Lanark County OPP and the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit are investigating independent MPP Randy Hillier after he posted a photo of his family’s Christmas gathering on Twitter.
On December 27th, Hillier posted a photo of a Christmas gathering featuring 15 people, including himself.
“I will always remain free, it is my life to enjoy not at the whim or discretion of others, it is my home to welcome those I choose,” Hillier said in the post.
“Never will the government determine who I can welcome into MY home, it is mine not theirs.”
I will always remain free, it is my ife to enjoy not at the whim or discretion of others, it is my home to welcome those I choose. Never will the government determine who I can welcome into MY home, it is mine not theirs. #onpoli#wearelivingalie ##NoMoreLockdownshttps://t.co/eMNEssrV9z
OPP East Region media relations coordinator Bill Dickson says the police force is aware of the social media post.
“We, along with the local health unit, are looking into it at this point,” said Dickson.
The Ontario government implemented a province-wide lockdown, which went into effect on December 26th. The province’s public health order states indoor social gatherings are not allowed, except with members of the same household.
Unlike many Canadian public officials, Hillier has been a vocal critic of the province’s strict lockdown measures. Hillier was charged by Toronto Police Service for hosting an anti-lockdown rally in November.
While the Ontario police investigates Hillier for celebrating Christmas with his family, several public officials have violated their government’s own coronavirus rules and advice.
In Ontario, Rod Phillips resigned as Ontario’s finance minister earlier this week after travelling to St. Barts over the holiday season.
The federal NDP stripped MP Niki Ashton’s cabinet critic position after it was revealed she travelled to Greece.
Several Alberta MLAs, including Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and MLA Jeremy Nixon, were also revealed to have travelled over the holidays.
In Saskatchewan, the MLA for Prince Albert Carlton Joe Hargrave travelled to California to complete the sale of a home.
In Quebec, Liberal MNA Pierre Arcand was vacationing in Barbados.
The NDP has stripped MP Niki Ashton’s cabinet critic position after it was revealed she travelled to Greece despite widespread travel restrictions implemented by the government.
Ashton claims she travelled to Greece to visit her grandmother who is seriously ill.
In a statement, the NDP says Ashton did not notify party leader Jagmeet Singh about her trip but she did reach out to public officials for “best practices.”
“Canadians, rightfully, expect their elected representatives to lead by example,” the party’s statement reads.
“While this is no family vacation, Ms. Ashton will be removed from her shadow critic roles.”
Ashton joins a large number of Canadian public officials who have violated the government’s own coronavirus rules and advice.
In Ontario, Rod Phillips resigned as Ontario’s finance minister earlier this week after travelling to St. Barts over the holiday season.
Several Alberta MLAs, including Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and MLA Jeremy Nixon, were also revealed to have travelled over the holidays.
In Saskatchewan, the MLA for Prince Albert Carlton Joe Hargrave travelled to California to complete the sale of a home.
In Quebec, Liberal MNA Pierre Arcand was vacationing in Barbados.
The government has decided to go ahead with increasing the carbon tax despite the ongoing pandemic – this means many everyday items will cost you more.
To make matters worse – did you know that the government is increasing CPP premiums at the same time.
Sam Eskenasi says that the government’s reckless spending before the pandemic is partly to blame for the current financial mess.
On the most recent episode of The Andrew Lawton Show, True North founder Candice Malcolm joined to talk about how 2020 has been for True North, and what we have planned for the upcoming year.
From all of us here at True North, Happy New Year!
An environmental group is estimating that 1.5 billion face masks could have ended up in our oceans by the end of 2020.
According to the Hong Kong-based OceansAsia, an estimated 52 billion masks were produced this year to combat the coronavirus.
The group also says that based on a conservative estimate, 3% of those masks could end up in oceans throughout the world.
“Single-use face masks are made from a variety of meltblown plastics and are difficult to recycle due to both composition and risk of contamination and infection,” wrote OceansAsia.
“These masks enter our oceans when they are littered or otherwise improperly discarded, when waste management systems are inadequate or non-existent, or when these systems become overwhelmed due to increased volumes of waste.”
In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government would be implementing a single-use plastics ban by 2021.
“We need to cover all of Canada with this decision and that’s why the federal government is moving forward on a science-based approach to establishing which harmful single-use plastics we will be eliminating as of 2021,” said Trudeau at the time.
It is unclear whether Trudeau’s plastic ban would also apply to disposable face masks which have become mandatory in public places throughout Canada.
Canadians could lose hundreds of dollars from their paycheques as the government plans to increase the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contribution tax in 2021.
According to the Canada Revenue Agency, the maximum annual contribution for 2021 will be $6,332.90, an increase of $536.90 from 2020. The maximum amount of pensionable earnings has also increased to $61,600 from $58,700.
CPP contribution increases are based on whether average weekly earnings increased throughout the year. While average earnings increased, it was not because Canadians were getting paid more — it was because lower-income Canadians lost their jobs during the coronavirus lockdowns.
During the pandemic, Canadians in lower-income sectors like food service and retail were laid off by the thousand, effectively raising the average income of Canadians still employed.
Canadian Federation of Independent Business Dan Kelly recently told the Canadian Press that the 2021 limit effectively increases the workers and employers pay into CPP by 9.3%. The legal increase limit for a single year is 5%.
“That’s going to be hundreds of dollars of new CPP premiums out of paycheques of middle-income Canadians not because they got a raise, but because the formula has not had a COVID adjustment,” Kelly says.
“We think this is deeply unfair.”
Earlier in December, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole called on the government to postpone the CPP payroll increase, citing the strain the increase would cause employees and employers in Canada’s fragile economy.
In the last episode of The Andrew Lawton Show of 2020, True North’s Andrew Lawton explains why the past year has become the year of the hypocrite in politics, with (former) Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips becoming the latest public official to think they are above the COVID-19 rules and guidelines the little people have to follow.
Also, True North founder Candice Malcolm joins to talk about the past year for True North – and what lies ahead in 2021.
Canadians had many questions in 2020 and they turned to search engines to make sense of what they were seeing and hearing.
With the year ending, the analytics data from Google provides a unique insight to what Canadians were reading about throughout the year.
Certain events occupied Canadians’ attention for long enough to dominate the trending data and others events reached so many people, so quickly, they would own a top spot for the entire year.
Top Searches:
#3 The loss of Kobe Bryant –The search trend spiked in January of 2020 when Bryant was reported as a passenger aboard a helicopter that crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine passengers. Among the victims were his daughter Gianna Bryant, baseball coach John Altobelli and his family, basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah and Payton Chester and the pilot Ara Zobayan.
#2 Coronavirus – The runner up for most searched term was Coronavirus. The coverage spanned the past year without interruption, from the first flights being suspended in April to the most recent winter lockdowns. With the mounting restrictions and the release of a vaccine this month, the coverage of the pandemic will continue into 2021.
#1 The US Election – The number one searched term for Canadians in 2020 was the US election. The United States experienced a drawn-out period of ballot counting that lasted weeks after election day. Court challenges from the Trump administration, recounts and claims of voter fraud considerably lengthened the amount of time Canadians were interested in the results of the election.
A Canadian company even became embroiled in the election as President Trump claimed the Dominion voting software was “rigged” against him after Elections Canada tweeted that federal elections only use paper ballots that are counted by hand.
How To:
#3 How to apply for CERB –As the effects of the lockdowns took its toll on the personal finances of many Canadians, people looked to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to ease their financial pressure. Over 8.9 million people received CERB payments, some without filing taxes for the previous year.
#2 How to make hand sanitizer –As the provinces mulled over the idea of going into lockdown,panic buying became a trend as Canadians prepared for their first two-week lockdown. Cleaning products like disinfectants and hand sanitizers were among the first items to be sold out of, prompting Canadians to get creative.
#1 How to apply for Employment Insurance –As the initial lockdowns went into effect, some Canadians were sent home without an idea of how to maintain their quality of life as the cost of living kept going up. Before CERB was rolled out, or for those who did not qualify, the only benefit remaining was Employment Insurance. The changes to this program would cost taxpayers $13.5 billion.
What Is:
#3 Pandemic –The World Health Organization (WHO) initially resisted declaring the spread COVID-19 as a pandemic, despite the consensus of the scientific community. The virus had reached nearly all continents, leading Canadians to research the term on their own. The WHO faced criticism for their delay, but worried that fear and panic would accompany the declaration.
#2 Antifa – Canadians were intrigued by the anarchist group Antifa who consistently made appearances in riots across America following the death of George Floyd. The rioters who deploy black bloc tactics have operated in Canada during past G20 summits and most notably at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics when hundreds of rioters arrived in the city to create chaos.
In recent months, Canadian branches of Antifa have made headlines by protesting, calling for attacks on police and touting looting as legitimate. These statements have further pushed the radical group into the spotlight and Canadians have noticed.
#1 Coronavirus – Until the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was officially labeled COVID-19, the media was referring to it as the novel coronavirus. In an attempt to arm themselves with knowledge, Canadians researched what the coronavirus was.
News:
#3 The loss of Alex Trebek – Canada lost a television icon with the passing of Alex Trebek. After a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer, Trebek died on November 8, 2020. Renowned for his presence as the host of Jeopardy for 36 years, the Canadian television host broadcasted over 8,200 episodes of the popular game show.
#2 The Portapique Mass Shooting – After the April 18 mass shooting in Nova Scotia, public pressure towards the federal and provincial government was successful in beginning a public inquiry into the deaths of 22 residents of Portapique. Citizens were left unconvinced the government would deliver any meaningful resolution to the tragedy, and the review panel was swapped for a public inquiry.
#1 Systemic racism – Politicians across Canada were quick to condemn racism as the death of George Floyd resulted in mass protests across North America. Social justice activists started coining the term “systemic racism,” implying countries like the US and Canada was founded on racism and that all institutions were inherently racist. This narrow-minded worldview resulted in the toppling of historical statues and the renaming of public places. A poll revealed that the majority of Canadians opposed the far-left’s attempt to erase Canadian history.
Ontario MPP Rod Phillips has resigned as finance minister hours after landing in Canada after cutting short a weeks-long trip to St. Barts.
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Premier Doug Ford said he had accepted Phillips’ resignation after speaking to the Ajax MPP.
Phillips spoke with reporters upon his return to Canada this morning and said had made “a dumb, dumb mistake.”
“I know that people are understandably angry about the situation, and I do hope to be able to regain their confidence in the days and weeks and months ahead,” Phillips said.
When asked Thursday morning, Phillips was non-committal about whether he would resign.
“It is finally up to the Premier who serves in the Premier’s cabinet as it should be,” Phillips said.
“I want to express to him my apologies for this. I think I can still make an important contribution but finally that’s part of the discussion I’ll have with the Premier.”
On Wednesday, Phillips admitted to leaving Canada Dec. 13 for a “previously planned personal trip” to the posh Caribbean island.
Phillips made the trip abroad despite the Ontario government’s advice to “stay home as much as possible.” The Public Health Agency of Canada also advised the public not to leave the country.
On Christmas Eve, Phillips told Ontarians that “we all make sacrifices this Christmas” and acknowledged many will not be home for the holidays this year. Phillips also posted a Christmas message that had previously been recorded from his house in Ajax.
Phillips will be replaced by Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy.
Canadians have become accustomed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s penchant for verbal gaffes and ridiculous remarks – and 2020 was no different.
2020 was another year full of missteps, gaffes and embarrassing moments that made all Canadians cringe.
Here is my list of the top Stupid Things Trudeau Said in 2020:
Masks prevent you from “speaking moistly” on others
Even Trudeau found this comment of his cringe-inducing. While delivering one of his routine coronavirus daily press conferences, Trudeau tried to be poetic about the benefits of wearing a mask.
According to the prime minister, wearing a mask helps prevent people from “speaking moistly” on each other.
To his credit, Trudeau seemed to immediately regret the unfortunate word choice, calling it a “terrible image.”
Trudeau creepily asks mothers to leave the room so he can speak to their children
One of Trudeau’s routine COVID-19 briefings outside Rideau Cottage took a creepy turn in May. He wanted some alone time with the nation’s children to speak to them about Mother’s Day.
“By asking all of the moms to step out of the room for a minute, so I can talk to your kids. I’ll give you a second, okay,” said Trudeau.
Government “took on debt, so Canadians wouldn’t have to”
The prime minister has a loose relationship with how budgets work, evidenced by his belief that a budget can balance itself.
His most recent instance of economic wishful thinking took place in July, when he told Canadians that the government took on nearly one trillion in federal debt so that Canadians wouldn’t have to bear the burden.
“We made a very specific and deliberate choice throughout this pandemic to help Canadians,” said Trudeau.
“We decided to take on that debt to prevent Canadians from having to do it. If the federal government hadn’t taken on significant debt in order to send money to Canadians, to support businesses and households.”
Trudeau seems to have forgotten who has to pay for all this debt – the taxpayers.
Trudeau tries to downplay WE Charity scandal
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that while he regrets not recusing himself from cabinet discussions about awarding WE Charity a multimillion-dollar contract, he believes "there was no conflict of interest" and it was a 'communications and optics challenge.' @RosieBartonpic.twitter.com/mx9NA6CFQh
“There was absolutely no conflict of interest. Yes, there are connections, but there was no conflict here. There was no profiting from this situation,” said Trudeau in an interview with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton.
Trudeau made the comments despite the fact that he is still under investigation by the ethics commissioner and no ruling has been issued on whether he broke any conflict of interest laws.
Trudeau says the coronavirus is an “opportunity for a reset”
Despite the Liberals accusing the Conservatives of being conspiracy theorists for condemning the World Economic Forum’s “great reset,” Trudeau himself called for a “reset.”
In September, the prime minister himself fuelled speculation and controversy when he told a UN conference that the pandemic is an “opportunity for a reset” for world powers to implement their vision of a new post-coronavirus society.
Trudeau says his prorogation was the “opposite” of Harper’s
Stephen Harper and the Conservatives prorogued Parliament in order to shut it down and avoid a confidence vote.
Today’s prorogation is about gaining the confidence of the House – which is the opposite of what the Conservatives did.
Despite being prime minister for more than five years, Trudeau continues to compare himself to his Conservative predecessor Stephen Harper.
Earlier this year, when he prorogued parliament, effectively shutting down any investigation into the WE Charity affair, Trudeau said that the Liberal government’s decision to shut down parliament was “opposite” of Harper’s prorogation in 2008.
“The prorogation we are doing right now is about gaining or testing the confidence of the House, which is opposite of what the Conservatives did,” said Trudeau at the time.
The painful 21-second-pause
This was quite the moment. Trudeau was asked outright to comment on Trump calling for military action against protestors and the tear gassing of protestors to make space for a photo op.
He takes a very long pause, about 20 seconds. Watch.
Over the summer, as far-left activists were burning cities to the ground and clashing with police officers in the streets, Trudeau was asked what he thought about President Donald Trump’s decision to call for the military to help curb violence.
Instead of providing a fully-fleshed out answer, the prime minister paused for an uncomfortable 21-seconds, licking his lips before answering the simple question.
“You don’t need an AR-15 to bring down a deer”
After announcing a sweeping ban on 1,500 different types of guns, Trudeau justified the decision by claiming that hunters don’t need an AR-15 rifle to bring down game.
“For many families, including many indigenous people, firearms are part of traditions passed down through generations,” said Trudeau.
“But you don’t need an AR-15 to bring down a deer.”
However, AR-15s were already prohibited for hunting purposes before the most recent gun ban. (And the similar Ruger rifle was a non-restricted firearm prior to the ban.)
