Sean Casey
News Reporter

Freedom of speech has become a hot topic after the Toronto Star reported on the federal government’s short-lived plans for a media briefing centre, which would have moved journalists further away from Parliment Hill.
Files obtained by the Toronto Star under the Access to Information Act, showed plans code-named the ‘Shoe Shop Project’ detailing a new media-briefing centre in the works by the Conservative government.
In a follow up article to the information released, a spokesperson with the Privy Council Office (PCO) contacted the Star and informed them the project had been scrapped in the early stages.
The files showed no sign of the project being scrapped, but included diagrams of the new facility located inside an abandoned shoe shop factory.
The $2-million facility would have taken over the function of the National Press Gallery, which opened in 1965 and is located one block down the street from the parliament buildings.
The President of the Parliamentary Press Gallery Richard Brennan said the action taken by the government is a  “continuation in the head-butting that the Prime Minister has done with the Press Gallery here in Ottawa.”
Brennan said the new gallery would have given the Prime Minister a lot more control over what the media was allowed to report.
“The fact they even looked into it is a bit frightening because what would’ve happened would be a total controlled environment. It gives you a bit of insight into what the government’s plans are and what they are all about,” Brennan said.
The PCO was unable to offer any comments and directed all questions to the local Conservative representative, who due to the throne speech was unable to comment as well.
Globe and Mail Editorial Board Editor John Geiger said the National Press Gallery is something most prime ministers like to keep quiet about.
“Very few prime ministers have ever spoken fondly of the Press Gallery.” Geiger added saying he thinks Harper doesn’t have a good relationship with journalists.
Journalism coordinator Mike Karapita thinks the project was strange and didn’t understand why a new one needed to be built.
“It’s called the National Press building and traditionally, that’s where the prime minister has talked to the media.”
Brennan said Harper would have been taking a role as, “arbiter as to what will be released and who will be allowed to cover. It is in effect propaganda and every reporter I’ve ever known is against it.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a major infringement on press freedom, but it strikes me as an unnecessary and possibly an unhelpful way to deal with the media,” Karapita said
University of Guelph-Humber business coordinator George Bragues said the government could have run the risk of t “regulations instead of coming across as an attempt to bring order to the media and politician relations, ends up being control on how their policies are perceived in the community.”
“It doesn’t smell good from a freedom of speech perspective,” Bragues added.
Reporters try to tell the truth, while explaining the issue in an unbiased entry and “you can’t do that when the government is telling you what you can and can’t do,” added Brennan.