Conservatives bar former MP and leadership candidate Pierre Lemieux from running

Andrew Lawton
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Former Conservative MP and leadership candidate Pierre Lemieux has been denied permission to run in this year’s election as a Conservative, True North has learned.

Lemieux, a social conservative, was seeking the party’s nomination in the eastern Ontario riding of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, which he represented for three terms from 2006 to 2015.

He lost to Liberal Francis Drouin in 2015 and failed to retake the seat in 2019, which the party says makes him ineligible to run again.

“In accordance with our nomination rules, an applicant must not have been an unsuccessful candidate in both of the two prior federal general elections,” a Conservative Party of Canada spokesperson said in an email statement to True North.

The rules allow for a candidate to receive a waiver from this requirement if authorized by the party’s National Council president and executive director, then approved by the National Candidate Selection Committee (NCSC).

Lemieux requested a waiver when he filed his nomination application in January but was only informed that it was not granted on August 6, according to a source connected with Lemieux’s campaign.

Former Conservative MP Costas Menegakis, who lost his races in 2015 and 2019, is the Conservative candidate for Richmond Hill, also in Ontario.

In 2006, Lemieux became the first Conservative to win Glengarry—Prescott—Russell since 1958, by a margin of just 203 votes, which he expanded significantly over the next two elections. He sought the Conservative party’s leadership in 2017, finishing in seventh place out of 14 candidates with 7.67% of the points.

In July, the NCSC disqualified former Conservative MP and leadership candidate Brad Trost, also a prominent social conservative, from seeking the nomination in a Saskatchewan riding, though this decision was overturned on appeal to the National Council. Trost ultimately lost the nomination race.

On Thursday, the Conservative party’s candidate in Yukon Jonas Smith said he had been disqualified over opposition to vaccine passports and mandatory vaccination policies. The Conservatives said Smith was removed over his ”unwillingness to support public health guidelines.”

Majority of Canadians desire change in government: poll

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Majority of Canadians desire change in government: poll

A poll by Abacus Data which surveyed 3,000 voters found that a majority of Canadians wanted a change in their federal government. 

The national survey took place between August 6 and August 11, just ahead of an expected election call by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speculated to take place this upcoming weekend. 

Abacus Data is a Canadian polling firm based out of Ottawa, Ontario, which regularly gets cited by legacy media outlets like the Globe and Mail, National Post and others. 

According to the poll results, 66% of people surveyed said that it was either definitely time for change or a good time to have a change in government. On the other hand, only 33% of Canadians stated that they wished to see the Liberals re-elected. 

Despite the desire for change, the Trudeau Liberals continue to score first place in the polls, followed by O’Toole’s Conservatives.  

Abacus Data found that 37% of Canadians intend to vote for the Liberals, while 28% said they will be casting their ballot for a Conservative candidate. Meanwhile, the NDP trails behind at 20%, followed by the Green Party which sits at 5%. 

Support for the Liberals is highest in Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces, while the Conservatives outpoll the Liberals in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 

Past analysis of Abacus Data polling has shown that the pollster has skewed lower for Conservatives than the average of Canada’s polls. 

Other recent polls by Angus Reid show a much more narrow lead by the Liberals. A poll published on Thursday by Angus Reid found that the Liberals only had a 5-point lead over the Conservatives, in comparison to the 9-point lead reported by Abacus Data. 

Additionally, a recent Angus Reid poll found that O’Toole was leading on economic issues like government spending, economic recovery and energy over other leaders, whereas Trudeau only led on COVID-19 handling. 

Fraudsters jump to take advantage of Quebec’s vaccine passport system

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Fraudsters jump to take advantage of Quebec’s vaccine passport system

Fraudulent vaccine passports are already spreading like wildfire online following Quebec’s decision to make them mandatory for non-essential public spaces like bars, festivals, arenas and elsewhere. 

According to Le Journal de Montreal, fake vaccine passports are already being sold over the internet for amounts ranging from $200 to $515. 

Reporters reached out to prospective sellers of the fraudulent passports over the encrypted messaging application Telegram. 

The outlet notes that within 30 minutes of expressing interest in buying a fake vaccine passport, reporters had already received ten offers from fraudsters. 

Le Journal also notes that most of the fraudulent sellers appear to be from Europe or elsewhere abroad. 

Photos of the chats show various QR codes posing as official government passes. 

Earlier this week, the Government of Quebec announced the most sweeping vaccine passport program in Canada. 

As of September 1st, unvaccinated Canadians will be denied access to “non-essential public spaces” such as restaurants, sporting events and elsewhere if they can’t provide proof of vaccination. 

Quebec Premier Francois Legault has since refused to allow the matter to be debated in the provincial legislature because it would expose Quebecers to “conspiracy theories.” 

People will be required to have a code on a smartphone application which will be scanned upon entry to public spaces. 

The quick response by fraudsters seeking to cash in on Quebec’s vaccine passport system seems to validate concerns by critics of the system who claim that enforcing vaccine passes would open up a quagmire of issues for local businesses, the provincial government and others. 

Journalists are misleading Canadians about vaccine hesitancy

Candice Malcolm
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Journalists are misleading Canadians about vaccine hesitancy

Many in the media seem to think that vaccine passports and forced vaccinations are a “winning strategy” for Trudeau in the upcoming election. But is that true?

True North’s Candice Malcolm examines the data to better understand the “vaccine-hesitant” population – and it isn’t good news for the Trudeau Liberals.

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Liberals can’t name journalists who got $50 million in local news subsidies

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Liberals can’t name journalists who got $50 million in local news subsidies

Officials with the Department of Canadian Heritage were unable to provide the names and outlets of the hundreds of journalists hired under the Liberal government’s $50 million Local Journalism Initiative (LJI). 

In an emailed statement, federal officials told True North that the government did not have such information on hand. 

“To protect the arm’s-length relationship between the Government and supported news organizations, the program is administered by seven not-for-profit organizations that represent different segments of the news sector,” a Department of Canadian Heritage spokesperson told True North. 

“Therefore, the Department of Canadian Heritage is not directly involved in application processes nor funding decisions and does not collect third-party personally-identifiable information during the course of the administration of the program.”

The initiative was first launched by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2018 as a five-year plan to support “original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.” 

Eligible media organizations would be able to tap into the taxpayer funds to hire journalists or pay freelance reporters. 

Overseeing the funds are seven “Administrator Organizations,” three of which are Francophone. They include News Media Canada, Association de la presse francophone, Quebec Community Newspapers Association, the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations and the Fédération des télévisions communautaires autonomes du Québec.

To date, hundreds of journalists have been employed through the program at the taxpayer’s expense, with 124 positions being funded this year. A list maintained by News Media Canada of 2021 legacy media organizations that “host” LJI reporters includes outlets like Canada’s National Observer, the Narwhal, the Tyee, the Chronicle Herald and dozens of others. However, no mention is made of who the reporters were or how much each outlet received. 

This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Liberal government was unable to answer questions about its extensive media subsidies. As revealed by Blacklock’s Reporter, Canadian Heritage was also refusing to disclose which media companies were awarded $61 million in subsidies billed as “emergency relief” during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Billboard campaign to highlight ballooning trillion-dollar federal debt

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Billboard campaign to highlight ballooning trillion-dollar federal debt

A campaign by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) hopes to make Canadians aware of how much debt the Liberal government has accrued on their behalf. 

The cross-country initiative will include physical billboards and social media ads that seek to warn Canadians about the country’s growing debt. 

“Deficit spending is out of control and we’re pushing politicians to be honest about how they’re going to pay back the $1-trillion debt,” said the CTF’s Federal Director, Franco Terrazzano.

“More deficits mean more debt that Canadian kids and grandkids will need to pay back. Politicians need to rein in their deficit spending so future generations aren’t weighed down by soaring government debt.”

Billboards are expected to appear in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, while social media ads will be broadcast to numerous communities. 

When broken down based on each person’s individual share of the federal debt, Canadians can expect to pay about $29,000 per person for the government’s reckless spending. 

“Politicians owe taxpayers the truth about how they are going to pay for this $1-trillion debt and the truth is taxpayers are going to get clobbered if politicians don’t tighten their belts. Interest charges on the debt siphon away billions that can’t go to health care or lower taxes,” said Terrazzano. 

Under the Liberal government’s watch, Canada’s deficit has also grown as a result of reckless spending.

According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Canada will not be able to get out of a deficit until 2070 due to the Liberal government’s spending programs. 

“Overall, it paints a picture of unsustainability for finances, both federal and provincial combined,” Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux said. 

“And that is the big elephant in the room that nobody seems to be worried about or wanting to address.”

Trudeau’s foreign policy has been a failure

Andrew Lawton
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Trudeau’s foreign policy has been a failure

The Chinese regime has sentenced one Canadian to death and another to 11 years in prison in the latest stage of its hostage diplomacy with Canada. When Justin Trudeau was elected in 2015 he insisted “Canada’s back,” yet in the last six years Canada has failed to make a dent on the world stage. Trudeau spent his political capital on idle virtue signalling while Canadians were held behind bars and China waged genocide against the Uyghurs, True North’s Andrew Lawton says.

Also, the Liberals’ double standard on mandatory vaccines, and ‘Green Fraud’ author Marc Morano on the latest climate change alarmism from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

Liberals hide names of media companies given $61 million in subsidies

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Liberals hide names of media companies given $61 million in subsidies

The Liberal government will not reveal the names of Canadian publishers who benefited from nearly $61 million in subsidies advertised as “emergency relief.” 

Media outlets were given the subsidies on top of substantial federal support already offered to them through the $600 million bailout fund passed by the Liberals in 2018. Additionally, publishers can also apply to receive funding through the Canada Periodical Fund. 

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, a July 21 letter to the House of Commons heritage committee makes no mention of the media companies’ identities. 

“These measures demonstrate the government’s commitment to both a robust, diverse and sustainable news ecosystem and ensuring Canadians can receive the timely information they require from their government,” wrote Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault. 

The letter revealed that numerous organizations were showered with $60.8 million in taxpayer funds to convey so-called “timely information (readers) require from their government.” 

When pressed on revealing the names of the publishers and how much they received, Canadian Heritage staff would not disclose that information. 

To date, left-wing progressive outlets like The Narwhal and others have been showered with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. In March of this year, it was revealed that The Narwhal was awarded $355,000 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

Additionally, the legacy media company FP Newspapers Inc. received $6.2 million in taxpayer funds from the Liberal government. 

The Trudeau government has also indicated it would seek to give additional funding for the CBC, which already receives well over one billion taxpayer dollars despite continuously losing advertising revenues and viewership.

Liberal government hosts drag queen competition for public servants

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Liberal government hosts drag queen competition for public servants

The Liberal government is touting its first ever drag queen competition for public servants. 

According to Public Service Pride, “DRAGanza 2021” will take place on Friday, Aug. 27, and is open to anybody who works for a federal government department. The event is being hosted by Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

Participants who enter the competition will have a shot at being crowned the Government of Canada’s first ever “drag superstar.” 

“Channel your inner drag star! Compete in a variety of fun challenges by video to win prizes. You may even be crowned as the GoC’s first ever drag superstar!” an event description reads. 

In the lead-up to DRAGanza 2021, public servants hoping to enter the competition will get to attend two two-hour workshops “with seasoned makeup artists, hair stylists and drag performers.” 

“They will be sharing tips and tricks to apply makeup, how to dress, and how to prepare for the challenges,” the DRAGanza 2021 website says. 

According to the contestant requirements, public servants will “be asked to create a video showing off (their) makeup, moves and lip-syncing skills.” 

Additionally, the videos will be broadcast across Canada’s federal departments. 

The event also calls on “drag queen mentors” to man the workshops and give contestants tips “one-on-one or in virtual breakout rooms.” 

Last year, federal employees with the Department of Public Works complained about dealing with “repetitive, menial and uninspiring work” during the pandemic. 

“As our employees have repeatedly told us, it is difficult if not impossible to find meaning and dignity in work when all we can do is try to keep from drowning in a pool of repetitive, menial and uninspiring tasks that don’t adequately leverage the unique abilities, strengths and talents of our people,” wrote a government report. 

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed off on a significant pay hike for 94,000 federal employees. 

WE Charity awarded multiple government contracts without competition: new report

Caitlin Rose Morgante
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WE Charity awarded multiple government contracts without competition: new report

New developments have been unearthed in the year-long WE Charity investigation conducted by The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO). 

Ombudsman Alexander Jeglic found a number of contracts exhibiting a troubling pattern of favouritism towards WE. These contracts were dated prior to the government’s controversial decision to award the charity a $43.5 million pandemic grant to oversee the $912 million federal Summer Student Service Grant, which was ultimately axed following public outcry.

In the Procurement Practice Review Of Non-Competitive Contracts Involving We Charity report, OPO found six contracts that had been awarded to WE Charity by four federal departments since 2017. The contracts were all awarded without competition.

The report states that “one of the fundamental principles of federal contracting set forth in the Government Contracts Regulations…is openness and the requirement to solicit bids from potential suppliers when awarding government contracts. There are, however, a limited number of exceptions where contracts can be awarded without soliciting bids through a competitive process.” 

WE charity appears to have taken advantage of the loopholes to avoid competition.

The report states that the case in which “a contracting authority may enter into a contract without soliciting bids” is when the contract amount is below $25,000 for goods or $40,000 for most services. Conveniently, one WE contract from the Privy Council for $24,996 was just $4 below the threshold. Another contract from the Public Health Agency for $24,990 was just $10.00 below the open-bidding threshold. 

A Global Affairs Canada (GAC) contract originally exceeded the $40,000 open-bidding threshold but was reduced “following a discussion with the GAC.” 

The amount in WE Charity’s revised proposal “showed the contract value as $35,398.23 plus applicable taxes for a total of $40,000.”

WE subsequently submitted an invoice for “$40,000 plus $0.00 HST. An email from WE Charity to GAC accompanying the invoice stated it does not charge tax due to its status as a charity.” 

GAC subtracted the taxes and added that amount to WE Charity’s payment. This means that the total contract amount remained $40,000, but WE Charity was able to pocket an additional $4,601.77 even though “there was no indication of a change in the scope of work provided to justify the increase.”

In two of the six contracts, “departments did not fully respect internal departmental procedures to record the reasons (i.e. justification) for decisions on the contract file, potentially impacting the transparency of these procurement processes,” according to the OPO report.

True North reached out to WE for comment but did not hear back by the time this article was published. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in hot water last year for his decision to select WE to oversee the federal Summer Student Service Grant. 

Critics expressed concern over a conflict of interest because WE had previously paid Trudeau’s family members $481,751 in speaking services, gifts and free trips to London and New York. According to Dion, while there was an “appearance of a conflict of interest,” Trudeau’s decision to select WE did not violate ethics laws despite family ties to founders Marc and Craig Kielburger. The scandal led to the resignation of then-finance minister Bill Morneau. 

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