New documents regarding Sun News ‘citizenship ceremony’ suggest Tories playing favourites with media

Last February, Citizenship and Immigration Canada was embarrassed over a revelation that six federal bureaucrats posed as new Canadians at a fake citizenship ceremony broadcast on the Sun News Network.

At the time, both Sun News and immigration minister Jason Kenney's office ducked for cover, blaming the whole mess on a nameless official and claiming Sun News didn't know about the stand-ins.

But now, according to new documents obtained by the Canadian Press, it seems senior government officials were well aware of the fact that Sun News was actively involved in the decision to have bureaucrats act as new Canadians.

"Just to clarify, [name or names withheld] Sun TV did know about CIC employees filling in because some of the citizens who said they would come to reaffirm did not show up," noted one internal memo between CIC employees on the day the story broke.

"It was a last-minute decision that was made just before air time by [communications] and [Sun News' name withheld] to roll with when the citizens didn't show."

Despite CIC knowing that Sun News was aware of the 'fake' new citizens, Kenney spokesperson Candace Malcolm went on-air the next day to apologize to the network.

"The civil servants in our office were organizing this event, and I guess the morning of, they ran into a little bit of a problem, and instead of telling our office and telling Sun, they decided to send their own civil servants to fill in on the ceremony." Malcolm said.

Kenney also placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of bureaucrats during question period.

The Canadian Press also notes that Kenney's office was very persistent in making the event happen.

"Kenney's office had ordered the department to organize the ceremony at the Sun with a few week's notice, after noting that the CBC was televising a full-fledged ceremony during citizenship week — one that had been planned months in advance," the article notes.

"Civil servants tried to persuade Kenney's people that the Sun should simply send a camera to one of the many citizenship ceremonies taking place around Toronto, but they were told to proceed by organizing the less onerous reaffirmation ceremony.

"Others complained at the time about the vast amount of departmental resources that were being expended calling people who had recently become Canadians, asking them if they'd attend another ceremony."

In other words, taxpayers were forced to foot the bill for Kenney helping out his buddies at the right-leaning Sun News Network.

Why did Kenney's office insist on the in-studio ceremony, noting that CBC was televising a full-fledged ceremony?

Why were taxpayers footing the bill for civil servants to locate and persuade new immigrants to appear on a private television station?

Was Kenney aware -- as CIC civil servants were -- that Sun News took part in the ruse before he told Parliament that the Sun was duped?

Kenney is known as one of the hardest working cabinet ministers in Ottawa, and is well-respected by even anti-Conservatives for his work in revamping and modernizing our immigration system.

But when it comes to the "fake citizenship ceremony" he's got a lot of explaining to do.