François Philippe-Champagne owes the Chinese government $1.2 million.
To top that off, Champagne has spent most of his professional career outside of Canada.
Although the Trudeau government is trying to brush this off as nothing, True North’s Anthony Furey asks if Canadians can trust Champagne to properly do his job.
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With another coronavirus outbreak in China, people are pushing to extend restrictions and indefinitely keep the population masked until there’s a COVID-19 vaccination available. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the lockdown proponents continue to move the goalposts on us.
Also, what should conservatives look for in a Conservative Party of Canada leader, and is the death of Aunt Jemima corporate tokenism or a genuine blow to racism?
After extensive lobbying by the Trudeau government, Canada has failed to acquire a seat on the UN Security Council.
The decision was announced by the UN General Assembly after ballots were cast by international delegates gathered for the occasion in New York City.
Among those present at the vote was Foreign Affairs Minister François-Phillippe Champagne, who was seen casting Canada’s ballot at the assembly.
Champagne was sent across the border earlier this month to join Canada’s Ambassador to the UN Marc-André Blanchard in a desperate final push to secure a position for Trudeau.
Canada secured the lowest number of votes compared to its competitors for the two of three revolving seats on the council. According to the voting results, Canada secured only 108 votes, while Ireland secured 128 and Norway got 130 votes.
Other positions including the President of the General Assembly and positions on the Economic and Social Council were also up to a vote.
Prior to the vote, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would assist international UN pandemic humanitarian missions by providing military airlift support.
On Monday, Trudeau announced Canadian troops would assist in transporting supplies for missions lead by the World Health Organization and the World Food Programme.
Last week climate activist Greta Thunberg joined UN ambassadors of small island states in criticizing Trudeau’s handling of environmental issues.
In a letter, co-signed by Thunberg, Trudeau was accused of failing to meet international climate obligations.
“For the young generation who will inherit the consequences of these decisions, it is critical that those who claim to be leading on climate action are held to account for decisions they are making back at home,” claims the letter.
The prime minister took a personal role in lobbying other nations for votes during his bid.
Trudeau was able to court Senegal’s vote after meeting with President Macky Sall during a tour in Africa.
While Trudeau was there, Sall came to the defence of his government’s criminalization of homosexuality, claiming that it was not homophobic.
“The laws of our country obey rules that are the condensation of our cultural and civilizing values. This has nothing to do with homophobia. Whoever has the sexual orientation of their choice is not the target of exclusion,” said Sall.
Contrary to a report by the Globe and Mail, Telus claims that the federal government never urged the telecoms company to remove Huawei equipment from its 4G network in the National Capital Region.
A Tuesday report by the Globe and Mail alleged that the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was urging Telus to remove Huawei tech from Ottawa’s network.
According to a government cell tower database, 70 different sites in Ottawa are equipped with Huawei gear. The sites include communications infrastructure near crucial government headquarters, including the RCMP, the National Research Council and a number of security agencies.
Sources close to the government allege that several years ago Telus had reached a deal with the federal government to not include the controversial Chinese company’s tech in the National Capital Region.
According to the alleged commitment, Telus originally used equipment made by Western telecom companies but later replaced that equipment with tech made by Huawei.
While there are no details on the nature of the deal or how binding it was, the Department of Innovation has recently been requesting that Telus purge Huawei equipment from networks in the region.
However, Telus now claims that no such deal was ever agreed upon and that the government has not made any requests to change the 4G network’s infrastructure.
Telus recently joined Canada’s other telecom giants, Bell and Rogers, in committing to partner with Western alternatives in developing Canada’s upcoming next-generation 5G technology.
Prior to the announcement, Telus was planning on partnering with the Chinese company to develop Canada’s communications infrastructure.
National security experts and Canada’s allies have warned against using Huawei technology, citing vulnerabilities in the company’s equipment and the potential for abuse by the Chinese Communist Party.
Recently, the US Department of State warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that if he decided to give Huawei the green-light to partake in Canada’s 5G network, it would have to re-evaluate its intelligence-sharing operations with Canada.
“We in the U.S. government have made it very clear to all of our friends and allies around the world that if Huawei is allowed into a country’s national security systems, we will have to protect our intelligence-sharing relationship,” said State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.
“We’ll have to make an assessment if we can continue sharing intelligence with countries who have Huawei inside their most sensitive technology, in their most sensitive national security areas.”
Former Environment Minister Catherine McKenna spent over $100,000 on taxi fares while in Ottawa during her tenure in the cabinet position.
According to Rebel News, McKenna’s travel expenses were released through an order paper question submitted with the House by NDP MP Heather McPherson.
“With regard to ministers’ office expenses in the National Capital Region: (a) what was the total amount spent on taxis by each ministers’ office for each fiscal year since 2015-2016, including the current fiscal years; (b) how many employees at each minister’s office have access to taxi vouchers; (c) what is the overtime cost of each minister’s driver for each fiscal year since 2015-16, including the current fiscal year; (d) what was the total amount spent on Uber for each minister’s office for each fiscal year since 2015-16, including the current fiscal year; and (e) how many employees at each minister’s office have access to Uber vouchers?” asked McPherson.
Records show that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change spent over $143,000 on taxis.
Most of this spending was accrued during McKenna’s time as minister. Current Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson was only responsible for approximately $30,000 of the entire sum spent by the ministry on transportation within Ottawa.
This is not the first time that McKenna’s travel habits have raised eyebrows. In March, Rebel News reporters asked the Infrastructure Ministry for records regarding her official vehicle use since November 20th, 2019 and were told that no such records existed.
“After a thorough search no records were found concerning this request as The Minister’s driver has not maintained a log for the usage of the executive vehicle,” the ministry told Rebel News.
Earlier this month, McKenna also hid the locations of subsidized public works to the Parliamentary Budget Office citing “privacy and security reasons.”
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, thousands of projects were withheld from the office by McKenna after analysts have been trying for months to dig up information on them.
“We provided more than 33,000 itemized projects to the Parliamentary Budget Office,” said McKenna.
“In addition there are also approximately 8,500 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation projects related to housing, which we do not make public because of privacy and security reasons,” she said.
Saskatchewan passed a municipal government bill on Tuesday which will prevent cities in the province from being able to legislate a handgun ban.
The new amendment comes ahead of an expected announcement by the Trudeau government which would give municipalities the ability to ban handguns for law-abiding firearm owners within their cities.
“We will take every opportunity that we can to make sure that the status quo does remain,” said Premier Scott Moe.
“It’s extremely concerning — not only the introduction of this ban — the fact that they have not consulted with provinces on this ban.”
The premier had wide-ranging support from municipal officials, including Regina’s Mayor Michael Fougere, according to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.
“This is quite rightly provincial jurisdiction that they take this matter up and deal with it,” said Fougere.
“I think it’s not the jurisdiction of municipalities to be banning guns or rifles. So I’m supportive of the initiative of the province.”
Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that a handgun ban bill was currently being reviewed.
“We know there is more to do on strengthening gun control in this country which is why we’re going to be moving forward when Parliament allows it with stronger measures around borders, stronger measures around safe storage,” Trudeau said.
“Measures around handguns to permit municipalities to ban handguns within their city limits.”
The announcement came on the heels of another sweeping ban on what the Liberals referred to as “assault-style” weapons.
The law, which banned the sale, distribution, and ownership of 1,500 different types of firearms, was brought into force through an Order in Council, effectively bypassing any debate in the House of Commons.
In response to Trudeau’s earlier ban, Saskatchewan announced it would be appointing a chief firearms officer to advocate for firearms rights within the province with the federal government.
“We believe a provincially-appointed chief firearms officer will be well-positioned to represent Saskatchewan’s position on firearms regulation to the federal government,” said Corrections and Policing Minister Christine Tell.
“Our government will always stand beside law-abiding Saskatchewan firearms owners, and we believe a provincially-appointed CFO will assist in that advocacy.”
Mexico is blocking its citizens from coming to Canada as temporary foreign workers (TFWs) after two workers died of coronavirus on Ontarian farms.
In an interview with CBC, Mexican Ambassador Juan Jose Gomez Camacho said that around 5,000 Mexican TFWs are being blocked from leaving Mexico until a proper explanation can be given by Canadian authorities.
“It’s so we can reassess with the federal authorities, provinces and farmers why this happened and if there is anything to correct,” he said.
“We are pausing this quickly now to understand.”
In 2018, there were 25,060 Mexicans working on Canadian farms, or around half of the total TFW farm labour force.
Around 300 Mexican workers have tested positive for coronavirus since arriving in Canada, and several outbreaks have been reported on farms.
Despite the risk of bringing in seasonal workers, the Trudeau government has not stopped thousands from arriving. A recent employment report compiled by the federal government likewise revealed that 13,000 foreign workers were approved to come to Canada between March 15 to May 8, or approximately 1,625 per week.
The government is providing $50 million to pay for the self-isolation costs of foreign workers. All TFWs are supposed to self-isolate for two weeks upon arriving in Canada before they can begin work.
On Tuesday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that he shared his sympathies with Mexican President Lopez Obrador during a phone call.
“Our government will continue to engage and work closely with the ambassador and other Mexican officials to ensure their citizens are safe and receive the support they need when they come to work in Canada,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau also claimed that increasing rights to foreign workers may make them safer while in Canada.
In a recent poll, 61% of Canadians surveyed agree that “Canada should temporarily pause the Temporary Foreign Workers program until a vaccine is developed for coronavirus and the unemployment rate drops down to pre-coronavirus levels.”
An inmate at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre claims that alleged ISIS recruiter Awso Peshdary has so much influence in the jail that he “runs the unit.”
According to Global News, court documents reveal claims made by inmate Darren Peare alleging that Peshdary is the “Don” of the prison.
“Peshdary is the ‘Don’ and has influence throughout the jail, [he] runs the unit,” Pearce alleged in a March 3, 2020 debriefing.
According to Pearce, Peshdary “makes decisions as to whether someone should be ‘bounced’ from the unit.”
Pearce made the allegations after Peshdary applied with the court for an early release from custody while he awaited his trial.
Pearce alleges that he was assaulted while in prison after making a comment after Peshdary said that Muslims could not drink while observing Ramadan.
Peshdary was arrested in 2015 after a counter-terrorism investigation by the RCMP. The RCMP alleges that Peshdary, who was born in Iraq, gave “financial support” to ISIS recruits seeking to join the terror cell in Syria.
Both Pearce and Peshdary’s lawyer Solomon Friedman declined Global’s requests for comment.
In a court application, Friedman describes Pearce, who is being charged with attempted murder, and various assault and robbery charges, as a “career criminal.”
“The disclosed reports also reveal that Mr. Pearce has attempted to smuggle contraband into the jail, has made homemade alcohol in the jail and has concealed make-shift weapons, including a shank and a razorblade,” claimed the application.
The RCMP Veterans’ Association has spoken out against recent accusations of systemic racism levelled against the force.
In an open letter posted to the association’s website, President Sandy P. Glenn calls the claims “extremely disappointing.”
“Making sweeping generalization statements about any group of people is always unfair and in the case of a senior executive member, singularly inappropriate and inaccurate. Thoughtless statements from our political leaders put frontline Members of the RCMP at risk,” wrote Glenn.
“Not for a moment do we deny that there are anomalies in the National Police Force. It will happen in any organization and the RCMP is no exception. But the anomalies are not the rule and to paint the entire organization with the same brush is to deny the dramatic role that the Force has played in the establishment of this country and in continuing over many years to ensure peace in Canada for all our citizens. Not some of our citizens – all of our citizens regardless of race, creed, colour or gender.”
The responses come after several public officials and activists have levelled charges against the national police force for harbouring racial bias and discrimination.
Among those joining in on the anti-racism hysteria was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Systemic racism is an issue right across the country, in all our institutions, including in all our police forces, including in the RCMP. That’s what systemic racism is,” said Trudeau
“In many cases it’s not deliberate, it’s not intentional, it’s not aggressive, individual acts of racism, although those obviously exist. It is recognizing that the systems we have built over the past generations have not always treated people of racialized backgrounds, of Indigenous backgrounds, fairly through the very construction of the systems that exist.”
The accusations arose after anti-racism protests flooded Canada. Protesters, who were inspired by similar movements in the US decrying the death of Minnesota resident George Floyd while in police custody, are calling on police forces to be defunded.
Prior to the association’s open letter, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki struggled with whether there was a systemic racism problem with the force.
“If systemic racism is meaning that racism is entrenched in our policies and procedures, I would say that we don’t have systemic racism,” said Lucki on June 11th.
On June 12th, Lucki reversed her position and said, “I did acknowledge that we, like others, have racism in our organization, but I did not say definitively that systemic racism exists in the RCMP. I should have.”
“As many have said, I do know that systemic racism is part of every institution, the RCMP included. Throughout our history and today, we have not always treated racialized and Indigenous people fairly.”
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The mainstream media, activists and politicians have all begun to engage in an attack against our society and its institutions, including radical calls to defund the police.
Canada is witnessing a rise of compelled conformity, where people get maligned and sometimes fired for not adhering to the ever-changing rules and demands of the woke mob. How can Canadians combat the rise of cancel culture in our society?
Plus, a recent poll reveals 76% of Canadians want a total pause on immigration until the coronavirus threat has passed and until Canada’s economy has fully recovered.
On this episode of the True North Speaker Series, Candice Malcolm is joined by the Leader of the People’s Party of Canada Maxime Bernier to discuss these important issues and more!
This episode was a webinar True North co-hosted with Civitas Canada. To participate in future webinars, become a True North Insider: www.tnc.news/donate/.
