The Chinese Communist Regime has banned Conservative MP Michael Chong from entering China and prohibited any Chinese citizen from conducting business with him.
China has also issued sanctions on the House of Commons international human rights committee, which is currently studying the situation of the Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region.
Chong has been a vocal opponent of the Chinese government and has voiced his concerns about China’s atrocious human rights record. Chong has repeatedly labeled China’s treatment of Uyghurs a genocide and has called for the boycott of the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
On Saturday, Chong said he refuses to be silenced and will continue to speak up about China’s genocide and its violations in Hong Kong.
“We who live freely in democracies under the rule of law must speak for the voiceless,” Chong said on Twitter.
“If that means China sanctions me, I’ll wear it as a badge of honour.”
Today's sanctions on MPs by China are attempt to silence free speech and debate in the heart of our democracy: Parliament.
We won’t be silenced.
We will continue to speak up about China’s violations of international law in Hong Kong and in the Uyghur genocide. https://t.co/nbD48612j4
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the Chinese sanctions on Saturday, calling the sanctions an attack on freedom of speech regarding human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.
“China’s sanctions are an attack on transparency and freedom of expression — values at the heart of our democracy,” Trudeau tweeted.
The Chinese regime said its actions were in response to sanctions levied by Canada and other western allies against individuals and entities believed to be involved in the ongoing genocide against the country’s Uyghur minority.
“The Chinese government is firmly determined to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and urges the relevant parties to clearly understand the situation and redress their mistakes,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.
China also imposed sanctions against the chair and vice-chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedoms.
As COVID-19 cases increase, public officials across Canada are warning of yet another lockdown.
It’s been over a year of having to deal with COVID-19 and strict government-enforced lockdowns. Have public health officials and the so-called experts not learned of a better solution than to lock everything down?
The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador will form a majority government after a chaotic election season postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to results released Saturday, the Liberals won 22 seats, an increase of two from the previous election, with PC Party leader Ches Crosbie and NDP leader Alison Coffin losing their seats to Liberal candidates.
The results come after six weeks of postponements because of COVID-19. Just days before the Feb. 13 election date, the province faced a large outbreak leading to the postponement of the election in half of the provincial districts before the whole election was eventually rescheduled.
Speaking to a small group of supporters, premier-elect Andrew Furey gave little in the way of celebration, instead focusing on the need to address the province’s abysmal economy.
“Our dire economic outlook was further burdened by the pandemic, and it took a massive toll, but it has also exposed an even bigger opportunity, a chance to make a tectonic shift in who we are and where we’re going as a province,” he said.
Thank you, Newfoundland and Labrador! It’s an honour and a privilege to be our province’s 14th premier. Thank you to Allison, Maggie, Rachael, Mark, my whole family and team. Your support and dedication are everything. Congratulations to all parties, candidates, and teams. pic.twitter.com/5uEKOlIZHs
Newfoundland and Labrador faces the both the highest rates of unemployment and highest per-person debt.
Furey was appointed as premier in 2019 after the resignation of Premier Dwight Ball. According to N.L. election laws, he was not required to hold an election until August 2021.
Opposition leader Ches Crosbie, who lost his seat by a margin of over 500 votes, said his future as PC party leader will be decided at a later date.
“In light of the outcome of the election, I will be speaking with my family, my caucus and the executive of our Party, and I will take a few days to reflect on what has happened and determine where we go from here,” he said.
Furey was heavily criticized for his decision to hold an election during a pandemic, with critics calling it an opportunist attempt to secure a majority for himself during a public health emergency.
For months, Israel and Iran have accused each other of attacking ships in the Arabian sea – but you wouldn’t know that if you only tuned into the mainstream media in Canada.
Why is this shadow war important? How could this conflict affect Canada?
Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre demanded an apology from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party after the Federal Liberal Association (FLA) in Poilievre’s riding accused him of donning a “white supremacy symbol.”
On Thursday, the Carleton FLA made the inflammatory accusation in a tweet which has since been deleted by the account.
“Poilievre sure loves this hoodie. Do his loyalties lie in Carleton or Fort McMurray? Does he deny climate change? And what’s with the clenched white fist, a white supremacy symbol? Really?” tweeted Carleton FLA.
The symbol in question is the logo of the pro-energy grassroots organization Oil Sands Strong, which was founded by Robbie Picard who is a Métis Canadian.
In response to the tweet, Poilievre accused the Liberals of slandering the group which he characterized as “multicultural” and diverse.
“A Liberal Party tweet slandered this multicultural group founded by this Métis man to champion diversity in the energy sector. The tweet disparaged Fort Mac & falsely alleged racism.Trudeau & Local Liberal, Chris Rodgers must apologize to these workers for this appalling lie,” tweeted Poilievre.
A Liberal Party tweet slandered this multicultural group founded by this Métis man to champion diversity in the energy sector. The tweet disparaged Fort Mac & falsely alleged racism.
Trudeau & Local Liberal, Chris Rodgers must apologize to these workers for this appalling lie. https://t.co/zr3qzz9h4o
Rodgers is currently Trudeau’s Director of Policy at the Queen’s Privy Council and formerly served as the official Liberal candidate for Carleton in the 2019 election.
The tweet also prompted a response from Poilievre’s wife Anaida Poilievre.
“[The Liberal Party] says my husband is racist! I am his wife; Venezuelan with brown skin proud of my roots. I speak Spanish to our daughter, I cook arepas and Creole pavilion. Our home is multicultural [like] Canada,” tweeted Anaida Poilievre in Spanish which has since been translated into English for the purpose of this article.
Following the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to uphold the federal carbon tax, Liberal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna falsely claimed on Twitter that a number of groups, including farmers, “supported pricing pollution.”
Big SCC decision on carbon pricing tomorrow.
Groups that supported pricing pollution include: ✅ Economists ✅ Indigenous groups ✅ Cities ✅ Kids ✅ Environmentalists ✅ Health professionals ✅ Labour leaders ✅ Farmers ✅ Women's and Human rights groups ✅ Faith groups pic.twitter.com/yKyrHzpfBR
In her tweet, McKenna gave the erroneous impression that the federal levy had the support of a large swathe of society including interest groups such as farmers, Indigenous groups and economists, which have traditionally held diverse and dissenting opinions with regard to pricing pollution.
Since the government first announced their carbon tax, a number of individual farmers and farmers groups have denounced the federal levy.
In 2019, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) issued a condemnation of the carbon tax claiming that farmers would “bear the cost of this tax, shrinking our margins even further.”
“(WCWGA) believes that the coalition opposing the federal carbon tax is the right and necessary step. For example, Saskatchewan grain is sold into the global market and the imposition of a carbon tax makes our grain less competitive. A federal carbon tax will hurt farmers,” they wrote in a statement on the matter.
Even several years prior to the federal government’s imposition of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act in 2018, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) also condemned the tax as being harmful for Canada’s farmers.
“The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is categorically opposed to the federal imposition of a carbon tax on agricultural producers,” said APAS President Norm Hall today.
“Federal decision makers must understand that farmers cannot pass along increased costs from carbon taxes on our inputs to our customers, we just don’t setour prices.Agricultural is a low margin business and raising the price of our inputs simply reduces our margins and makes our farms less viable, without reducing carbon emissions.”
McKenna’s vague language also serves to lump together Indigenous groups as a token identity, effectively ignoring a significant number of First Nations people who have spoken out against the Liberal government’s federally-imposed carbon tax for various reasons.
In fact, one of the intervenor groups arguing against the federal carbon tax within the very Supreme Court case McKenna cited was the Saskatchewan Thunderchild First Nation, which represents approximately 1,868 constituents.
In their arguments, the Thunderchild First Nation argued that the federal carbon tax unfairly impacts Indigenous populations who might not have the means or privilege to change their energy consumption habits, therefore, facing a heavier hit to their pocketbooks from the carbon tax.
Other groups, such as the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs which represents 62 different First Nations intervened on other grounds, claiming that while they were neutral on whether the jurisdiction was federal or provincial, the Supreme Court ruling missed an opportunity to address Indigenous rights.
“We are deeply disappointed that today’s ruling fails to acknowledge what we know to be true, the undeniable reality that First Nations laws have been here on Turtle Island for thousands of years and continue to guide our relationships with the Creator, Mother Earth, each other and all living beings,” said Grand Chief Dumas.
As for economists, experts with organizations like the Fraser Institute have regularly provided criticism and analysis of the federal carbon levy.
In October 2020, the Fraser Institute released a report which suggests that carbon taxes around the world fail to benefit the environment or taxpayers.
McKenna’s tweet also makes vague and general claims of support from “kids” and “faith groups,” ignoring the multitude of faiths and backgrounds contained within those identity groups.
A True North fact check found McKenna’s claim to be untruthful on several fronts – particularly with regard to the support of farmers, Indigenous groups, cities and economists.
A new report suggests the Trudeau government’s infrastructure plan continuously fails to meet its goals and that its failures are hidden from the public due to poor reporting.
In a report released Thursday, Auditor General Karen Hogan sharply criticized the government’s $188 billion Investing in Canada Plan, warning that many goals may not be met at the current rate.
“This plan is important because the government is investing $188 billion to generate long‑term economic growth, improve communities’ resiliency, support the transition to a green economy, and improve social inclusion and socio‑economic outcomes for all Canadians,” she said.
“The absence of clear and complete reporting on the Investing in Canada Plan makes it difficult for parliamentarians and Canadians to know whether progress is being made against the intended objectives.”
Hogan says that approximately 20% of all funding allocated for infrastructure in its first three years under the plan went unspent, with “incomplete and inconsistent” record-keeping making it hard for her to provide a meaningful analysis of how the plan is going.
The Investing in Canada Plan is part of the Trudeau government’s ambitious infrastructure goals. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been promising to deliver more infrastructure projects since being elected in 2015.
Infrastructure critic Andrew Scheer says the report shows that the Trudeau government is more concerned about politics than improving Canada’s infrastructure.
“This devastating report from the Auditor General has determined that half of the funds the government has committed to infrastructure are actually the legacy funds of the previous Conservative government. They have put their name on someone else’s homework,” he said in a statement.
Around $92 billion worth of funding in the Investing in Canada Plan actually came from Harper-era infrastructure programs.
“The fact is the Liberals have no idea if their infrastructure plan is even working. This is bad news for Canadians looking forward to new critical infrastructure projects for their communities,” Scheer said. Scheer added that the Liberals infrastructure failing are partly due to the Canada Infrastructure Bank, an ailing crown-corporation which has never completed a project since its creation by the Liberals in 2017. Scheer says the Conservatives will scrap the bank if elected.
Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole issued a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week urging the federal government to cut funds to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in light of China’s persecution of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
Canada is due for a $40 million payment to the bank which is led by the Chinese government this month.
“When the AIIB was first proposed it was criticized by the Obama administration as a political tool that the Chinese government would use to expand its influence throughout Asia,” O’Toole wrote.
“Furthermore, concerns about the AIIB’s environmental records, labour standards and overall commitment to human rights continue to this day.”
O’Toole also cited China’s hostage diplomacy and its ongoing genocide against the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region as a reason to end payments.
Both Kovrig and Spavor are currently facing trial in China and Chinese authorities are refusing to give Canadian and international diplomats access. Both Canadians are facing various trumped up national security charges including espionage.
According to the Canadian Press, the federal government has yet to confirm whether the payment has been processed and handed over to the AIIB.
Earlier this month, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland indicated that Canada will follow through with its two final payments to the bank this year and in March 2022.
“We should also be looking at using other tools at our disposal to put pressure on Chinese authorities, such as withdrawing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank … banning Huawei from the build-out of Canada’s telecommunications network, and a range of other measures,” said Conservative MP Michael Chong on the matter.
“The fact that the government is not using these tools at its disposal indicates that they don’t have a plan to respond to China’s threats, it indicates that they’re naïve and equivocating.”
When the CIIB was first introduced by the Liberal government in 2017, Trudeau pledged to contribute $256 million in taxpayer funds to the project.
The House of Commons has voted against a Conservative motion asking the government for a concrete plan to end lockdowns in Canada.
On Wednesday, the House of Commons voted 212-122 against the motion which would have given the Trudeau government 20 days to deliver a “plan to support safely, gradually and permanently lifting COVID-19 restrictions.”
The motion was opposed by the Liberals, NDP and Bloc, while the Conservatives and independent MPs Derek Sloan and Ramesh Sangha supported it.
Canadians have faced a year of lockdowns with little information on when society will return to normal and what data will drive the decision to reopen.The motion notes the government of the United States and United Kingdom have both released public plans for economic reopening.
In a recent column, MP Michelle Rempel Garner, who sponsored the motion, said Canada now has the knowledge and technology to intelligently begin reopening society.
“A year into the pandemic, we have tools like rapid tests, therapeutics, vaccines and data on how COVID-19 is transmitted. Lockdown measures were put in place to buy time to get these tools,” she wrote.
“Now that these are available worldwide, the federal government needs to tell Canadians how they’re going to be deployed, under what timelines, and, most importantly, how they’re going to be used to lift widespread restrictions permanently.”
In recent weeks, many U.S. states have announced plans to gradually lift restrictions. Other countries like Israel and Iceland have practically returned to normal as vaccination rates increase.
A Queen’s University professor who receives funding from the federal government published a feature article praising communist Cuba’s handling of the pandemic.
The author of the article Professor Jennifer Ruth Hosek teaches transnational studies at the Canadian university and her research regularly features Cuba.
The article was published in the Canadian edition of The Conversation and it featured a disclosure statement that Hosek receives funds from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately harms underprivileged people globally, Cuba’s ‘people over profit’ approach has been saving many lives — both on the island and abroad. From the onset, Cuba’s approach has been holistic and integrated,” writes Hosek.
“Its response is among the most respected in the world. Widespread confidence in the Cuban government’s science-based policies, public service media messaging and volunteerism are key reasons as to why Cuba has been able to control the viral reproduction rate until mass vaccination begins.”
Throughout the article, Hosek makes no mention of Cuba’s past and ongoing human rights abuses which include arbitrary imprisonment, clamping down on freedom of speech and a state-controlled press.
True North reached out to Hosek for comment and to ask why Cuba’s human rights record was not mentioned in her piece but did not receive a response in time for publication of this report.
Despite the pandemic, the Cuban government has continued its repressive tactics punishing dissidents and critics.
“Tactics against critics include beatings, public shaming, travel restrictions, short-term detention, fines, online harassment, surveillance, and termination of employment,” writes Human Rights Watch in their 2021 report on the country.
According to the report, the Cuban government is currently holding 75 people as political prisoners.
“Cubans who criticize the government continue to risk criminal prosecution. They do not benefit from due process guarantees, such as the right to fair and public hearings by a competent and impartial tribunal. In practice, courts are subordinate to the executive and legislative branches.”
Furthermore, Human Rights Watch notes that the government has used Covid-19 related movement restrictions as an excuse to suppress protests.
