Inside Politics

PMO breaks tradition with email briefing

by Susan Lunn Posted: October 2, 2013 3:47 PM Last Updated: October 2, 2013 4:13 PM
Let me state up front, I like tradition.

So for example, when my family tries to serve up something other than turkey for Thanksgiving, I'm unhappy.

It was the same feeling yesterday when I heard the Prime Minister's Office was not holding an actual briefing on the prime minister's upcoming trip to southeast Asia.

Instead, they sent out an email.

It was three and a half pages long, filled with information I had already gleaned from the APEC website, the department of foreign affairs and a Google search or two.

The prime minister's new director of communications told me he was available to answer any questions I may have. So far, I have not had a reply to either of my two emails today.

I've been on Parliament Hill for 11 years. I've gone on prime minister's trips with a total of three prime ministers. There has always been an in-person briefing that's led to at least an hour of questions from the parliamentary press gallery. There has never been, in my memory, just an email.

Here's hoping my cousin is still planning on cooking turkey later this month.

Tags: pmo

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