fbpx
Monday, July 28, 2025

Alberta gov says federal pharmacare plan overlaps with existing provincial offerings 

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Flickr

The Alberta government has cautioned that the newly enacted Liberal pharmacare scheme will result in needless costs and may infringe on the province’s jurisdiction.

Alberta Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange issued a statement on the passing of the pharmacare law, Bill C-64, on Friday.

“Unfortunately, the federal government has yet to share its vision for the future of national pharmacare, beyond coverage for contraceptives and diabetes medications, and how pharmacare will be financially supported in the long term while respecting Alberta’s current offerings,” said LaGrange.

Alberta’s public drug programs cover more than 5,000 drugs, which LaGrange said is one of the most comprehensive programs in the country. 

She added that the province intends to maintain its current benefit offerings. The Liberals can assist them in doing so but should not waste their time duplicating programs or creating unnecessary and costly administrative burdens, said LaGrange. 

“Without meaningful consultation and true collaboration, Alberta will continue to call on the federal government to provide predictable, sustainable and unconditional health funding that aligns with provincial and territorial priorities, and respects our exclusive jurisdiction over the planning, organization and management of our health care systems,” she said.

The first phase of Canada’s pharmacare legislation covers diabetes and contraception medications. 

Alberta announced its intent to opt out of the national pharmacare program in Feb. 2024, saying that the province was not consulted. Quebec has also previously signalled its intent to opt out of the federal pharmacare program, arguing that healthcare is within its provincial jurisdiction. 

Quebec has the longest list of drugs covered by a public insurance plan, yet private plans still cover 59.6% more medications than the public option. 

The Liberals’ 2024 budget proposed dedicating $1.5 billion over five years to develop the pharmacare act. 

Between 2024-25 and 2027-28, the Parliamentary Budget Officer calculated that the total drug expenditure under pharmacare would cost between $33.2 billion and $38.9 billion annually, totalling $143.9 billion in the four years.

The total incremental cost to the public sector would be between $11.2 billion and $13.4 billion annually, totalling $49.1 billion for the four years.

The Liberals said in a press release on Thursday that pharmacare will help 3.7 million people in Canada living with diabetes have universal access to various medications that improve their way of life.

However, a previous study conducted by the Montreal Economic Institute showed that 21.5 million Canadians will have their insurance coverage jeopardized by pharmacare.

The study also showed that Canadians with private insurance obtain drugs within 226 days, compared to the 732 days it takes for those covered by public insurance to receive the same drugs.

The study also showed that while public plans across the country covered 54,954 unique drugs between 2018 and 2021, private plans covered 84,529. 

A previous poll showed that the majority of Canadians don’t think pharmacare should be a priority but that the government should focus on wait times and other pressing concerns within the healthcare system.

Canada’s healthcare system has already experienced record wait times, and it was recently uncovered that the system will need $2 trillion to deal with the country’s ageing population. 

OP-ED: Unmasking the United Nations’ bias against Israel

By
Dotan Rousso
-
Source: United Nations

The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a focal point of international debate, often overshadowed by the actions and resolutions of global organizations. As a near-universal entity, the United Nations (UN) comprises 193 member states, including 22 Arab nations that are part of both the UN and the Arab League. This significant representation from the Middle East and North Africa allows these nations to wield considerable influence over UN discussions regarding political, economic, and cultural issues. However, this influence raises concerns about bias against Israel within these international institutions.

The UN’s bias against Israel is evident in the overwhelming support for pro-Palestinian positions among many of its member states. The bloc of Arab nations consistently backs anti-Israel resolutions, while much of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)—which includes around 120 countries from Africa, Asia, and Latin America—also tends to align with the Palestinians. Several European countries frequently endorse Palestinian statehood and criticize Israeli policies. This global coalition regularly mobilizes to pass resolutions that disproportionately target Israel, reflecting a focus on the country that often overshadows other pressing global conflicts.

Indeed, the bias against Israel within the United Nations is starkly evident, particularly in the actions of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Between 2012 and 2022, the UNHRC adopted 90 resolutions condemning Israel’s actions related to the Palestinian territories, making up approximately 47% of all country-specific resolutions. In contrast, only 13 resolutions were passed against Syria and 6 against Iran during the same period, despite ongoing and severe human rights violations in those countries.

The UN General Assembly also reflects this bias, adopting 17 resolutions against Israel in 2021 alone, compared to just 5 resolutions addressing Syria and 3 concerning human rights abuses in Myanmar. Since 2006, over 140 resolutions have targeted Israel, while North Korea and Iran faced only 37 and 11 resolutions, respectively, highlighting the disproportionate scrutiny Israel endures. Furthermore, from 2000 to 2019, long before the current war in Gaza, which erupted after the October 7th massacre by Hamas, out of 70 resolutions focused on the Middle East, 42 specifically criticized Israel. This stands in stark contrast to the minimal attention given to countries like Venezuela and Yemen, which are experiencing significant humanitarian crises but received far fewer resolutions. This overwhelming number of resolutions aimed at Israel raises serious questions about the UN’s impartiality and its commitment to addressing human rights issues globally.

The recent conflict that began on October 7, 2023, following a horrific Hamas massacre, has further illuminated this bias. The UN’s responses have often been framed in a manner that disproportionately emphasizes the actions of Israel while downplaying the violence instigated by Hamas. Calls for immediate ceasefires and humanitarian access are often directed towards Israel, ignoring the context of the aggression faced by the Israeli state. The imbalance in narrative continues to foster a perception that the UN prioritizes Palestinian perspectives over the complexities of the conflict.

The bias against Israel extends beyond the United Nations to other international organizations, notably the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has been criticized for its focus on investigating alleged war crimes by Israel while neglecting similar inquiries into the actions of other nations. The current prosecutor, Karim Khan, of Lebanese descent—especially relevant given that Israel is currently in military conflict with his homeland—has previously made statements that suggest a lack of neutrality regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His past positions raise concerns about the impartiality of the ICC’s approach to Israel, as critics argue that his background may influence the court’s handling of cases involving Israeli actions. This perceived partiality further exacerbates the narrative of bias against Israel within the international legal framework, undermining the credibility of the ICC as a neutral arbiter of justice.

The evidence presented highlights a troubling pattern of bias against Israel in various international organizations, particularly the UN and the ICC. This trend not only raises questions about the impartiality of these institutions but also underscores the need for a more balanced approach to global human rights issues.

Comments: [email protected]

Autor: Dotan Rousso was born and raised in Israel, holds a Ph.D. in Law, and was a former criminal prosecutor in Israel. He lives in Alberta and teaches Philosophy at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).


Liberal’s green investment rules exclude nuclear power, posit uncertain future for LNG

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
-
Sorce: Facebook

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland released the Liberal government’s green economy investment guidelines and notably excluded any pledge to support nuclear power. 

Additionally, the Liberals weren’t clear whether further liquified natural gas projects would be included in the so-called “green taxonomy.” 

Proponents of nuclear energy, which include the International Atomic Energy Agency, argue that it is a low-carbon power source and that excluding it could set the world back from achieving net-zero emission targets. 

Similarly, the natural gas industry, often seen as a ‘bridge fuel’ in the transition to renewable energy, finds itself on the outside, raising concerns about the impact on the sector and the overall energy mix of Canada.

The taxonomy’s classification system, which aims to direct funds towards green and transition activities, may face challenges in its implementation. 

“The development of that Canadian taxonomy will provide guidelines to identify green and transition investments. Green investments are low or zero emitting. Transition investments reduce emissions in high emitting sectors. I think you all know why we’re doing this. We’re doing it because we know markets want certainty,” said Freeland at the UN Principles for Responsible Investment conference on Oct. 9. 

While it provides a clear path for investments in hydrogen, solar, and wind energy, the exclusion of nuclear and the uncertainty over future natural gas projects could limit the scope of transition activities, particularly in industries where emissions are virtually impossible to reduce. 

Moreover, the requirement for large federally incorporated companies to disclose climate-related financial risks while aligning with global regulatory trends, adds another layer of regulation to an already overburdened Canadian energy landscape. 

In contrast, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre pledged to further support the development of LNG projects including those led by First Nations communities. 

The governance of the taxonomy is set to be overseen by a third-party organization, with sector-specific guidelines expected within a year to ensure compliance.

Freeland also pledged alignment with provincial regulators in the pursuit of the guidelines.

“The federal government is going to work with provinces and territories to support efforts by them to require climate disclosures of private businesses that are incorporated at the provincial and territorial level. I’d like to take the opportunity today to encourage provinces and territories to join with us in this important step,” said Freeland. 

OP-ED: Is in vitro fertilization (IVF) pro-life? 

By
Alexandra Jackson-Bonner
-
Source: Rawpixel

Saving embryos and implanting them later can help many women conceive; and, in theory, this may mean more life rather than less. The American Republican Party has made IVF an election issue, by promising to subsidize it or to require private insurance companies to pay for it. Donald Trump justified it like this: “we want to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies, not harder.”

In principle, most pro-lifers would favour any policy that makes it easier to have children. The question is whether IVF actually does that. In many cases, it doesn’t actually make conception any easier, and it is by no means free of risk or potential complications.

IVF means harvesting eggs from a woman’s ovaries, fertilizing them with sperm in a test tube, and then implanting the embryo in the womb. This can be done “fresh”, or the eggs may be frozen through cryopreservation for use later. Either way, IVF has been associated with higher rates of severe maternal morbidity, the need for blood transfusions, and caesarian delivery in low-risk pregnancies without major comorbidities. Moreover, animal studies of frozen eggs show increases in mitochondrial DNA mutations in embryos. We still await long-term human studies, and this raises questions about informed consent. There may also be problems with IVF that are not yet known. A good parallel case is the birth-control pill, whose ill-effects (including higher chance of cancer) were discovered only gradually over the past 60 years.

But even if IVF were a sure-fire way to conceive, and did not pose a risk to mothers and children, it would still raise ethical problems, some of which are very serious.

If we believe, for instance, that an embryo is a person, we can well ask whether it is humane to place that person in a sort of suspended reality by freezing him or her for an indefinite amount of time.

Even “fresh” implantation poses problems, though. When eggs are harvested, specialists take several at a time and inspect them for flaws or imperfections. A similar inspection is done on fertilized embryos also. If, at either stage, any problems are discovered, the eggs or embryos are destroyed. An example of an alleged imperfection is the missing chromosome that causes Down syndrome. If we are destroying such embryos, we are implying that those with Down syndrome do not have a right to life. This is not a theoretical concern. About half of all embryos created in the IVF process are discarded. Between 1991 and 2012, 3.5 million embryos fertilized in American laboratories, and 1.7 million embryos were discarded. Accordingly, the Alabama Supreme Court recently ruled that the disposal of embryos is now deemed as “wrongful death,” and so it is illegal to discard them there.

Finding the perfect embryo may well yield a higher chance of implantation success. But the whole process smacks of selective breeding and eugenics. It is, in fact, not far from the pagan practice of exposing weak or deformed infants to die, or sex-selective abortions which are unfortunately still common in certain places – it is legal in Canada. This state of affairs merits much more attention and discussion than it has had so far.

We are still in the midst of the sexual revolution that began in the 1960s with the female birth control pill. Like that pill, IVF allows couples to separate the act of sex from pregnancy. How much further can this revolution go? The application of science and technology to human reproduction suggests that we are nowhere near the limit of what may be achieved for good or ill. And commodifying reproduction by funding it or subjecting it to market forces is likely to lead to many unpleasant directions.

Alexandra Jackson-Bonner is a mother of 3. Having graduated with honors from philosophy at the UofT, she is now completing her Masters in Theology. In her free time, she loves to be in the kitchen with her kids and sell real estate on the side.

US slaps TD Bank with $3B fine over cartel money laundering

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: Flickr

Canada’s Toronto Dominion Bank must pay out over $3 billion to regulators to settle charges levied against it after failing to properly monitor money laundering schemes by drug cartels in the United States. 

It was announced on Thursday that within the fine, a whopping $1.3 billion penalty will be paid to the US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, marking a record fine for a bank. 

The remaining $1.8 billion will be paid to the US Justice Department.

“By making its services convenient for criminals, TD Bank became one,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland during a press conference on Thursday.

TD Bank pleaded guilty hoping to resolve the US government’s investigation that the bank violated the Bank Secrecy Act and permitted money laundering.

“Today, TD Bank also became the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to Bank Secrecy Act program failures, and the first US bank in history to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering,” continued Garland. 

“TD Bank chose profits over compliance with the law — a decision that is now costing the bank billions of dollars in penalties. Let me be clear: our investigation continues, and no individual involved in TD Bank’s illegal conduct is off limits.”

According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, TD Bank had “long-term, pervasive, and systemic deficiencies” in how it was monitoring transactions. 

Between January 2018 and April 2024, over 90% of transactions at TD Bank went unmonitored, which “enabled three money laundering networks to collectively transfer more than $670 million through TD Bank accounts,” reads a legal filing.

“I want to be clear, these systemic failures did not just create hypothetical vulnerabilities, but they resulted in actual, material harm to American citizens and communities,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo in a statement. 

“Time and again, unlike its peers, TD Bank prioritized growth and profit over complying with the law. The bank enabled drug trafficking.”

The Department of Justice referenced an instance where TD Bank employees collected over $57,000 worth of gift cards to process over $470 million in cash deposits from a money laundering network to “ensure employees would continue to process their transactions.”

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the US agency responsible for regulating banks, also weighed in on the situation, accusing TD Bank of processing hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions that were clearly linked to nefarious activity. 

TD Bank CEO Bharat Masrani called the situation a “difficult chapter” in the bank’s history in a recent statement, apologizing to stakeholders that “these failures took place on my watch as CEO.”

“We have taken full responsibility for the failures of our US [anti-money laundering] program and are making the investments, changes and enhancements required to deliver on our commitments,” said Masrani.

The bank has responded by pledging to bolster its anti-money laundering surveillance efforts, including hiring of over 700 new specialists with “experience and qualifications in money laundering prevention, financial crimes, and AML remediation.”

TD said it hopes the additional employees will “better prevent, detect and measure financial crime risk.” 

However, the bank will remain under the watch of the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for the next four years, which will closely monitor their transactions. 

TD Bank was also forced to pay out $1.2 billion to settle a lawsuit last year over its involvement in a $7 billion Ponzi scheme spearheaded by disgraced financier Allen Stanford.

The money was distributed among the victims of the scheme, however, the bank itself denied any wrongdoing. 

Jewish girls elementary school shot at for a second time this year

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: X

A Jewish girls’ elementary school in Toronto was shot at for a second time in five months, this time on the solemn Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur.

According to police, a suspect or suspects in a motor vehicle discharged a firearm at Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary at Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue West at around 4 a.m., Toronto Police Services said on X.

Police said no injuries were reported, though evidence of gunfire was located.

“We understand the fear and pain this causes especially on Yom Kippur,” TPS said in a separate post on X. “To Toronto’s Jewish community: We stand with you. Your safety is our priority. We are committed to finding those responsible.”

A representative of TPS told True North that police are still investigating the first time the all-Jewish girl’s elementary school was shot at in May.

A video of the suspects wanted in the first shooting was shared after the attack.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact police.

Independent Spadina—Fort York MP Kevin Vuong called the attack “domestic terrorism” on X.

“Horrifying that Jewish day schools continue to be targeted with gun violence, and especially on Yom Kippur, a solemn day for the community, Former Liberal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said. “Find the criminals. Arrest them. Put them in jail. And send a message that we will not tolerate hatred or violence.”

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the incident was “another shameful and terrifyingly common attack” in Canada.

“It is part of a 251% increase in hate crimes during the 9 years of the NDP-Liberals,” Poilievre said on X. “I will ban the terrorists, secure our borders, lock up criminals and bring home safety for all.”

The Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, chimed in as well. Days before, Chow was criticized for failing to attend a vigil for the victims of the October 7th terrorist attack. 

“The shooting overnight at the Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School is a horrific antisemitic act, shattering the peace of the High Holidays and Yom Kippur,” Chow said on X. “This is the second time the school has been targeted by this disgusting hate. I reiterate that the students of Bais Chaya Mushka have the right to learn, and the teachers have a right to teach, in safety and without fear of antisemitic attacks.”

Chow pledged that police will increase their presence in the area to protect the community and keep people safe and said she is in contact with the Chief of police to keep updated on the incident.

“Jewish families and the Jewish community should not be made to fear for their safety,” Chow said. “Antisemitic violence and threats are unacceptable.”

Anyone with information or footage of the incident are asked to contact 32 Division: 416-808-3200 or Crime Stoppers: 416-222-TIPS (8477).

The Alberta Roundup | UCP welcomes back Jennifer Johnson

By
Isaac Lamoureux
-
Source: Facebook

The United Conservative Caucus of Alberta has officially reinstated Jennifer Johnson, following a recent controversy involving a heated exchange with a transgender activist. Johnson was initially booted from the UCP after so-called “anti-trans” comments and was lambasted by the legacy media.

Plus, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Jasper wildfire was mismanaged by Parks Canada. This week, a probe into the disaster revealed Parks Canada turned away firefighters while Jasper burnt to the ground.

And business owners in Alberta who faced economic losses due to pandemic closures may soon be able to proceed as a class action and sue the provincial government for damages.

These stories and more on The Alberta Roundup with Isaac Lamoureux!

Record food bank use as Calgarians prepare for Thanksgiving

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Wikipedia

As Calgarians prepare for Thanksgiving this year, the number of Calgary households relying on food banks daily has more than doubled since two years ago.

This doubling was confirmed by Melissa From, president and CEO of Calgary Food Bank, according to the Calgary Herald. She said that now more than 750 households are relying on using the food bank every day.

More working-class people are visiting food banks than ever before. From said that this is a last resort and that clients often use coupons, pinch pennies, go without meals, and even turn off their electricity before visiting a food bank.

A previous study highlighted that food bank usage has been reaching unprecedented levels across Canada. Demand surged 30% nationwide last year, with some regions experiencing even sharper increases. 

In Newfoundland, the Saint Vincent de Paul Carbonear Food Bank reported a spike in clients as families approach the long weekend. 

“For a lot of these people, Thanksgiving dinner might not even be an option,” spokesperson Kaitlin Clarke told CBC News. 

In British Columbia, food bank visits rose by 57% since 2019, climbing by over 100% in rural areas with populations under 10,000.

Stephane Sirois, executive director of Food Depot Alimentaire in New Brunswick, previously told True North that the system was “close to a breaking point.” 

He, too, said that working-class people were visiting food banks, often for the first time. But not the last. 

“We’re not seeing any signs of reversing the trend in the near future. In the next couple of years, numerous Canadians will have to renew their mortgage at a much higher interest rate. This will put even more families over the edge and make them vulnerable to food insecurity,” said Sirois. 

Dan Huang-Taylor, Executive Director of Food Banks BC, told True North that more people were turning to food banks in B.C. than seen in the 40-year history of operation.

“We’re seeing this alarming trend of people who are working full time, maybe two jobs, and they’re still not able to make ends meet,” he said. 

The sharp rise in food bank visits can be partially attributed to higher food prices and rising costs of everything else. 

A Dalhousie University research study showed that 84.1% of its 3,000 survey respondents noted that their food expenses had increased in the last year, adding that they had to adjust their shopping habits to adapt to the rising costs. 

While official reports estimate food inflation at 2.4% in stores and 3.4%, the study said that 54.5% of Canadians believe food inflation to be higher than government estimates. 

Things became so bad in Canada that a church from the United States stepped in and previously donated $2 million to a Toronto food Bank. 

The $2 million donation was a saving grace, considering the number of monthly visits skyrocketed from 65,000 to over 350,000 since 2020. 

“Food inflation, skyrocketing housing costs, stagnating wages, and insufficient income supports have created a deep poverty crisis,” said Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto. He added that some clients spend 100% of their income on housing, leaving no money for necessities like food.

Calgary’s non-profits are ramping up efforts to meet the growing need. Meals on Wheels has surpassed one million meals delivered this year and is preparing to distribute another 400,000 by the end of 2024.

The CEO of Meals on Wheels, Esther Elder, said it’s the third time in three years that the number of meals has exceeded one million. The organization plans to boost production by 180,000 meals annually with new equipment.

The surge in food bank dependency is not unique to Alberta. Nearly 20% of Canadians now know someone who relies on a food bank. 

National food insecurity rates reached 22.9%, according to Food Banks Canada’s 2024 Poverty Report Card, which gave the country a D- overall. The report cited rapid population growth, high interest rates, and housing shortages as contributing factors to the crisis. 

True North previously reported that international students in Canada were filming themselves visiting food banks to get “free food” to save money. 

Canada’s rent growth recently hit a three-year low due to international student enrollments plummeting. Maybe food banks will follow. 

Ethics committee grills CTV News manager over manipulated Poilievre clip

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: LinkedIn

The vice president of CTV News said there was “no intent to disinform” the public when the news broadcaster aired a spliced-together clip that misled viewers into thinking the Conservatives were calling for an election to fight dental care.

On Thursday, the House of Commons ethics committee grilled CTV News’ VP Richard Gray about the incident that led to the Bell Canada-owned company firing two “highly experienced workers.” 

Gray was called to answer the committee’s question about the impact of misinformation and disinformation on parliamentarians’ work. The inquiry comes after Conservatives discovered that CTV News had spliced together separate clips of CPC leader Pierre Poilievre speaking during a scrum.

The clip was edited to make him say, “That’s why we need to put forward a motion,” directly after CTV News anchor Christina Tenaglia spoke about the Liberal-NDP dental plan. The real, unedited clip made it clear that Conservatives were putting forward a non-confidence motion for a list of issues, including the carbon tax, public safety, and the economy.

In response to questions posed by NDP MP Matthew Green, Gray stated that there was “no intent to disinform” the public with the doctored clip. Gray said the two ‘highly experienced” individuals told CTV executives that they doctored the clip due to a “technical error.”

“There was a technical error in our original record that prevented the video from being presented as was. The editor took this step to manipulate the audio so that the video could cover it,” Gray said.

He said the explanation he received was that CTV removed reference to the “carbon tax election” in the interest of time.

“There was no specific ask of that reporter to alter their story for time,” Gray said. “And it was explained to us that the reporter believed that it was understood that the clip’s nature was about a carbon tax election.”

Conservatives pushed back on the notion that most watching would have come to that conclusion.

Gray restated that this was just the explanation given to him by the editors but would not answer if he accepted the explanation himself.

“I do not believe that it was deliberately done, but still it was a violation of our editorial standards,” Gray said in response to Green’s questioning.

He said the two individuals fired for doctoring the clip violated several of CTV’s ethical standards and policies.

“Our policy on misrepresentation, our policy on the utilization of source material, and the use of sound, specifically interview clips (were violated,)” Gray said.

He said the two also violated the Radio Television Digital News Association’s code of ethics on accuracy and authenticity as well as the Canadian Association of Broadcaster’s code of ethics on news and full fair and proper presentation.

Scheer questioned Gray about the success of Bell Canada’s CTV News business, noting that the parent company made around $2.3 billion in profit in 2023, according to the company’s reporting.

Gray said Bell Canada loses $40 million a year from its CTV News channels.

“There has been a consistent erosion in viewership in broadcast media in this country for a number of years,” Gray said. “It’s falling year over year.”

Scheer noted that Bell Media has lobbied the Trudeau government over 50 times in the last year.

“That’s more than four meetings with government officials a month. That’s more face time with senior government levels than some liberal MPs get,” Scheer said.

He said Bell Canada profits, particularly in telecommunications, due to the limited competition the company enjoys granted by government policies.

Scheer argued that the legacy media corporation and its parent company have an incentive to sway its audience toward the Liberals and away from the Conservatives.

“Bell would fear a government that was led by a party that believed in consumer-first types of policies and free market and pro-competition policies,” Scheer said. “(It) would benefit greatly from a party in power that continued the status quo, or, even worse, taking away more avenues for consumer choice, which would allow Bell to continue to make that kind of profit margin.”

When asked about diversity at CTV News Gray said CTV has a commitment to hire staff based on the demographics of Canada. Scheer asked if CTV also hires a diversity of viewpoints to reflect Canada’s political differences.

“It’s not the job of journalists to reflect the Canadian political spectrum. It’s our job to present stories in an unbiased, balanced, accurate and fair way,” Gray said.

Gray ended by affirming that CTV does not have a Liberal bias, which evoked laughter from the Conservatives at the hearing.

OP-ED: Smith’s moral commitment to protect and nurture our children

By
Richard Dur
-
Source: X

Danielle Smith’s proposed legislation on gender identity isn’t just about policy—it’s a moral stand on how we protect and nurture our children. Her message cuts to the heart of what every parent knows: when it comes to significant, life-altering decisions, especially about medical treatments, parents must have a voice.

Smith’s proposal is not just timely—it’s necessary. It’s about reinforcing the role of parents in their children’s lives and making sure that, in matters of such gravity, they are given a seat at the table.

What Smith is saying could, and should, be applied more broadly. She rightly contends that minors need time, guidance, and protection before making irreversible decisions about their bodies—whether through gender reassignment surgery or hormone treatments. But why not apply this same reasoning to all major medical procedures for minors?

In other areas of life—whether it’s a tattoo, a body piercing, or school staff administering Tylenol—parental consent is required. Yet, despite widespread public support for requiring parental consent, minors in Alberta are currently able to obtain an abortion without it. Yet, If a parent’s permission is needed for something as benign as a school trip to the zoo, shouldn’t it be required for a life-altering decision like abortion? No child should face the burden of a life-or-death decision alone.

Parents have a vested interest in both the present and future of their children (and grandchildren). Their guidance isn’t an obstacle; it’s a safeguard, ensuring that decisions as serious as abortion aren’t made in isolation but within the context of family, love, and responsibility.

Parents are not bystanders in their children’s lives, and minors in these situations need all the support they can get. Parents can provide the emotional, moral, and practical support that minors often lack on their own.

Opponents of Smith’s policy argue that it “targets” transgender youth, that it singles them out for special treatment. In a way, they’re right. Smith is addressing a specific issue, but the logic she’s using can and should apply to all children, not just those struggling with gender dysphoria. If Smith made parental consent and oversight the standard for all medical procedures involving minors, it would eliminate even the perception that transgender youth are being unfairly targeted. It would reinforce that this isn’t about one group—it’s about protecting all young people by giving a voice to parents.

Parents are uniquely equipped to care for their children, with an inherent understanding of their needs and best interests. Unlike the state, which operates from a distance, parents bring personal investment and intimate knowledge, ensuring that decisions are made with love, responsibility, and the long-term well-being of the child in mind.

Broadening the scope of parental involvement in healthcare decisions for all minors would not only align with official UCP policy (206.5b), but would also create a more coherent and comprehensive approach to how we care for our children.

This is about more than just policy—it’s about protecting our children and reaffirming the role of the family. Let’s make sure that in every case—whether it’s surgery, hormone treatments, or abortion—parents are there to guide, support, and protect their children.

In the end, it’s simple: Parental involvement isn’t just a safeguard—it’s a moral imperative. And it’s time to make that the law.

Richard Dur is an award-winning political consultant with extensive experience working on campaigns across Canada. In addition to his professional work, he serves as the volunteer Executive Director of Prolife Alberta, an organization dedicated to advancing pro-life public policy in the province. 

1...100101102...1,460Page 101 of 1,460

Related stories

© 2025 True North | Privacy Policy