The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax is constitutional, though the court didn’t rule on whether it’s good policy. This means debate over the carbon tax moves to the political realm. Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick joined True North’s The Andrew Lawton Show to break down the ruling and the facts Canadians need to know about the carbon tax.
Watch the latest episode of The Andrew Lawton Show.
A Conservative MP and senator are speaking out against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s latest United Nations address.
On Monday, Trudeau attended a virtual UN summit alongside Secretary General António Guterres and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness where he addressed a myriad of issues including the global economic response to the COVID-19 crisis, foreign aid and climate change.
In an emailed statement sent to True North, MP John Williamson slammed the prime minister’s inclusion in the summit saying that the Liberal government’s track record on the economy should bar Trudeau from speaking as an authority on a looming debt crisis.
“Justin Trudeau should not be out in front at the United Nations on likely policy responses to a looming debt crisis. His government represents precisely what not to do,” said Williamson.
“Under his watch, Canada’s federal government spent recklessly in the good years before the coronavirus pandemic hit, making our country more vulnerable to credit difficulties when the economy hit the wall. In June, Canada’s credit rating was downgraded from Triple-A to Double A-plus by one agency.”
While at the summit, Trudeau called on world leaders to work together on international aid for developing nations and suggested that the pandemic was making the effects of climate change worse.
Williamson also went on to criticize the Trudeau government for spending more on average than any other G7 nation on recovery, yet the country still has a higher unemployment rate than its allies. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Canada’s unemployment rate surged to the top of the G7 list in February 2021.
Conservative Senator Leo Housakos echoed Williamson’s remarks, saying that it was “laughable” that the international community would point to the Trudeau government as a success story.
“The Trudeau government has failed at every opportunity in responding to this pandemic and our economy will suffer as result, for years to come; not the least of which was his complete reliance on CanSino, to provide Canadians with vaccines which severely placed Canada behind the curve,” Housakos told True North.
“As a result, Trudeau has made our provinces dependent on lockdowns and endless subsidies. This has cost the lives of Canadians, as well as caused significant damage to the mental health of all Canadians and has severely handicapped our capacity to have an economic recovery.”
True North reached out to Finance Canada for a response to Housakos’ and Williamson’s critiques but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The Trudeau government is expected to deliver a budget on April 19 for the first time in over two years. The plan will take account of the government’s coronavirus emergency spending to date and chart the Liberal government’s fiscal plan into the future.
A senator has proposed a private members’ bill which would see former governor general Julie Payette lose her generous government pension and benefits.
Conservative Senator Claude Carignan says he will be putting forward a bill which would see governor generals lose their benefits if they resign before completing their terms.
The move comes after Payette resigned in January after a report alleged she harassed and abused her staff as governor general. Under the current system, Payette receives an annual pension of almost $150,000 per year.
Payette also qualifies for an annual expense budget of up to $206,000.
“I was shocked and I was angry, like many Canadians, because there is no way to justify earning that amount of pension when you held your job for such a short amount of time. The annual expense budget she has is nearly equivalent to that of the average MP’s office,” Carignan told the National Post.
The bill will prevent governor generals who resign for non-medical reasons from collecting pension and benefits. If passed, Payette will be cut off from taxpayer dollars but will not have to pay back whatever she has already received.
Payette was the first governor general in Canadian history to resign. Last year, an independent report claimed Payette bullied her former staff and created a toxic work environment.
“The issue isn’t limited to just Julie Payette’s case. A person who is governor general for only one week before resigning would also be eligible for the pension and benefits. That’s ridiculous,” Carignan said.
“Let’s be honest, the work that a governor general does after their retirement does not justify the expense budget they currently receive. Not at all.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who originally defended Payette after the report was released, has yet to choose a replacement.
Since Payette’s resignation, her duties have been fulfilled by Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner as administrator.
It’s been over a year of having to deal with COVID-19 and there are still many Canadians who continue to advocate for strict government-enforced lockdowns.
Many lockdown advocates are not aware of the facts about COVID-19 because the mainstream media has failed to report the basic facts.
Anthony Furey discusses.
Canadians blasted CBC host and TV personality Rosemary Barton for a tweet, in which she came to the defense of the Trudeau government after Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the federal vaccine rollout.
“Can someone tell the Premier 1.5 AZ is coming next week. On Tuesday,” tweeted Barton on March 26.
Days after Barton’s tweet, the AstraZeneca vaccine was deemed unsafe for those under 55 by Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).
Barton’s tweet was in response to Ford’s statements last Friday that the vaccine supply was “becoming a joke” and the federal government botched its effort to acquire enough shots for Canadians.
“Enough’s enough. This is becoming a joke. We need more vaccines. Simple as that. At the end of the day, they’ve dropped the ball majorly,” Ford said.
“I’m as frustrated as they come. How can you plan when the feds aren’t even giving us a date? If they could give us a date we’d be able to expand the pharmacies right across the province.”
Since Barton’s tweet was published, it has received over 1,000 comments, many of which were critical of her statement.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner was among those who responded to Barton’s tweet on Monday.
“So, about that,” Rempel Garner tweeted after NACI recommended provinces pause the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on those under the age of 55.
Meanwhile Canadian political organizer Jim Burnett tuned in by bringing up Barton’s ongoing lawsuit against the Conservative Party of Canada.
Others like the Twitter account 222 Minutes, pointed out how poorly timed Barton’s tweet was considering the AstraZeneca announcement.
Health Canada has issued a warning after face masks issued to schools and daycares in Quebec were found to contain a toxic chemical.
On Friday, Quebec sent out a directive to institutions to stop using SNN200642 face masks made by Metallifer as they contain “a potential for early lung toxicity.”
“If you have this type of mask in stock, we ask that you stop distributing them and store them in a secure place right away,” the directive reads.
The masks contain “nanoform graphene,” a thin coating of carbon which Health Canada has discovered to be potentially toxic if inhaled.
The masks were also distributed to staff at Revenue Quebec and the Montreal public transport system. The masks in question were all adult size, blue on one side and grey on the other.
The Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) told CTV the masks were removed on Friday immediately after Health Canada issued the safety warning. Staff had been using the masks for several months.
“The health of our employees is a priority, and if we had heard of something we would have been investigating, but at the time that we acquired the masks they were in compliance with the regulations,” spokesman Philippe Dery said.
“As soon as we got the preventive recall note we reacted promptly.”
Staff in Montreal schools and the STM have previously complained about the masks, including reports of rashes and difficulty swallowing.
Dozens of pastors and church leaders across Canada are vowing to remain open for Easter services under threats of hefty COVID-19 fines and even imprisonment.
The initiative titled “We Will Gather Easter 2021” was launched by Liberty Coalition Canada and has received pledges from 65 different churches who have committed to remain open for Good Friday and Easter Sunday, according to the organization.
“We’re trying to invite people across the country to celebrate Christ’s death, burial, and Resurrection. The list will be public on our website after 3pm today,” said Liberty Coalition Canada spokesperson Michael Thiessen.
One of those church leaders is Senior Pastor of Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo, Ontario, Jacob Reaume. Reaume is no stranger to controversy. Most recently, Reaume and his church were fined $83,000 by Ontario officials for holding indoor worship services in violation of the Reopening Ontario Act.
“The church is a hospital for sinners. The government lockdowns have put many people into despair and poverty, which has resulted in loneliness, addiction and suicide. The churches must open to be a sanctuary from the misery that our government has inflicted upon its own people,” Reaume told True North.
In partnership with several other churches, Trinity Bible Chapel released a video featuring a call to action for other church leaders to join in the effort to remain open. The Youtube video titled “Open Your Church” has since been viewed nearly 17,000 times.
“We were prompted by a sequence of escalating persecutions unleashed upon the Bride of Christ by various jurisdictions in Canada. Our church was persecuted by the province and our region for holding worship services in December and January. Our sincere desire is to worship Christ together and offer His good news to a world in turmoil,” said Reaume.
“We have witnessed other churches suffer similarly at the hands of government. With the imprisonment of Pastor James Coates, Canada reached a new low-point by locking up a righteous man. That is a dangerous and ominous sign. We desire to stand up for righteousness and proclaim the worth of our King who suffered for us on the cross.”
According to the latest Ontario government public health directives, churches in lockdown zones are allowed up to 15% of approved indoor capacity, meanwhile 50 people are permitted to attend outdoor worship services.
Coates, who was charged in February by Alberta authorities, was released over the weekend after being detained for 35-days in prison. Immediately upon his release over the weekend, Coates returned to his congregation at GraceLife Church and participated in a Sunday service.
“Pastor Coates has suffered valiantly for the cause of Christ, and heaven will reward him and his family for what they have endured,” Reaume said of Coates’ release.
While many Canadians struggle with unprecedented unemployment and sky-rocketing debt as a result of government-enforced lockdowns, members of parliament are set to receive a raise on Thursday.
On April 1, MPs will receive an automatic raise of around 1.8% which is based on similar average raises negotiated with major corporate unions. Currently, MPs receive a base salary of $182,000 annually, while cabinet ministers receive $269,800.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will receive an estimated raise of $6,400 added to his current salary of $365,200.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) slammed the government for not stopping the automatic raises, which they estimate will be around $3,200 for ordinary MPs.
“Our MPs should know that a pandemic and severe economic downturn is the worst possible time to be padding their pockets with a pay hike,” said CTF Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano.
“Millions of Canadians have been struggling with COVID-19 for more than a year now, so it’s long past time for our MPs to get off their butts and put an end to their automatic pay increases.”
Since the pandemic began, Canadians have struggled with unprecedented unemployment, with 834,000 less Canadians employed in January 2021 than there were in January 2020. The economic effects of the pandemic have been prolonged by a year of lockdowns.
In addition, small businesses in Canada had to take on extreme levels of debt in order to sustain themselves since the beginning of the pandemic.
While some politicians are accepting wage increases while many Canadians suffer, others are voluntarily reducing their salary. In Alberta, MLA Drew Barnes has committed to giving 20% of his salary to charity until lockdowns are lifted.
The CTF noted that after the 2008 recession, the Harper government paused automatic salary raises for MPs for three years.
“This shouldn’t be rocket science: our MPs should be able to figure out a way to stop the automatic pay hikes during a severe economic downturn,” said Terrazzano.
“This second MP pay raise during COVID-19 is a slap in the face to the many taxpayers who have taken a pay cut, lost their job or their business.”
Regina City Council will be voting on the removal of a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister.
On Wednesday, the council is scheduled to vote on a report that recommends the statue be removed. If adopted, the statue will be put in storage for a year, after which it will be moved to “an appropriate future location.”
“Through the research and conversations completed to date, administration has determined that the existence of the statue, and in particular, its prominent placement in Victoria Park is viewed by many in the Indigenous community as a relic from a time prior to the City of Regina’s endorsement and commitment to Truth and Reconciliation,” the report reads.
The statue was placed in Victoria Park as part of the 1967 Canadian centennial. The report estimates the removal will cost between $25,000-$35,000.
The report claims removing the statue would be justified because of Sir John A. Macdonald’s policies towards First Nations and would act as a “decisive action perceived as commitment to Reconciliation”
“Specifically, the statue stands in commemoration of Sir John A. Macdonald’s legacy as a founder of Confederation and the first prime minister of Canada, but without context to support broad understanding of the impact of his policies on Indigenous peoples and other ethno-cultural communities,” the report continues.
In recent years, the memory of Sir John A. Macdonald has been heavily criticized in leftist circles, leading to his name and likeness being removed from multiple public spaces. Statues of the first prime minister have also been defaced across Canada.
Council will also be voting on a separate report that recommends renaming Dewdney Pool to “Buffalo Meadows Pool.” Edgar Dewdney was an MP and lieutenant-governor of both the North-West Territories and British Columbia in the nineteenth century.
A preliminary report before the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) found that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of students meeting Grade 1 reading level expectations fell by approximately 10% when compared to the 2018-2019 school year.
“There is nearly a ten percentage point difference in the proportions of students meeting grade level reading expectations in virtual schools in January 2021 (45%) when compared to pre-pandemic percentages (54%) in January of 2019,” the preliminary findings read.
“Overall, in considering the percentage point shifts and differences, the pandemic seems to have disrupted literacy learning for many early elementary students to large degrees. Given the importance that literacy capacity has on future academic success throughout elementary and secondary schooling, these data are concerning.”
On the other hand, secondary school performance seems to have improved as a result of the pandemic, the report notes.
TDSB secondary schools reported a significant spike in average marks for Grade 9 to 12 courses taken by students in the region.
According to the report, the student failure rate has gone down 2%, while the number of students in the 80-100 grade range has increased “significantly” by 9% to 16% when compared to the years before the pandemic.
“The TDSB set specific assessment policies at the outset as well as during the pandemic that may have affected how teachers approach summative assessments and grading in general,” the report continued.
“In TDSB secondary schools, culminating activities designed to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding of course content now include a broader range of possibilities. Final exams traditionally worth 30% of a course mark have been reduced to very few or none during the pandemic.”
Ontario has had some of the most stringent lockdowns when it comes to school closures and virtual learning. Students in the province only returned to in-person learning as of February 16, 2021.
The TDSB is currently undergoing a larger evaluation of the pandemic’s impacts on learning and a completed report is expected by early Summer 2021.
Last week, the national charitable literacy organization Frontier College told True North that literacy skills were more important than ever if Canada wants to recover from the pandemic completely.
“The global pandemic has made us realize how critically important it is, now more than ever, to have access to literacy and learning support,” said Frontier College’s Director of Communications Meredith Roberts.
“The economic losses will be more deeply felt by disadvantaged students. All indications show that students whose families are less able to support out-of-school learning will face larger learning losses than their more advantaged peers, which in turn will translate into deeper losses of lifetime earnings.”
