To Serve the Public Interest

Our mission is to inform, to reveal, to contribute to the understanding of issues of public interest and to encourage citizens to participate in our free and democratic society….We are aware of the impact of our work and are honest with our audiences. We do not hesitate to correct any mistake when necessary nor to follow up a story when a situation changes significantly….We seek out the truth in all matters of public interest.

—  CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices, Introduction (Principles).

PREAMBLE

This post has two objectives:

(1) To convince readers to stop wasting their typing and talking time telling me to do more to convince CBC managers to assign reporters to do stories that report the findings of my research to more Islanders; and,

(2) To encourage readers to put pressure on CBC Management to have a “change of heart”  –  to effect a paradigm shift –  a systemic shift bringing about a badly-needed change in the criteria upon which decisions are made regarding the “newsworthiness” of stories where….(a) stories about criminal offences by still-sitting senior PEI government officials which were previously covered-up by even more senior government officials and/or politicians, who are now IGNORING these new facts and revelations, will begin to take precedence with CBC Story Editors and Managers over (b) stories about cat-rescues from trees, or those more in-depth investigative-type CBC stories where reporters interview people for their views on social issues like when they think Starbucks should open their Downtown drive-thru.

Hardly a day passes without someone reaching out to me via phone, email, text, Facebook messenger, or a publicly-shared comment on my website or Facebook, with suggestions like: “Have you contacted or shared this with CBC….they’re always looking for news tips?”

I explain a bit about my long-standing, dedicated (but completely unsuccessful) campaign to convince CBC to report news I uncover with the result that they have yet to report ANYTHING I provide.  I used to at least receive a “thank you” acknowledgement response, but not any more. 

I’ve provided CBC Managers with more-than-sufficient, clearly articulated, well-documented, factual information originating from authentic and official source material (many documents were both created by and provided by the PEI Government and obtained through FOI Requests). Seems it doesn’t matter to CBC Managers that the documentary evidence proves very serious claims. What was that principle you subscribe to again? Oh yeah….to “…seek out the truth in all matters of public interest.”

CBC-PEI’s failure to report and follow-up on truly meaningful issues and stories is by no means limited to the egaming scandal. I speak often with members of other organizations also experiencing a similar “cold shoulder” response from CBC Management on important issues, similar to what I’m describing – token or no responses with an apparent complete lack of interest to follow up on important news stories.

I’ve done a bit of research and writing recently on the  potentially catastrophic situation created by the King Government with Premier’s King’s broken promise made to test 100% of beehives coming into PEI from Ontario for Small Hive Beetle. Things have actually gotten much worse in Ontario since King made that commitment, and quarantine zones have been lifted with the pest now recognized as “endemic” in the province.

The Small Hive Beetle devastates both honeybees and natural pollinators like bumblebees.  How many Islanders are aware that Premier King has reneged on this promise and our natural pollinators are now at risk? Peter Bevan-Baker talked about how if those beetles are allowed to come into PEI we could see our own bee species becoming “extinct” and boldly declared in his pre-election response to a question asked about bee importation at the debate, that we absolutely can’t let that happen – he was talking bees then…it’s crickets now.

These hives are currently on the way to PEI.  The truck drivers will be tested for Covid-19. The Small Hive Beetles in those hives in the back of the truck have been given a pass by Premier King, and only 10% will be tested for Small Hive Beetles! Peter Bevan-Baker is apparently now thinking “…who’s gonna notice if a few more species of bees go extinct in PEI.”

What a sin!  What is CBC doing about this? One would think that with a solid promise by both Premier King and the Leader of the Official Opposition, Peter Bevan-Baker, Islanders could trust that what is about to happen with this infestation would not happen and – more to the point of this article – if it was about to happen, that the CBC would be asking them why King is breaking his promise and why Bevan-Baker has gone mum on this important issue!

Premier King has not said a single word in public about this issue, despite a significant social media campaign to inform other Islanders about this issue over the past few weeks – with excellent letters in the Guardian and Eastern Graphic by Stan Sandler, a very knowledgeable beekeeper trying to do something to stop this totally senseless and easily-preventable tragedy from happening –  yet CBC refuses to cover this story.  Why?

It is the duty of our public broadcaster to elicit a response from either Premier King or Peter Bevan-Baker on why they have betrayed us on this issue. They’re getting big paychecks to do that job – so how is it they continue to get paid for refusing to do their job? Why is our public broadcaster doing nothing to tell the stories that are of real and lasting significance to PEI? 

So here’s the deal.  I’m not going to bash the CBC anymore in my writings. I’m only going to praise efforts on their part to do better than what they’ve been doing to date.

The time I have been putting into trying to get CBC Managers to “say something” will now be redirected into building a stronger, more logical, historically-accurate, well-documented case to prove just how inept CBC Managers have been at doing their job. They have lost public trust and that can’t be ignored.

I’m going to continue to compile a file which I will – at the appropriate time – submit to the CBC Ombudsman. In the meantime – since CBC Managers will no longer even acknowledge receipt of my communications – I will only continue to forward material to the three key CBC Managers responsible for deciding what news Islanders get to see, so I can properly document their refusal to report stories. In this way, I will be able to confirm for the CBC Ombudsman that they had the information from my “news tips” but ignored that information,.

Like that great Christina Aguilera and Great Big World hit song “Say Something,” I’m afraid that’s my relationship with the CBC. One evening with a box of Kleenex and “Say Something” blaring through the speakers with a bottle of wine in hand was the wake-up call I needed. I can see now.  It’s over between us.

++++++++++++

After publishing the article with evidence confirming Brad Mix committed Perjury, I was once again encouraged (by multiple people) to contact the CBC. This time they were SURE CBC would be all over this story and would be keen to get it out to more Islanders!

“O.K.” I said to myself. “I’ll try one last time.” (sigh)

With such strong documentary evidence with this particular article – and the new source material from FOIPPs which Judge Campbell had never seen –  I set aside my reservations and suppressed all memories from a very disappointing past relationship with CBC, and wrote the following email to CBC’s Managing Editor, Donna Allen (cc’d to the Senor Manager at CBC PEI, Jim Ferguson):

From: Kevin Arsenault <kja321@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 1, 2020 at 2:48 PM
Subject: Story Suggestion
To: Donna Allen <donna.allen@cbc.ca>
Cc: Jim Ferguson <jim.ferguson@cbc.ca>
Dear Ms. Allen,

I just published an article with findings from my ongoing investigation into the egaming affair. New FOIPP documents now reveal that Brad Mix, the Senior Director at the Recruitment Division of Innovation PEI, committed perjury and gave false evidence about the plaintiff, CMT/FMT: New Foipp Documents Reveal Brad Mix Committed Perjury.

I would be happy to share original government documents proving the serious claims in my article, although the most relevant sections of some of those documents are presented as images in the article.

Could you kindly respond to this email to let me know if I can be of any assistance in providing what you might need to share this important information with more Islanders?

Sincerely,

Kevin J. Arsenault, Ph.D

I have received no response or even acknowledgement of that email to date.  I know these are “working” email addresses for Ms. Allen and Ms. Ferguson, they used them sending me responses when I contacted them  a few weeks ago about my intention to file a complaint with the CBC Ombudsman, and Mr. Ferguson bounced me over to the Regional Manager, Nancy Waugh in Halifax.

The next day, CBC Reporter Wayne Thibodeau happened to be working the weekend shift at CBC and tweeted the following “call out” for news tips:

I took him up on his offer and sent him the following email…

On Sat, May 2, 2020 at 11:58 AM Kevin Arsenault <kja321@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Wayne,

First of all, congratulations on your new position at CBC.
I saw your note saying you’re working the weekend at CBC asking your followers whether there is anything happening on PEI that CBC should know about.    I’m sending you a link to an article I published on my blog proving
unequivocally that Brad Mix committed Perjury. This is pretty big news I
think. Please read the article Wayne. As I indicated to Ms. Allen and Mr.
Ferguson. I am willing to assist in any way, including providing source
documentation obtained from FOIPP, to the CBC. This is proof of a major crime by a person still sitting at his desk in government in a senior
position drawing a public salary. I’m sure Islanders expect this kind of
news from our public broadcaster to be reported, and without question it’s
the most important news tip you’re going to get today, withstanding my
shared concern tin one of the other suggestions I saw you received about
the down-town Starbucks drive-thru being closed.

I hope you take the time to read the article and respond to this email, or
give me a call at (902) 626-7254.

Thanks,

Kevin J. Arsenault, Ph.D

I didn’t hear back from Mr. Thibodeau right away, and kept listening and watching to see if CBC would do a story on what I had sent. There was no story.

Around noon on Monday I received the following email from Mr. Thibodeau:

———- Forwarded message ———
From: WAYNE THIBODEAU <wayne.thibodeau@cbc.ca>
Date: Sun, May 3, 2020 at 10:35 AM
Subject: Re: Story Suggestion
To: Kevin Arsenault <kja321@gmail.com>

Thanks Kevin, I’ll be certain to give your article a read.
I believe this story may have been assigned already to somebody else… but
I will check with Donna on Monday.

Wayne

Wayne Thibodeau | Reporter/Editor | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
430 University Ave. | Charlottetown, PEI |C1A 8B9| 902-629-4865

“That sounds encouraging,” I mused, “things just might be different this time around.” Alas! It was not to be.

A week later – this past Monday – after still hearing nothing back from CBC – nor hearing or seeing any story from what I had sent to CBC (as far as I know), I decided to send one last “we really need to talk” communication to Ms. Allen and Mr. Ferguson.

I figured it prudent to also copy the regional Manager, Ms. Waugh, since she’ll be the person dealing with this matter eventually, when it gets to the Ombudsman stage.

I knew the tone of my writing would not likely be well-received, but their refusal to even acknowledge my previous communications was just plain rude, and very unprofessional and irresponsible for CBC Managers given their stated principles and mandate.  

Date: Mon, 11 May 2020 12:15:35 -0300
Subject:  Story Suggestion
From: Kevin Arsenault <kja321@gmail.com>
To: Donna Allen <donna.allen@cbc.ca>
Cc: Jim Ferguson <jim.ferguson@cbc.ca>, nancy.waugh@cbc.ca
___________________________________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Allen,

I sent you an email (below) cc’d to Mr. Ferguson on May 1, 2020, with a
link to an article I had recently published containing background
information and links to source material obtained through Freedom of
Information (FOI) requests. That documentation was in support of claims
made in the article, which I was bringing to your attention with hopes you
would do a story.

I receive countless emails and private Facebook messages
(or Facebook comments) saying “Send this to CBC…..(or) Have you contacted
CBC?….CBC would be all over this….etc,” so I continue to send you
this material, and continue to tell people that I am doing so. They keep
watching for those stories from CBC that never come.

Last weekend, I forwarded what I had previously sent to you and
Mr. Ferguson to Mr. Thibodeau. He was working the weekend and had issued a
“call out” on Twitter for news stories that CBC PEI should know about and
pass on to other Islanders. He responded to me (see below) saying that he
believed a story had already been assigned – so I figured he knew about
the material – and added that he would be speaking with you that Monday
about it. I haven’t heard from anyone at CBC since.

I have been engaged in a dedicated 2-year investigation into the egaming
and CMT lawsuit issues, and I have now published over 1,000 pages of
detailed information. Many of my previous posts dealt with quite
targeted issues within the “big story”. Those articles contain hundreds of
links to source documents, either filed in Court Proceedings or obtained
through FOI Requests.

I am now in the process of compiling the most important conclusions in a
series of articles that shed a significant amount of new light on these
issues and do finally tell much more about the ‘big story’. Especially the
well-documented, orchestrated cover-up which is proven. It has taken a
huge effort and very long time to finally identify and obtain this evidence,
confirming as “fact” what were previously only strong suspicions. And the
stakes are incredibly high!

Another significant and more recent part of the ongoing cover-up of the
scandal relates to the three PEI Supreme Court-enforced Orders filed in the
PEI Supreme Court by Paul Maines, President of Capital Markets Technologies
(CMT). The PEI requested those Orders from Paul Maines to to bring itself
back into compliance with its own FOIPP Act, then failed to comply with
those Orders. You can’t tell me that’s not newsworthy? This is an
unprecedented event in the history of Canadian jurisprudence which has
never even been mentioned, as far as I’m aware, by CBC PEI.

Paul Maines has retained a Bay-street law firm to represent him on those
Motions, and the Deputy Minister, Erin McGrath-Gaudet, will be
cross-examined about what she swore in several Affidavits. Judge Gregory
Cann will be presiding. He had scheduled two full days to hear these three
Motions, then Covid-19 happened and it was postponed indefinitely. Once
“non-essential Motions” return to the Supreme Court Docket and those three
Motions are rescheduled, I’d be happy to provide you with background documents for a news story if you’re interested. Just let me know.

I’ll be publishing more articles with additional findings on this issues in coming days. I’l continue to forward them to all three of you well.

I can’t honestly say that I’m very hopeful CBC PEI will do anything with the information I’m sending – you never have before – in fact, Ms. Allen, you will no doubt recall how you quite forcefully prevented me from even mentioning facts about Robert Ghiz ordering the deletion of his Chief-of-Staff’s emails when I did my PC Leadership Candidate interview with Louise Martin last year. That fact was in confirmed by the Auditor General and officially recorded in the Public Accounts transcript of her words, which which I showed you at the time.

To refuse a political candidate in a PC leadership campaign the freedom to report an important fact confirmed on record – then proven confirmed to the CBC – is to my mind not only a very serious matter that will be part of my CBC Ombudsman
complaint when complete, but indicative of what I am unfortunately likely to expect on a go-forward basis from you and your supervisors.

I’m continuing to build a file for the CBC Ombudsman with my concerns about
the failure of CBC to report important stories; however, I plan to only do
so after the Appeal Court renders a decision on CMT’s Appeal, and the
Information Commissioner issues several Orders she is currently finalizing,
especially an Order from my review I initiated over a year ago resulting in
the discovery that the PEI Government kept secret and failed to disclose to
the Court that two years of Brad Mix’s records had mysteriously gone
missing.

I’d love to see a change of heart at CBC PEI on the egaming/CMT lawsuit issue. So far you have been aiding a cover-up of this massive scandal with your silence and failure to report the truly important details of this story. It is most likely to become a national news story before too much longer….how is CBC PEI going to explain the fact that it received information, but decided it wasn’t important enough to share with Islanders? Don’t you really think it’s time to share some of this shocking information with the general public?

CBC has an important political, social and moral mandate (and duty) to share this important information and news with Islanders. Yet, I send you this source material demonstrating strong evidence of perjury (for which our Attorney General should immediately be taking action) and no CBC reporter is sent out to ask him about it? Whether he plans to take action?  Or what his response to the new evidence is going to be?

The PC screamed for information about Bill Dow’s “appearance” of a conflict of interest with Premier MacLauchlan and now are claiming “privilege”? That generates lots of questions for Government that I’m sure would be of great interest to Islanders.

That’s what my blog followers and I want to see; and yet, now you don’t even respond to my emails. I’ll keep sending them anyway, hoping you do what Islanders expect you to do, and what we all deserve: report really important news and then keep reporting with follow stories that help Islanders makes sense out of and understand what’s really going on with these important news stories.

One last thing. Have you not noticed that more and more Islanders are
expressing disappointment with how CBC PEI is being managed lately? People
are expressing frustration over decisions being made by CBC news editors
and managers about what is “newsworthy” or deemed “important news”?

Islanders have a true fondness for Louise Martin, Jay Scotland, the
reporters, technicians, etc. – in fact, we know many of them personally, and we know they are dedicated, sincere, hardworking CBC employees just trying to raise families and do a good job. Islanders know that it is not those people making the decisions – it’s the decisions you managers are making that are upsetting Islanders.

It’s time to tell Islanders about more than the mundane details of upcoming
court events or the “outcomes” of those events. Islanders deserve to hear
about the new findings in my articles, especially new evidence confirming
non-disclosure of materially-relevant documents (hundreds) by the PEI
Government and legal counsel Stewart-McKelvey (Jonathan Coady). This is a
major news story happening right now that will have far-reaching and
long-lasting implications.

I will continue to send material (links to articles) that I believe
contains material that is newsworthy. Since the last article I sent to you,
I have published two more articles, both containing a number of news-worthy
claims, with supporting documentation.

I’m sure Islanders would love to hear whether the Premier believes revelations from Government Documents previously kept secret should prompt action from his Attorney General’s office to determine whether criminal offences occurred – that’s what I’m alleging (that crimes occurred). I’m made public declarations which have gone unchallenged by Government. They have also gone unreported by CBC.

https://kevinjarsenault.com/2020/05/09/ag-management-letter-released-king-cover-up-of-e-gaming-crimes-and-corruption-sadly-continues/

https://kevinjarsenault.com/2020/05/04/you-know-you-broke-the-mou/

Could each of you (Ms. Allen; Mr. Ferguson; Ms. Waugh) kindly confirm
receipt of this email?

Sincerely,

Kevin J. Arsenault, Ph.D

CC: Jim Ferguson, Senior Manager, CBC PEI

      Nancy Waugh, Managing Editor,CBC Atlantic

Summary

I will continue to forward material to the CBC as I indicated in that last communication, hoping that they will indeed have a change of heart and realize the importance of reporting stories like the egaming scandal and cover-up. And there are many other stories not receiving the attention they deserve.

After publishing my blog article with information about being able to request and potentially gain access to view the CMT Hearing from home, I sent another brief “news tip” to the Compass desk using their own news tip form simply asking that they let Islanders know about this since “open court” access isn’t much good if people don’t know about it.  I then forwarded that to Ms. Allen, Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Waugh. Once again, no response or acknowledgement from any of them.

CBC would send a crew out to do a cutesy story about a 9 yr old girl who trained her pet rabbit to dance in a pink tutu in a minute (ok, I’ll admit it, I want to see that story too, but AFTER not INSTEAD of the really important stories), yet will say nothing at all about documents proving a long-time senior bureaucrat in our provincial government committed a criminal offence. That’s very wrong, dangerous for democracy, and it has to change. 

It’s a senseless crying shame that all we now get by way of CBC suppertime news for the second-half – Power and Politics –  is totally irrelevant, mundane health directive changes and updates from Saskatchewan or Alberta. I suppose that’s another issue.

No, if CBC is ever to “see the light” and start truly honouring it’s moral and social mandate as Canada’s public broadcaster, other Islanders will have to make that happen. I’ve become a “non-person” to CBC. I’ve unfortunately, failed miserably in my efforts with CBC, so if change is to come, I’m afraid the ball is now in your court fellow Islanders! 

P.S. Please don’t try to convince me to make one last effort to “get CBC on board” with reporting the results of my research….as you can hopefully now see: they won’t “say something” so I’m giving up on them.