VOCM - Open-Line - Slander 101

On Monday caller "Bob" to VOCM openline - hosted by Randy Simms - decided it was perfectly acceptable to make false statements about me.

"Bob" had called - as he usually does - to defend the Tories on one issue or another.

"Bob" also discussed - as he usually does - how he is unique and how his whole life he was made to feel abnormal.

That's what makes his continued attack on me so bizarre. It's as if he will punish me by doing to me what he claims was done to him.

In either case - on Monday - "Bob" once again crossed the line and as usual VOCM allowed it to be broadcast. VOCM failed to use the technology they employ to prevent such occurrences (delayed broadcast).

Audio of the Call can be found at the end of this post.

I will let the reader of this blog determine how or why I became relevant to what "Bob" was talking about. For now let's look at what "Bob" said about me.

"Don't you think that the debate over the Muskrat Falls has been beaten to death? Roger Grimes never had to go through that and the only opposition he had was Sue Dyer and he gave her a job and then he gave her a pharmacy, probably for her loyalty, I think."

I was not hired by Roger Grimes to defend any proposed deal regarding the development of the Lower Churchill. When I was hired it was Voisey's Bay that was the contentious issue and is a project that the Tories have benefited from politically ever since. The second part regarding Roger Grimes giving me a pharmacy for my loyalty is not a matter for interpretation. I do not and have never owned any part of a pharmacy.

Further my involvement in pharmacy began in 2008 as the Executive Director of the Council of Independent Community Pharmacy Owners. Roger Grimes has not been Premier since 2003. To suggest that I was given a pharmacy for my loyalty is a slanderous statement. It - one - is not in any way factual and - two - suggests that I was rewarded in some unethical way for loyalty to a politician or a political party.

What did Randy do? Well he laughed and then through an employee of VOCM on twitter suggested I call in.

This equally was despicable.

I am not employed by government and am not an elected official. I am a private citizen who engages in public discourse on matters of public interest.

I deal with policy and political issues and when I state somebody owns one asset or another - they do. When I state they hold a particular Board position or another - they do.

This blatant attempt to disparage me - based on completely false statements - by "Bob" and then allowed to be broadcast by Randy Simms and VOCM - will only serve to make other people afraid to make any public comments. This will make others feel they have no right to criticize the policies created and promoted by elected officials - for fear that partisans may call and make false statements about them.

Is this the point? If not I fail to see why this type of behavior continues to be allowed by a publicly traded company.

Audio Clip PRESS HERE