Western Standard journalist denied access to Liberal leadership candidate campaign event

Western Standard journalist James Snell was denied access to a federal Liberal leadership campaign event held by candidate Mark Carney in Edmonton. 

A video of the event shows Snell speaking with a campaign staffer at the door to the event and identifying himself as a journalist and a member of the Alberta Legislature press gallery. 

Campaign staff refused to allow Snell into the event and asked Edmonton police officers to escort him off the property. After speaking with police, Snell left. 

In a statement, the Canadian Association of Journalists said the organization was “troubled by the decision of police to remove” Snell from the event. “As the CAJ has said many times before, politicians and political parties should not be in the business of deciding who is (or is not) a journalist,” CAJ added.