: Garth Turner.

PVD: Hello Garth Turner, Peter Van Dusen calling.

GT: Oh, hi Peter.

PVD: Hi. I wanted to follow up on the explanation that your campaign has given in relation to this incident and let me start by saying I've spoken with our crew that interviewed you for the riding profile and they've flatly denied the statements being made by your campaign manager and by your Mr Shaye, your campaign manager's son.  I'd like to record our conversation and ask you a few questions, if that's alright?

GT: Um, I'm actually in the middle of door knocking right now.

PVD: This is an important issue, isn't it?  I mean, your integrity is on the line here, and so is the integrity of CPAC.  If you've got a couple of minutes, that would be great.

GT: [nervous laugh] Well, actually my integrity is not on the line because I actually sent you all the information I had, Peter, so...

PVD: OK, but I'd like to get you on the record.  I know you've done interviews with other outlets, it would be great if you take a few minutes to talk to us about this.

GT: [pause] It's not a very good time right now--

PVD: I don't have very many questions.  Just a couple of quick ones.

GT: I'm standing on someone's front lawn on the moment--

PVD: OK, would it be possible to step away for just a moment, so we can ask you these important questions?

GT: [4 second pause -- I know, I measured it with my sound software] Um, OK, yeah--

PVD: OK, what is your explanation for how your campaign manager's son ended up being interviewed for CPAC?

GT: [2.5 second pause] Well, I have to believe the people who I work with, so I asked my campaign manager for a statement, and she gave it to me.  And, um, at this point I don't have conflicting evidence, so...but I'm certainly open to understanding all sides of it.  I was certainly not the architect of this incident.  I was simply the door knocker.

PVD: OK, so who does the version of events come from?

GT: [4 second pause] I asked my campaign manager and the person who owned the home I knocked on to give me their version of how events transpired.

PVD: OK, let me tell you what we know.  Michael Shaye, your campaign manager's son, says he was approached by a CPAC producer by the name of Jonathan Craven.  Jonathan Craven is a CPAC reporter covering the campaign in Manitoba.   Can you explain how he would have met Michael Shaye outside of his home?

GT: [pause] I don't know that.  That's Michael's comment, not mine.

PVD: Do you want to find the answer to that?  Are you interested in knowing how that could be?

GT: Oh, absolutely.

PVD: We've contacted Jonathan Craven who says he's never had a conversation with Michael Shaye, never met Michael Shaye, has been on the road in Manitoba, not in Halton.  So knowing that information, what does that make you think?

GT: [pause] It makes me think there could have been a mixup.  I don't know.  Was there another Jonathan involved?  I'm...I don't know, Peter.  Because I was obviously not involved in..in..in anything to do with setting up this particular situation.  I just knocked on a door.

PVD: Your campaign manager also says that she told out CPAC crew that you would be canvassing at the home of her son.  Our crew categorically denies that conversation took place at your campaign headquarters, that in fact, your campaign manager called them on the phone to give them the location, there was never a conversation in the campaign office, and that she never said you'd be stopping at the house of her son.  What does that make you think?

GT:  It makes me think you should talk to her.

PVD: Well, she's your campaign manager.

GT: Yeah, but I didn't say those things, Peter, so a campaign involves many people and to get to the bottom of this, you should speak directly to her instead of trying to it into a political story.  It is obviously a story of people not recollecting things appropriately or accurately.  And I don't think I'd make a federal case out of this, but I think it's important that we all understand who said what so that no one's reputation is besmirched.

PVD: If it turns out that your campaign staff has misled you, what will you do?

GT: Well, I'd certainly apologize to you and anyone else who feels that their reputation has been sullied in this way, as I know that you will apologize to me if in fact there was some prior knowledge of the occupant of the home.

PVD: When you say this is not a federal case, I know that you've done other interviews.  What's your sense of what this means and says?

GT: I haven't done any other interviews on this story, Peter.

PVD: OK, that wasn't my misunderstanding.  I apologize for that.  I thought you had.  As far as you're concerned, what happens next here? Because as you know, this is a story in the blogosphere that people have asked CPAC to account for, and I hope...I'm trying to do that here, and I guess what I want to know where you will take it next.

GT: Well, certainly given the information you've given me, Peter, and it's verbal, and I did tell you a moment ago I'm standing on someone's front lawn right now, door knocking.  If you can perhaps recap this information in an email to me, it gives me something to go back to talk to my campaign manager with, in my hand.  And perhaps then I'll be able to get a straight answer I wish to have and I know you wish to have.

PVD: OK, well, Garth Turner, we appreciate your time.  I know you stepped off the doorstep to do this, and I appreciate that.

GT: Let me say one final thing, Peter.  I believe that your crew that came to interview me for the profile were extremely professional, very pleasant, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience on our part. 

PVD: OK, thanks for your time today.  Appreciate it.

GT:  Good.

[studio shot]

PVD: Well, you heard Mr Turner suggest that I speak to his campaign manager directly, and I did have a conversion with Esther Shaye about her recollection of events, and here's part of that discussion.

[switch to pre-recorded conversation]

PVD: We've spoken to out crew members on the scene who say that your version of events never occurred.  That there was never any--

Esther Shaye: Well, then how did they get to my son's house?

PVD: They agree that you gave them a street address where Mr Turner would start the canvassing.  That you never told them it would be your son's home.

ES: Well maybe I didn't...I...I...you know...I don't remember what I said, but I do know I didn't tell a lie.  I probably...I must have...

PVD: Were you just about to say you didn't tell them that?

ES: No...Peter...don't...do this.

PVD: I'm just asking you a simple question.  Our version, from my crew there, the version of events is that there was a conversation about a neighbourhood to go to, a follow-up phone call about where to start the canvassing, and never any indication that the home was that of your son.

ES: [silence]

PVD: Are you saying that's wrong?

ED: To the best of my...to the best of my knowledge...to the best of my knowledge, I indicated that it was my son's home, because I thought it was a photo op.  We would never do anything disingenuous.

PVD: [pause] OK, thanks for your time.

ES: OK

[back to studio]

PVD: So that is where we stand on this story, and again we stand by our version of events.

It is a sad story.  Garth Turner seems to avoid responsibility like it was a vial of smallpox, and instead throws Esther Shaye to a visibly angry Peter Van Dusen, who proceeds to reduce her nearly to tears.

It remains to be seen if CPAC will be satisfied with merely publicly humiliating Esther Shaye.  I doubt it. 

Stay tuned.  Tomorrow, the CBC will be publishing a full report online.

But if I was Garth Turner, I wouldn't be worried about CPAC, the CBC, or the rest.  I'd be worried about Stephane Dion.  Desperate to look like a leader, do you think Stephane Dion, or some of his advisors, would think that publicly ejecting Garth Turner would play well with the press?  Showing off how resolute Dion is and all that.

No reason for a delay: Garth Turner demanded that he get a written copy of the elements of this interview before proceeding further with his investigation.  In the interest of time, CPAC has my permission to use any or all portions of my transcript to quickly render a written copy for Garth Turner, so that he in turn can go to Esther Shaye with something "in hand".