CALGARY – Lawyers for one of Canada’s largest media companies are suggesting that a former television reporter was a loose cannon with his “own agenda” when he ran for a seat in the Alberta legislature.
Arthur Kent‘s lawsuit against Postmedia, the National Post and columnist Don Martin alleges they defamed him when he was campaigning to win the Calgary Currie seat for the Progressive Conservatives in the 2008 provincial election.
A Martin column which ran during the campaign included details from unnamed sources that described Kent as a “lone ranger” who failed to toe the party line and was difficult to deal with. They said Kent was not co-operating with the party and that a number of key campaign members were threatening to quit.
The piece ran under the headline “Alberta’s ‘Scud Stud’ a ‘Dud’ on Campaign Trail.”
Kent was known as the “Scud Stud” from his days reporting on the Gulf War for NBC.
Lawyer Kristine Robidoux, who has since been identified as one of the sources Martin used, admitted under cross-examination Thursday that she was angry at Kent during the campaign and was considering quitting because he seemed to be at odds with the PC party and leader Ed Stelmach.
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She noted they had a disagreement over whether Kent would appear at a public event with the other Calgary candidates and Stelmach.
“I don’t think he liked I was being persistent. His response was to be curt to me,” she said. “He didn’t accede to the request which made me angry. I was afraid once I got on Arthur’s bad side he would alienate me.”
Kent was on record in a number of publications criticizing the Alberta government’s plans to proceed with a royalty review. Robidoux acknowledged she was afraid there was a public perception that the constituency was at odds with both Stelmach and the governing PCs’ platform.
She testified that at one point she suggested to party brass that Kent should take the advice of his communications team and limit his interviews with the media.
“Yes, and how ironic, that’s precisely the advice I should have taken.”
Robidoux said she shared private emails with Martin, which included complaints between the Tory campaign chairman and party brass expressing concerns about Kent not abiding by the rules.
She testified Wednesday she was “physically ill” when she saw the article.
Court has already heard how Robidoux said she was approached by Martin in July 2009 and informed he was not going to be able to keep her identity a secret because Kent had filed a defamation lawsuit.
She said she met with Martin and his lawyers and felt pressured into consenting to having her identity released.
Kent’s lawyer, Kent Jesse, asked Robidoux about an email from Martin to an online journalist sent in 2014.
“I would have gone to jail before naming her without her offer to identify,” Martin wrote. “Robidoux voluntarily came up with the idea and I actually cautioned her against it and took her to my lawyers to ensure there would be no reprisals.”
Robidoux said that was not the case.
“On that day I felt pressured to some degree. I didn’t have counsel. I made the decision on the spot,” she said.
“To say it was my idea and I somehow insisted is not true.”
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