About that 'reporter' whose questions Jagmeet Singh refused to answer

It's the latest viral moment for Jagmeet Singh.

In the media session following Thursday night's French-language leaders' debate, the NDP leader politely but repeatedly refused to answer questions from Rebel Media's Keean Bexte, who identified himself as a reporter with "RNN."

• Rebel Media reporter worked for white supremacist web store

People who see the short exchange, in which Singh twice informs Bexte that he will not answer his questions, may be interested to learn about Bexte's history of association with far-right groups and organizations.

Bexte was one subject of a multi-part Ricochet investigation last year that exposed members and staff of Fireforce, a Calgary company selling Rhodesian and apartheid South African flags and war memorabilia — symbols used by white supremacists.

Here is the exchange between Singh and Bexte.

Here's Jagmeet Singh very politely telling a Rebel correspondent he's not going to answer his questions at the post-debate presser. pic.twitter.com/tMxOaLf3rV

— The Toronto SUNN O))) (@sdbcraig) October 11, 2019

In refusing to answer Bexte's questions, Singh was following the example set by Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet who flatly stated "I won't answer Rebel News" in response to a question after the English-language leaders' debate on Monday night.

Rebel Media and True North, another right-wing media organization, were granted accreditation for the official election debates after a last-minute federal court ruling in their favour. Both groups had previously been denied accreditation by the Leaders' Debates Commission.