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Power, Prime Ministers and the Press: The Battle for Truth on Parliament Hill
An intimate history of the journalists who covered Canadian history, and made some of their own.
The history of the press gallery is rich in anecdotes about the people on Parliament Hill who have covered 23 prime ministers and 42 elections in the past 150 years.
Mining the archives and his own interviews, Robert Lewis turns the spotlight on the watchers, including reporters who got too close to power and others who kept their distance.
The Riel Rebellion, the Pacific Scandal, two world wars, the Depression, women's liberation, Quebec separatism, and terrorism are all part of the sweeping background to this lively account of how the news gets made, manipulated, and, sometimes mangled. Since Watergate, press gallery coverage has become more confrontational — a fact, Lewis argues, that fails Canadian democracy.
The history of the press gallery is rich in anecdotes about the people on Parliament Hill who have covered 23 prime ministers and 42 elections in the past 150 years.
Mining the archives and his own interviews, Robert Lewis turns the spotlight on the watchers, including reporters who got too close to power and others who kept their distance.
The Riel Rebellion, the Pacific Scandal, two world wars, the Depression, women's liberation, Quebec separatism, and terrorism are all part of the sweeping background to this lively account of how the news gets made, manipulated, and, sometimes mangled. Since Watergate, press gallery coverage has become more confrontational — a fact, Lewis argues, that fails Canadian democracy.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 21, 2018
This book should not only be mandatory reading for politicians and reporters, but also for those Twitter users who think today's big dailies are shills for . This book shows you the history of reporting on Parliament Hill through a time period when politicians invested heavily in newspapers specifically so those papers could shill for them right up until today's shrinking print industry and fast changing media.
It's, at it's heart, a book about journalism but the history of our country is in here too - a lot of the journalists you will read about in this book you may never heard of, but they not only shaped the narrative of this country, in some cases they also shaped the very history of this country.
A truly fascinating read and so timely in this era of "fake news". My only complaint with this is that Mr Lewis kept referencing other books to read on various subjects - my TBR is literally groaning under the weight of all of those books.
It's, at it's heart, a book about journalism but the history of our country is in here too - a lot of the journalists you will read about in this book you may never heard of, but they not only shaped the narrative of this country, in some cases they also shaped the very history of this country.
A truly fascinating read and so timely in this era of "fake news". My only complaint with this is that Mr Lewis kept referencing other books to read on various subjects - my TBR is literally groaning under the weight of all of those books.
September 23, 2024
I somehow missed this excellent book when it was published in 2018. I noticed a reference to it in John Ibbitson’s recent book on Dief and Pearson, and it was mentioned in several of the tributes to the late Brian Mulroney. I’m glad I caught up with it as it is a wonderful chronicle of one of Canada’s most important political institutions, the Ottawa press gallery. Moreover, in providing a record of various Prime Minister’s interactions with journalists and the journalists’ “take” on their administrations, it serves as a valuable addition to Canada’s political history.
Lewis was himself at several periods a member of the gallery and for several decades had a particularly good vantage point as editor-in-chief of Maclean’s Magazine, Canada’s leading weekly news publication. He provides a complete history of the gallery based on thorough research and based on first hand experience beginning in the late 60s. For those of us who lived through these times and became familiar with many of the “star” journalists who are portrayed, this book serves as a great review of the political intrigues we have followed in our lifetime.
One surprise for me, given the huge advances women have made on all fronts in recent years, was the lengthy period no women were allowed in the gallery. It was not until 1922 when the first woman journalist, Genevieve Lipsett-Skinner, was granted membership, and for several decades following there was only one woman member. It was not until 1967 that women were allowed to attend the annual black-tie dinner on Parliament Hill. The National Press Club (the watering hole for journalists) restricted membership to males until 1970.
Lewis provides considerable background on a dozen or so famous members of the gallery over the years. Grattan O’Leary arrived in 1911 beginning a career spanning 65 years with the Ottawa Journal. He knew Prime Ministers from Laurier to Pierre Trudeau. Grant Dexter of the Winnipeg Free Press arrived in 1924 and maintained a high profile through King to Pearson. In those early days there was no secret regarding partisan bent – Dexter was ingrained with the Liberals, as O’Leary had been with the Tories.
Blair Fraser arrived in Ottawa in 1943 as the Ottawa editor of Maclean’s. He became a regular on CBC’s coverage of elections on both radio and TV. He was unabashed in his affection for Lester Pearson. Bruce Hutchison, from a base on Vancouver Island, developed prodigious sources in Ottawa and was on a first name basis with twelve Prime Ministers from Bennett to Mulroney.
Clark Davey arrived in Ottawa in 1956. After the St Laurent government fell in 1957, Davey as a regular visitor to Dief’s office. Peter Dempson from the Regina Leader-Post arrived in Ottawa in 1945. Over 17 years he covered five elections and four Prime Ministers. Few print reporters surpassed his access to power. He raised his profile by becoming a CBC regular.
Clement Brown had a forty-year career on the Hill reporting for several French language publications. He was part of the Conservative-friendly group in the gallery and enjoyed an intimate relationship with Dief. Amédée Gaudreault, in a career spanning thirty years, was one of Quebec’s foremost political journalists. He was also a broadcaster and arrived in Ottawa 1959 just as broadcasters were admitted to the gallery for the first time.
In a chapter entitled “The Gang of Six”, Lewis provides some interesting insights on some of the more colourful members of the gallery including Charles Lynch, Bill Wilson, Lubor Zink, Doug Fisher, Victor Mackie and George Bain.
A new era for the gallery was marked by the arrival of the broadcasters. Tom Earle was a trailblazer. By 1967 he was serving as president of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. Norman DePoe arrived in 1959 for the CBC and he set the “gold standard”. Some regarded him as the best newsman-broadcaster Canada has ever produced. In the course of three decades with the CBC he filed some five thousand reports.
Peter Newman arrived in the gallery in 1957 at the age of 28. By the time he left for MacLean’s after 11 years, he had become wealthy based on his books, TV shows and public speaking. He became the most celebrated journalist in the country.
Anthony Westell arrived on Parliament Hill in 1964. He gained a reputation as a contrarian who made a difference with his journalism. He later became director of the school of journalism at Carleton. He lamented the intrusion of opinion in news stories and the degree to which journalists had “suffered an acute attack of Watergate-envy”.
Richard Gwyn took over the Ottawa column for the Toronto Star and over the course of ten years it became one of the best-read of the era. He and his wife were one of the capital’s power couples. Dalton Camp called him one of our best political journalists.
Lewis adds substantial value with his own personal recollections of leading political players, such as the often testy interactions Pierre Trudeau had with the media. “Most of us found his disdain for our ilk amusing. We actually admired his intelligence, his passion, his commitment … He brought to the office a style that Canadians had never seen before. He put us on the map and usually made us proud when he strode the international stage.” When Lewis returned to Ottawa in 1975 for his third stint on the Hill, he observed how the bloom was coming off the Trudeau rose.
He found Joe Clark “a thoroughly decent man, he deserved better. No question, if it came down to sharing a beer with Pierre Trudeau or Joe Clark, the more agreeable mate would be Clark.” “in person he was open, genuine, and candid, with a self-deprecatory sense of humour.” He believed in open access, a breath of fresh air compared to Trudeau. However, “ he proved himself not yet ready. His time would come in the 1990s when he served effectively as minister of foreign affairs and then of constitutional matters during the government of his old political foe Brian Mulroney.” Interestingly Lewis reveals that there was no lost luggage- the only bag that went missing was one belonging to Lewis.
There are similar observations on John Turner, Kim Campbell and Jean Chretien. Stephen Harper’s famous secrecy and control of information are well documented.
Turning to current times, Lewis provides interesting backgrounders on several well known players like Geoffrey Stevens, Marjorie Nichols, Michel Vastel, Jeffrey Simpson, Peter Mansbridge, Pamela Wallin, and Allan Fotheringham.
Finally, Lewis grapples with how the gallery has changed over the years and whether it still matters. Several fundamental changes have struck at the core of how parliamentary reporting is conducted. That began with the move from print to broadcasting. The Watergate mentality also brought about a shift to investigative and adversarial journalism. More recently, the advent of the instant communications of the BlackBerry era, together with the 140 character assessments of social media, have upended traditional journalism models. All this has been compounded by the collapse of the news industry with staff layoffs and bureau closures, all while governments have become more sophisticated about media management.
Does the press gallery still matter? Now more than ever.
Lewis was himself at several periods a member of the gallery and for several decades had a particularly good vantage point as editor-in-chief of Maclean’s Magazine, Canada’s leading weekly news publication. He provides a complete history of the gallery based on thorough research and based on first hand experience beginning in the late 60s. For those of us who lived through these times and became familiar with many of the “star” journalists who are portrayed, this book serves as a great review of the political intrigues we have followed in our lifetime.
One surprise for me, given the huge advances women have made on all fronts in recent years, was the lengthy period no women were allowed in the gallery. It was not until 1922 when the first woman journalist, Genevieve Lipsett-Skinner, was granted membership, and for several decades following there was only one woman member. It was not until 1967 that women were allowed to attend the annual black-tie dinner on Parliament Hill. The National Press Club (the watering hole for journalists) restricted membership to males until 1970.
Lewis provides considerable background on a dozen or so famous members of the gallery over the years. Grattan O’Leary arrived in 1911 beginning a career spanning 65 years with the Ottawa Journal. He knew Prime Ministers from Laurier to Pierre Trudeau. Grant Dexter of the Winnipeg Free Press arrived in 1924 and maintained a high profile through King to Pearson. In those early days there was no secret regarding partisan bent – Dexter was ingrained with the Liberals, as O’Leary had been with the Tories.
Blair Fraser arrived in Ottawa in 1943 as the Ottawa editor of Maclean’s. He became a regular on CBC’s coverage of elections on both radio and TV. He was unabashed in his affection for Lester Pearson. Bruce Hutchison, from a base on Vancouver Island, developed prodigious sources in Ottawa and was on a first name basis with twelve Prime Ministers from Bennett to Mulroney.
Clark Davey arrived in Ottawa in 1956. After the St Laurent government fell in 1957, Davey as a regular visitor to Dief’s office. Peter Dempson from the Regina Leader-Post arrived in Ottawa in 1945. Over 17 years he covered five elections and four Prime Ministers. Few print reporters surpassed his access to power. He raised his profile by becoming a CBC regular.
Clement Brown had a forty-year career on the Hill reporting for several French language publications. He was part of the Conservative-friendly group in the gallery and enjoyed an intimate relationship with Dief. Amédée Gaudreault, in a career spanning thirty years, was one of Quebec’s foremost political journalists. He was also a broadcaster and arrived in Ottawa 1959 just as broadcasters were admitted to the gallery for the first time.
In a chapter entitled “The Gang of Six”, Lewis provides some interesting insights on some of the more colourful members of the gallery including Charles Lynch, Bill Wilson, Lubor Zink, Doug Fisher, Victor Mackie and George Bain.
A new era for the gallery was marked by the arrival of the broadcasters. Tom Earle was a trailblazer. By 1967 he was serving as president of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. Norman DePoe arrived in 1959 for the CBC and he set the “gold standard”. Some regarded him as the best newsman-broadcaster Canada has ever produced. In the course of three decades with the CBC he filed some five thousand reports.
Peter Newman arrived in the gallery in 1957 at the age of 28. By the time he left for MacLean’s after 11 years, he had become wealthy based on his books, TV shows and public speaking. He became the most celebrated journalist in the country.
Anthony Westell arrived on Parliament Hill in 1964. He gained a reputation as a contrarian who made a difference with his journalism. He later became director of the school of journalism at Carleton. He lamented the intrusion of opinion in news stories and the degree to which journalists had “suffered an acute attack of Watergate-envy”.
Richard Gwyn took over the Ottawa column for the Toronto Star and over the course of ten years it became one of the best-read of the era. He and his wife were one of the capital’s power couples. Dalton Camp called him one of our best political journalists.
Lewis adds substantial value with his own personal recollections of leading political players, such as the often testy interactions Pierre Trudeau had with the media. “Most of us found his disdain for our ilk amusing. We actually admired his intelligence, his passion, his commitment … He brought to the office a style that Canadians had never seen before. He put us on the map and usually made us proud when he strode the international stage.” When Lewis returned to Ottawa in 1975 for his third stint on the Hill, he observed how the bloom was coming off the Trudeau rose.
He found Joe Clark “a thoroughly decent man, he deserved better. No question, if it came down to sharing a beer with Pierre Trudeau or Joe Clark, the more agreeable mate would be Clark.” “in person he was open, genuine, and candid, with a self-deprecatory sense of humour.” He believed in open access, a breath of fresh air compared to Trudeau. However, “ he proved himself not yet ready. His time would come in the 1990s when he served effectively as minister of foreign affairs and then of constitutional matters during the government of his old political foe Brian Mulroney.” Interestingly Lewis reveals that there was no lost luggage- the only bag that went missing was one belonging to Lewis.
There are similar observations on John Turner, Kim Campbell and Jean Chretien. Stephen Harper’s famous secrecy and control of information are well documented.
Turning to current times, Lewis provides interesting backgrounders on several well known players like Geoffrey Stevens, Marjorie Nichols, Michel Vastel, Jeffrey Simpson, Peter Mansbridge, Pamela Wallin, and Allan Fotheringham.
Finally, Lewis grapples with how the gallery has changed over the years and whether it still matters. Several fundamental changes have struck at the core of how parliamentary reporting is conducted. That began with the move from print to broadcasting. The Watergate mentality also brought about a shift to investigative and adversarial journalism. More recently, the advent of the instant communications of the BlackBerry era, together with the 140 character assessments of social media, have upended traditional journalism models. All this has been compounded by the collapse of the news industry with staff layoffs and bureau closures, all while governments have become more sophisticated about media management.
Does the press gallery still matter? Now more than ever.
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November 24, 2019A history of relations between the Parliamentary Press Gallery and prime ministers. Lewis also includes short profiles of prominent newsmen and women- the ones on Marjorie Nicholls, Norman Depoe, Peter Newman and Jeffrey Simpson are the most illuminating. Lewis takes the Gallery to task for being exclusionary; first against women reporters and then in the early 50s against broadcast journalists since they weren't considered to be at the same level as their print brethren. For most of Canadian history newspapers have been largely controlled by either the Liberal or Conservative Party and so reporters basically worked for one or the other. Even when that incestuous relationship began to break down in the 20th century, reporters saw themselves as 'chroniclers' their job one of passing on information to the public. Lewis believes the adversarial relationship between reporters and politicians really didn't start until the pipeline debate of 1956-57. I take him at his word but I suspect the increasing importance of tv and the need for pictures probably played a big part too and would have appreciated more on this. Still this book is a fund of great stories from Macdonald to Harper. Lewis is not positive at all on the impact of social media. Gotcha journalism replacing substantive writing, everybody being considered an expert on everything and fewer and fewer places for journalist to ply their trade.
September 22, 2019
This is an entertaining history of the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Ottawa, focusing on the men(mostly) and women ( in the last generation or so) who reported on activities in the nation’s capital. From the early days in the 19th century, when journalists were often scribes for newspapers owned or loyal to a political party, to the gradual (relative) independence in a “boys’ club” atmosphere, to the arrival of the electronic media and a more adversarial relationship with the political class, Robert Lewis traces 5he changes through the lives and careers of the big names in Ottawa journalism. From J.W.Dafoe to Peter Mansbridge, most of the legends are included, although fewer Francophone journalists are included. This is unfortunate given the distinct history of the French media in Canadian History. Lewis argues that the bitter Pipeline Debate in 1956 and the Watergate Era contributed mightily to the climate of mistrust and conflict that reigns in Ottawa today. He also outlines the new challenged posed by the social media to the traditional media. How will we support independent investigative journalism in the future?
March 31, 2019
A lovingly and robustly researched book. Profiles of power players in both the press gallery and the government, with lots of historical political and social context. The official and personal relationships between members of the government and members of the press gallery set the tone of Canadian political ethos. Fake news is nothing new; corruption and scandal in government is nothing new. Very readable; insider scoop frameworked by evidence based research, with a dash of personal experience peppered with empathy and compassion. A+. Includes sources and an excellent bibliography which will keep me reading for months.
February 21, 2021
News junkies, and people who care about how the Canadian media operates, will devour this wide ranging look at the Parliamentary Press Gallery and the men and women who gave us the news. Lewis goes all the way back to the earliest days of Canada (when political parties bought or created newspapers to spread their news) right up to the dreaful era of Stephen Harper (who did more to shut out the media than any other prime minister). Filled with anecdotes about the wild and crazy, boozy days of yore, and thumbnail sketches of some of the greats and near-greats of Canadian journalism, Power, Prime Ministers and the Press will make you long for the days when newspapers really mattered.
April 26, 2020
A very readable account of the working of the Ottawa press and thus of the political history of Canada. It is timely in the light of the contemporary attacks on the integrity of reporters and their employers to review the history of journalistic practice over the decades. Mr. Lewis writes in part from personal experience and from recent interviews with leading practitioners. The result is a valuable resource.
August 15, 2020
Fascinating read. Deep dive into the history of Canada’s parliamentary press gallery and many of its characters, interwoven with key events in Canadian history and the changing role of the press in politics (from being politically-owned, to independent and challenging but collegial, to adversarial).
Read
December 20, 2025A book about many of the journalists I work with and have worked with in my 20 years as a Parliamentary Press Gallery reporter. But I'm glad to have read this work to put my time on the Hill -- and struggles to accurately and fairly report on the activities of our federal politicians -- in historical context.
February 21, 2019
Some good anecdotes and a good finish, otherwise rather bland.
January 28, 2021
A must-read for any fan--or student--of Canadian journalism.
December 30, 2025
An engaging exploration of Canadian history through the lens of journalism.
April 4, 2019
An exceptional piece of work, Bob writes with grace & respect for both subject & reader. I hope that this represents the beginning of a second career as a popular historian. It is a great piece of work that is well deserving of the recognition it has achieved.
May 11, 2020
History of the Press and Parliament Hill
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews