Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis is facing criticism for promoting a petition advocating Canada’s withdrawal from the United Nations and World Health Organization.
The petition says Canada’s membership in these organizations “imposes negative consequences on the people of Canada, far outweighing any benefits.”
The Prime Minister’s Office and Liberal MPs have accused Lewis and the Conservatives of being “conspiracy theorists and extremists.”
The petition, initiated by Burnaby, B.C. resident Doug Porter and sponsored by Lewis, has amassed over 66,000 signatures since it opened in October. The deadline to sign it is Feb. 7.
In a post on X, Lewis touted the petition “calling on Canada to protect our national sovereignty by withdrawing from the UN and its subsidiary organizations.”
American Republican senator Mike Lee said Lewis and the Canadians who already signed the petition were right, adding that Americans should follow their lead and that the UN has outlived its purpose.
The petition argues that Canada’s participation in UN and WHO initiatives, particularly the Agenda 2030 program, undermines the country’s sovereignty and the liberties guaranteed in the Canadian Bill of Rights and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Lewis’ backing of the petition prompts several questions.
“Make no mistake, when someone posts a petition it’s because they agree with it. What is it about the UN that Conservatives don’t like?” Trudeau’s press secretary Mohammad Hussain said in a statement, according to the Globe and Mail. “Is it the work they do for children around the world, is it their programs to support women’s rights and human rights?”
Liberal MP Rob Oliphant said the petition is “absurd & dangerous.”
According to the petition, Canada’s commitment to the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals compromise national sovereignty and personal autonomy. It highlights the negative impacts of these initiatives on various aspects of Canadian life, from religious and cultural values to privacy and personal freedom, often implemented without adequate public consent.
“Agenda 2030 and secretly negotiated amendments to the (WHO’s international health regulations) could likely impose unacceptable, intrusive universal surveillance, violating the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” reads the petition.
The petition also claims that Canada’s relationship with the UN and other global institutions is empowering groups like the World Economic Forum, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and International Planned Parenthood Federation, although it does not explain how.
Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull accused the Conservatives of being conspiratorial over Lewis’ support for the petition.
“It’s astonishing how the Conservative Party has become a haven for conspiracy theorists & extremists,” he said.
The Conservative party did not respond to a request for comment from True North.
