Prime Minister Stephen Harper says news of his rocky relationship with the national media is all "inside Ottawa stuff" that is of no interest to most Canadians.

Following an announcement in Vancouver Thursday of a federal crackdown on street racing, Harper spent the bulk of his question and answer session addressing his relationship with the media -- which he claims is biased against him.

Harper wants Ottawa press gallery reporters to put their names on a list, from which his office will pick and choose who gets to question him at news conferences.

Press gallery reporters fear the prime minister is trying to freeze out media organizations he doesn't like.

Harper told a London, Ont. television station on Wednesday that the press gallery has adopted an "anti-Conservative" stance and has taken it upon itself to become the "opposition to the government." Therefore, he will speak only to local media.

"I think what's unfortunate is when we make ourselves available to the media, the press gallery will not allow journalists to ask questions," Harper said Thursday, referring to the process in which the Parliamentary Press Gallery assigns reporters to question the prime minister.

Yves Malo, a reporter with the Quebec-based TVA network and president of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, says he's puzzled by Harper's assertion.

"I don't understand what Mr. Harper said when he said we don't allow journalists to ask questions," Malo said Thursday on CTV's Mike Duffy Live. "We want journalists to ask questions, it's our business -- what we don't want is for (the Prime Minister's Office) to choose who's going to ask the questions . . . and we can't accept that."

Harper's comments on Wednesday were sparked by an incident a day earlier when about two dozen Ottawa reporters walked out on a news conference after he refused to take their questions.

When asked Thursday whether his feud with national reporters is "childish," the prime minister said: "I don't think it matters to people."

"The press will always have their opinions on whether they do or don't agree with government policy -- but we've seen repeatedly the public will make up its own mind."