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Saturday, August 16, 2025

Stephen Harper, John Baird to speak at Iranian resistance summit

By
Andrew Lawton
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Former prime minister Stephen Harper will be speaking at a large conference pushing for regime change in Iran, True North has learned.

Harper will join former Canadian foreign minister John Baird, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and former United States senator and vice-presidential candidate Joe Lieberman among the numerous speakers at this weekend’s Free Iran Global Summit, according to a source connected with the event.

Harper’s participation has not been publicly announced and a request for comment to his spokesperson was not returned.

The Free Iran conference is hosted by the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its activist wing, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).

With delegates from 30,000 locations across 102 countries, the NCRI is trumpeting this year’s conference as the “largest virtual gathering,” having been forced online with public health challenges and travel restrictions caused by the novel coronavirus.

Ironically, Iran has been one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. While official figures show just over 13,000 deaths in Iran, NCRI estimates the real figure exceeds 70,000 according to a report published Monday. The conference will feature a special tribute to Iran’s coronavirus victims.

Harper, who now serves as chairman of the International Democratic Union, spoke at the Free Iran conference at MEK’s headquarters near Tirana, Albania last year.

“There are few causes in this world today more important at this moment than what you are pursuing – the right of the people of Iran to change their government and their right to do it through freedom and the power of the ballot box,” Harper said then. “The need for change in Iran is greater than ever before and the need for the work of this organization on behalf of the Iranian people is greater than ever before.”

Harper has never shied away from tackling the Iran problem. His government – with Baird as foreign affairs minister – severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, citing the Iranian regime’s continued expansion of its nuclear program and ongoing threats to Israel, among other factors.

In January, Harper said at a conference in India, after the Iranian government admitted to shooting down a Ukraine International Airlines flight with 57 Canadians aboard, that there needs to be “change in Iran if we are going to see peace in the Middle East.”

NCRI and MEK seek to deliver that change, though the organizations are not without controversy.

The MEK was classified as a terrorist organization in Canada and the United States until 2012, when it was delisted by both countries, then led by Harper and President Barack Obama, respectively.

Several experts say it was lobbying from the Iranian regime itself that put MEK on several terror lists in the first place. The European Union removed MEK from its list of terrorist organizations after a European Court ruling, raising the ire of Iran’s foreign ministry – a component of the regime MEK seeks to upend.

Since then, both MEK and NCRI have worked to establish themselves as voices for a secular and democratic Iran, earning support on both sides of the political aisle in the United States and Canada. Liberal MP Judy Sgro and Conservative MP Candice Bergen both attended last year’s conference, as did Baird.

An open letter signed by over 30 American dignitaries, including former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz calls the NCRI a “beacon of hope” and the “one organization that has done more than any other entity, including governments, to free Iranian citizens from tyranny and the world from fundamentalist-inspired terrorism.”

This year’s event comes on the heels of a United States House of Representatives resolution – backed by prominent Democrats and Republicans – “condemning Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and expressing support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular and non-nuclear republic of Iran.”

The event has historically antagonized the Iranian regime. The 2018 Free Iran conference in Paris was the target of a bomb plot linked by French officials to Iran’s ministry of intelligence, with a senior Iranian diplomat among six people charged.

True North will be covering the conference.

Canada only Five Eyes member to not ban Huawei from 5G network

By
True North Wire
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On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered all of Huawei’s 5G gear stripped from the UK’s telecommunications networks by 2027. Johnson also banned the purchase of any new 5G equipment made by the Chinese company.

Johnson’s decision now makes Canada the only member of the Five Eyes alliance that has not barred or restricted the use of Huawei equipment in its 5G networks.

According to the Globe and Mail, the Trudeau government has given no indication of whether it will follow the lead of Britain and the other members of the Five Eyes alliance – United States, Australia and New Zealand.

An anonymous source close to the government told the Globe and Mail that cabinet is not expected to make a decision on Huawei any time soon and has had only one discussion on Huawei in recent months. 

National security experts have warned for some time that if Canada were to partner with Huawei to develop its next-generation network, it could risk opening up a backdoor for the Chinese regime to spy on Canadians.

The US Department of State issued a statement saying it was prepared to re-assess its intelligence-sharing relationship with Canada should Prime Minister Justin Trudeau grant Huawei 5G access.

In Canada, telecommunications companies have taken matters into their own hands and have decided to forego implementing Huawei 5G technology. SaskTel, Telus, Bell and Rogers have all decided to not include any components from the Chinese company.

A vast majority of Canadians also oppose Huawei playing a part in Canada’s upcoming 5G telecommunications system.

According to the latest Research Co. poll on the matter, 75% of Canadians are against Ottawa approving Huawei’s involvement.

Erin O’Toole promises to protect free speech and independent journalism

By
True North Wire
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Conservative leadership candidate Erin O’Toole will protect freedom of speech and give equal rights to independent media organizations if elected prime minister.

In a recent statement, O’Toole said conservatives are being increasingly attacked as freedom of speech is not being respected in the age of cancel culture.

“Cancel culture has spread from our universities to the broader society. Conservatives increasingly live in fear, knowing that they will be punished for expressing conservative ideas. They live in fear of being punished through bad grades, though campus disciplinary action, and even though losing their job,” he said.

“The voices of those who don’t conform to the left are being silenced. It’s time for a leader who will fight back.”

O’Toole’s statement promises to protect freedom of speech and expression in public spaces, particularly on campus and in the media.

O’Toole says he would end the monopoly that mainstream media outlets have on reporting on Parliament Hill.

The Parliamentary Press Gallery, the body which regulates reporting on Parliamentary Affairs, is dominated by mainstream news outlets and routinely excludes independent outlets. However, outlets such as the Chinese state-owned Xinhua News Agency have been allowed to join.

Rebel News is currently taking the Parliamentary Press Gallery to court, claiming the body blacklisted them from asking the prime minister questions.

In May, Rebel News reporter Keean Bexte was forcibly removed by a press conference by RCMP when he attempted to attend a press conference at Rideau Hall without accreditation by the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

If elected prime minister, O’Toole says he would “require the Parliamentary Press Gallery to publish objective criteria for admitting journalists, so as to ensure that conservative and online journalists are not prevented from covering Parliament.”

O’Toole added that he would give equal access to the Independent Press Gallery of Canada (IPG) to report on Parliament Hill.

The IPG is an organization representing independent, non-governmental journalist organizations that was created to counter the power the Parliamentary Press Gallery has over reporting in Ottawa.

Political polarization: Trudeau and Trump

By
Sam Eskenasi
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As our politics becomes increasingly polarized many people tend to argue from ideology rather than rational thinking.

True North’s Sam Eskenasi breaks down what happens when politics becomes over polarized and why Trudeau supporters and Trump supporters have a lot in common.

Majority of Canadians want a more aggressive approach to China: Poll

By
True North Wire
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A recent poll suggests most Canadians want the government to take a more aggressive stance on China.

On Monday, a Nanos Research poll found that 53.6% of Canadians want a more aggressive approach to China to ensure the release of imprisoned Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. 

Only 33.3% of those surveyed wish to see a diplomatic approach.

“Asked which approach should Canada pursue when it comes to trying to get China to release the Canadians, 53% say Canada should take more aggressive actions such as blocking Chinese companies from buying Canadian firms or denying entry to Chinese government officials and their families from living or studying in Canada,” Nanos Research wrote.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China in late 2018 on vague espionage charges. Both have been denied basic legal rights during their imprisonment.

Their arrests are widely believed to be retaliation for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. warrant in 2018. Meng is now facing extradition to the U.S.

Of those polled, 59.3% of Canadians opposed the idea of holding a prisoner swap with China.

China has repeatedly threatened and insulted Canada for refusing to free Meng.

In May, the BC Supreme Court ruled that the charges brought against Meng by American authorities could be considered crimes in Canada, meaning her extradition trial can proceed.

Nanos Research President Nik Nanos told the Globe & Mail that the poll may signify a shift in public opinion against the Chinese communist regime.

“Canada’s default position all along has been to focus on diplomacy because we are a middle power,” he said.

 “Usually being tough with super powers is not part of the Canadian DNA, but it looks in this current environment that Canadians are at the point where they would be supportive of the government being much more aggressive with the Chinese.”

“We can see Canadians are open to everything from blocking [Chinese] transactions to stop travel of Chinese officials to Canada.”

In May, a poll by Angus Reid indicated that Canadians’ view of China was in an “apparent free-fall,” going from 48% support in 2017 to just 14% in 2020.

Alberta government votes to educate public on cost of equalization payments

By
True North Wire
-

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta has voted in favour of a motion calling for the government to educate Albertans on the reality of Canada’s equalization program.

According to the Western Standard, motion 507 calls for the Alberta government to create an education campaign on equalization payments. The motion was brought forward by UCP MLA Jason Stephan,

“As Albertans grow in awareness of the massive, unfair subsidies and taxes they are paying, the more accountability they will require from the government in respect of those costs,” he said.

“Canada is spending itself into oblivion; marching towards bankruptcy, dragging Alberta down with it. Canada is rudderless; at a worst possible time; under the control of individuals out of their depth.”

Stephen noted that the equalization program heavily favours Quebec at the expense of Alberta.

“Since 1961, Alberta families and businesses have contributed more than $600 billion into the Canada partnership; while Quebec took more than $476 billion from it.”

Stephen said that Alberta contributes $3 million more than it gets back every year towards the Canada Pension Plan (CPP.) 

The CPP has heavily invested in the Chinese coal industry while Canadian coal has been phased out in recent years. Much of Canada’s coal supply came from Alberta.

In June, Premier Jason Kenney promised that Alberta would hold a referendum on equalization in the future. 

While the federal government and other provinces would have to agree on a new equalization formula, Kenney says that a referendum would give Alberta the mandate to negotiate.

“Albertans are happy to have had the opportunity to contribute mightily to the rest of the federation,” Kenney said.

“But what Albertans cannot and will not accept is governments across the country benefiting from that wealth and our resources while seeking to block and impair our development of that wealth.”

The referendum was one of the recommendations made by Fair Deal Panel, a group created to help reassess Alberta’s place in Canada.

SHEPHERD: Being against mandatory masks is not a kooky position

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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I live in a mid-sized British Columbian city. Our local buses have signs that say “Please wear a face covering,” but most people do not, including the bus drivers. I have yet to patronize a business that required me to put on a mask, and I have visited many cafes and eateries where the employees weren’t covering their faces.

I was quite surprised, then, when I saw the news that on the other side of the country, the province of Quebec, city of Toronto, and many other regions in Ontario have made masks mandatory in public indoor spaces such as malls, grocery stores and public transit vehicles.

Mainstream media outlets have been pushing the idea that those who are against mandatory mask bylaws are psychologically unstable, not able to think rationally, and have less “cognitive flexibility.” These articles state that mask non-wearers are emotionally incapable of dealing with the pandemic, riddled with anxiety and unable to cope with change.

I am not impressed by this proclivity to medicalize and make judgments about the psychological wellbeing of those of us who may have some qualms with the mandatory mask overreach. Skepticism is healthy. There have been some viral videos of people angrily refusing to wear masks – but those viral videos only exhibit one contingent of the anti-mandatory mask camp.

I am against mandatory masks, but I have always thought – prior to the pandemic – that masks should be normalized on airplanes, as I have often found that if my airplane seatmate coughs during the voyage, I get a cold within the next 48 hours. I can also see the aesthetic appeal of masking: concealing part of your face can add an air of mystery, and some have been sporting masks with cute designs or eye-catching prints. 

But at the same time, masks can be a symbol of obedience, and the Canadian tendency to so readily defer to government orders is off-putting. Not to mention, the idea of masking toddlers is laughable. The idea of masking children is not so much laughable as it is sad. 

BC Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry has said she might consider making masks mandatory down the road, though she is concerned about folks with disabilities and respiratory illnesses. For now, I feel fortunate to live in a community where both mask-wearers and non-wearers are respected, and aren’t subject to harassment or financial penalties.

A WE Boondoggle

By
Andrew Lawton
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The Liberals’ cozy relationship with WE Charity has turned a bad decision into a scandal worthy of a federal ethics probe. True North’s Andrew Lawton talks about the latest developments and exposes the shoddy attempts at spinning the story in Trudeau’s and WE’s favour.

Also, the woke left chooses self-serving hypocrisy over social justice, plus JCCF lawyer Jay Cameron joins to talk about legal gun owners getting their day in court.

MALCOLM: Woke politicians turn their backs on the police

By
Candice Malcolm
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Politicians across Canada are turning their back on the men and women who risk their lives to keep our communities safe.

Desperate to keep up with trendy protesters and the radical demands of the far-left, hapless officials from all levels of government have been scoring cheap political points by needlessly and baselessly denouncing Canadian police officers.

We’ve seen this from all levels of government — from self-righteous city councilors in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto pushing funding cuts for police services, all the way up to our woke Prime Minister, who recently declared that the RCMP is racist and broke his own COVID-19 self-isolation rules to attend a Black Lives Matter rally on June 5th.

During that rally, Trudeau took a knee as part of the political theatre of the rally.

While journalists swooned over Trudeau’s performative art, one of Canada’s former top cops blasted Trudeau this week and said he had humiliated the RCMP with his gesture.

In a statement posted to the RCMP Veterans Association website, retired deputy commissioner of operations for the RCMP Gilles Favreau wrote that Trudeau had “humiliated” the RCMP and should have asked for “explanations, valid and dependable statistics before identifying our members as racist.”

Favreau demanded that politicians like Trudeau (who, he noted, had been protected by the RCMP “since his infancy”) show more respect for the RCMP “who have served our country with honour, integrity and devotion for 147 years.”

Favreau is not alone in trying to push back against the growing anti-police mob. Canadian senator and former RCMP commissioner Bev Busson also recently took a stand.

“Disturbingly, I see a tendency by some to stereotype equally each and every police officer with the same criminal motives. I am referring to the wave of hatred and disrespect directed at our police forces generally, and specifically at the RCMP,” wrote Busson, saying most Canadian officers are “the finest people you will ever meet.”

Trudeau’s genuflecting to the mob shows his own weak character, while his calls denouncing the RCMP as “systemically racist” are blatantly hypocritical. He’s been the prime minister for five years and has had plenty of opportunity to make changes. If he truly believes Canada and our police, deep down, are racist, then he was complicit in a “racist” system until a political movement in the U.S. spilled into Canada and forced him to act.

While Trudeau’s hollow gestures cast an ugly spell onto all police officers, even he is not doing as much damage as his more socialist counterpart.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh went on a tirade against the RCMP this week – get this – for not killing an intruder who was arrested on the grounds of Rideau Hall in Ottawa last month.

Singh was angry that 46-year-old Corey Hurren, an armed Canadian Ranger who rammed the gate at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s current residence, was arrested without any violence.

According to Singh, Hurren was there to “potentially kill the Prime Minister,” and that if he was “not white” he would have surely been killed by police.

Halton Police Chief Steve Tanner rightly called out Singh for his wild speculation and blatant race-baiting.

“A situation safety resolved and you choose to somehow make it an issue about racism? I suppose you openly believe the accused should have been killed by the RCMP then? Politics at an all time low,” wrote Tanner on Twitter.

Criticizing police for not carrying out an extrajudicial killing is peak regressive leftism.

But Singh’s words and Trudeau’s actions have an even more damaging impact. Singh and Trudeau are telling Canadians, particularly Indigenous and black Canadians, that the police are racist and out to get them. They are telling them not to trust the police or the broader Canadian system.

Policing is a difficult, dangerous and often thankless job. And rather than supporting the heroes that keep us safe, politicians on the woke left are making their job even more difficult.

FUREY: Police officers deserve our respect

By
Anthony Furey
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In recent weeks, leftist activists and politicians have criticized police officers across North America.

As a result, many police officers have felt disrespected and are questioning if they should continue to serve and protect.

True North’s Anthony Furey says it’s important to keep police officers accountable, but those who do their job properly deserve the respect of the community and politicians.

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