Pate-Gate Hits The PEI Supreme Court

By Stephen Pate – After months of preparation, I got my half-day in PEI court to argue that the CBC and The Guardian should not get a get-out-of-jail card in Pate-Gate. My motion to dismiss was adjourned until August.

CBC lawyer Alan Parish dodged the bullet one more time by opposing CBC being named in the case. It was inappropriate to enter that evidence today.

Last May, the PEI Human Rights Commission appointed  a tribunal to hear my discrimination complaint against the PEI Press Gallery. In 2009, the press gallery revoked my press pass because I was a blogger, wrote satire, and volunteered to help people with disabilities.

It doesn’t matter that Teresa Wright of the Guardian who voted to take away my press pass now calls herself a “Professional Blogger” . There are different rules for her.

It also does not matter that CBC can write satirical stories about the Nova Scotia Legislature and impersonate the police. There are different rules for the CBC, who had 4 people at the 2009 meeting to vote to remove my press pass.

It also does not matter that David Onley, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, was a press gallery member, journalist and disability advocate. There are different rules for him and Ontario.

“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” There are definitely different rules for PEI.

The CBC is playing a stall game by asking for a Judicial Review of the PEI Human Rights Commission. There is a chance they might dodge the bullet altogether and the Human Rights Commission will not have a public tribunal.

I have faith in the legal system and the courts. There will be another session in court in August. For the most part, my job is done and I get my life back for a few months.

I am not sure what I can write about though. That’s amazing how the PEI media have tried to kill free expression in the town they call the Cradle of Confederation. 150 years since the Charlottetown Conference and people still don’t like a free press.

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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network