Plus ça change.

Louise Elliott

But once again, the unexpected threw Conservative spin doctors off. Clearly, control is still highly coveted. Today, I arrived at an embargoed technical briefing for the media before the Prime Minister's keynote economic address. I had warned Conservative war room officials on Monday and was given the green light.

However, as I began to sort through the briefing book, I was pulled into the hallway and asked to leave by a member of the communications staff.

The reasons she gave were varied:

• "This is for tour reporters." The ones who have paid more than $2,000 a day to be there.
• "It's the same situation for everyone."
• "It's the way it is."
• "This is our room, we're providing this as part of the media tour."

I pointed to my Starbucks snack, saying I'd brought it myself and hadn't stolen any Tim Hortons doughnuts paid for by the tour reporters. I just wanted to understand the platform.

I was asked to leave repeatedly by said official, who stood over the table where I had opened my laptop. Was I leaving? Was I leaving yet? Was I packing?

Outraged tour reporters balked however, and complained vociferously up the chain to director of communications Kory Teneycke, saying the party should not pick and choose which national media should be attending a briefing.

Teneycke finally relented, under pressure from these other media, some of whom had also tried to send "non-tour" reporters to the event.

Turns out, while we were in this critical embargoed briefing, the Prime Minister's big keynote speech announcement involving manufacturing was leaked — to another non-tour journalist, rendering the briefing, er, somewhat moot.

And boy, these sure are expensive doughnuts!

— Louise Elliott