Photo: Gerald Butts Meets With Upcoming Debate Moderator

Many Canadians are raising concerns about photo that shows Althia Raj meeting with Gerald Butts.

A photo is circulating showing Gerald Butts meeting with Althia Raj, the HuffPost journalist who is also a moderator of the upcoming federal election debate.

“@gmbutts is busy busy busy.

I’m told this is happening, right now, at WHALES BONE with…. Someone who looks awfully like an upcoming DEBATE MODERATOR, @althiaraj??? Is that you?

Tomorrow or the next day he’s got coffee with @darrellbricker

Just Bananas!”

Notably, Kouvalis relays what was allegedly overheard at the meeting:

The person who sent me the photo of Butts & (what looks like) @althiaraj, tells me that the following was overheard between the 2 of them:

“If we lose we have to get rid of Trudeau, it’s the only way to please the country”, said @gmbutts

This is not a Toucan! This is BANANAS!”

Questions were raised about the timing of the meeting, and when exactly it took place.

An Ottawa lawyer shared a Tweet containing four pictures, claiming that the meeting location has been “closed since last week,” due to “renovations.”

However, he neglected to look closely at the photos he himself shared, as one of them points out that the location is open, and asks people to go through a different entrance.

Many are now raising serious concerns about perceptions of bias:

“I always go out for a meal with my kid’s teacher the night before a big test. Doesn’t everyone?”

“You’re a debate moderator. Why are you out to dinner with Gerald Butts? #CdnPoli #BlackfaceTrudeau #TrudeauCorruption

P.S We don’t care which blue collar job #Scheer4PM had. He’s not a trust fund baby elected because of his last name.”

“The last time @althiaraj had a photo as popular as her and Gerry’s Sunday dinner was the last time her and her friend Justin were photographed together @NickKouvalis”

“It’s dumb, on Raj’s part. She’s a moderator in an important debate that is just a few days away. She can’t be seen as favouring one side or the other. This will strongly suggest that she does. Like I say, dumb.”

Whatever the story is behind the meeting, as they say “perception is reality,” and this will feed into the growing perception of rampant, anti-Conservative, pro-Liberal media bias in this election campaign.

Cynicism and distrust will only get worse.

Spencer Fernando 

Photo – Twitter