Stephen Harper says Sun News was a major factor in 2015 loss

An eight-year-old video of former prime minister Stephen Harper discussing the 2015 federal election has resurfaced online, renewing attention on his comments about the former Sun News Network.

In the 2018 clip, Harper identifies the collapse of Sun News as a major factor in his defeat in the 2015 election. He says the network had employed many of Canada’s right-of-centre journalists and that its closure left his campaign without a comparable television outlet.

Harper also says Canada’s major television networks did not provide favourable coverage of his campaign and that some of his opponents’ gaffes were not covered. He also alleges that the networks refused to air Conservative advertisements portraying opponents in a negative light.

Sun News Network was launched in 2011 and was led by Kory Teneycke, a former director of communications for Harper. The network ceased operations in 2015 after its parent company was unable to find a buyer. Several former Sun News personalities later joined other media organizations, while some moved into politics.

In this clip from the RebelNews Livestream, Ezra talks about the media landscape at the time of Harper’s campaign run and the impact.