Beer delivered with food? Virtual medical appointments? What is this wizardry?!
Although we’re still in lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, there are some things to be optimistic about. When we return back to normal, these convenient changes need to stay in place.
True North’s Anthony Furey explains.
In deliberate defiance of strict curfew laws, thousands risked their lives and their liberty to show up, protest for their basic human rights and pay respects to those killed by an overzealous and militarized police force.
I’m not talking about Minneapolis or Los Angeles or New York City. I’m talking about Hong Kong, where tens of thousands of demonstrators defied shelter-in-place orders to stage a mass vigil for the thousands massacred in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Thirty-one years ago, the Chinese military opened fire on peaceful student protesters — quashing a movement for freedom and opportunity. Today, the same autocratic rulers in Beijing are crushing the once-autonomous free market democracy in Hong Kong.
It’s a tragic story of political regression, the loss of a great liberal democracy, as the Western world is distracted and polarized.
Hong Kong was once a British colony, much like Canada. In 1898, the British Empire negotiated the Sino-British Joint Declaration — a 99-year lease agreement to legally control the region and remain autonomous from China.
In 1997, as per the agreement, the territory was transferred to China as a special administrative region that would maintain an independent governing system (democracy) and economic system (free markets), distinct and separate from the Chinese communist government.
China and Hong Kong coexisted under the principle of “one country, two systems.”
Hong Kong’s autonomy allowed it to thrive. It established itself as a financial hub and a low tax, free trade haven. More than that, Hong Kong became known as a safe and liberal society welcoming to both businesses and expats, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Hong Kong was an oasis of freedom in a desert of communist dictatorships.
It served China to have an economically free and flourishing region that, in 1997, accounted for one-fifth of the country’s economic output, with a population of six million compared to China’s 1.2 billion.
Slowly but surely, however, China began chipping away at Hong Kong’s sovereignty. In 2014, China introduced pre-screening measures of those wishing to run for office in Hong Kong, triggering large protests known as the Umbrella Revolution. More than one hundred thousands protesters blocked traffic for 77 days, using umbrellas to protect themselves from the police’s repeated use of tear gas and pepper spray.
In June 2019, mass protests once again erupted, this time over a proposed extradition law that would require Hong Kong authorities to transfer detainees to mainland China. This prompted obvious concerns that Hong Kong would become subject to China’s authoritarian legal system, undermining civil liberties and infringing upon its sovereignty.
These protests grew into the largest-scale political movement in Hong Kong history, as more than two million people marched in defiance of mainland China.
By September, China stood down and officially withdrew its extradition bill, and the November elections saw sweeping victories for pro-democracy candidates.
But the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) crusade for control did not end there. While the world was distracted by the coronavirus pandemic and reeling in the economic crisis fueled by the lockdowns, the CCP signed sweeping new security laws that served as the nail in the coffin of the Hong Kong freedom experiment.
The U.S. has announced that under these new laws, Hong Kong will no longer enjoy a special trading relationship, and the U.K. announced it will accept up to three million Hong Kong refugees.
Cowardly, corporations like HSBC committed their support to China’s draconian security measures, and Canada’s supposedly Liberal government couldn’t muster the courage to so much as issue a sole statement condemning China’s grotesque affront to freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Next time someone tells you that Canada or the U.S. are unfair societies characterized by oppression and injustice, think about our freedom-loving friends in Hong Kong, who have been abandoned by the international community and now live under the boot of the CCP.
As protesters fill the streets of urban cities like Toronto and Vancouver, the latest leftist fad is getting louder. Leftist activists are calling on politicians to defund the police – this is all nonsense.
Who’s going to respond to a bank robbery or a violent crime if it’s not the police? Social workers? Yikes.
Former police officer and True North fellow Leo Knight says this is a knee-jerk idea without any actual thought or analysis.
Everyone has been making calculated risk assessments about what makes sense to them and their unique situation and then making decisions accordingly.
Is this a problem? Maybe. Maybe not. Canadian ICUs were never overwhelmed and cases continue to trend downwards, all while the rules continue to be broken.
Under the Trudeau government, Environment Canada has inspected significantly fewer companies, potentially letting violations of Canada’s environmental laws go unprosecuted.
A recent report given to the House of Commons revealed that the total number of inspections conducted by Environment Canada has decreased significantly since the Harper government, going from 3,898 in 2015-16, to 1,608 in 2018-19 – a decrease of 59%.
“It definitely raises a lot of questions and concerns,” said NDP Environment Critic Laurel Collins.
“It’s wild that there was only one investigation that led to a prosecution in 2018 and 2019. I think most Canadians would be surprised to hear that. I don’t think anyone thinks there is only one company violating.”
As a result of the sharp decrease in inspections, in each of the last two years, Environment Canada investigated only 12 companies for violations of the Canada Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Only one firm was prosecuted in that period.
By comparison, in their last year the Harper government investigated 43 companies and prosecuted and convicted 22.
Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson refused to comment when asked by the Canadian Press.
While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to “phase out the oil sands” to protect the environment, energy firms have not been a major source of CEPA violations. Dry cleaning and manufacturing firms are among the most recent violators.
Only a small fraction of all firms fined or convicted under CEPA have been based in Alberta.
Even as the Trudeau government claims climate change is a priority, prominent Liberals appear to be unworried about enforcing environmental laws or shrinking their own carbon footprint.
Last week it was revealed that the Trudeau government flew 144 people to a climate conference in Spain in November, spending at least $683,000 in the process.
Days later Wilkinson would say that Canada must strive for “deeper emission reductions.”
The Canadian delegation, which included many who were not representing the government, was lectured by activist Greta Thunberg about how they need to do more to combat emissions.
In September while Thunberg was on tour shaming people about air travel, Trudeau was using two planes to criss-cross Canada for his reelection campaign.
Trudeau would join Thunberg at a climate march held in Montreal.
BREAKING NEWS — Justin Trudeau took a knee. …Ok so now what? Is there no more racism in Canada now?
Everybody can agree that there are racist incidents in Canada and there are serious conversations needed to determine where and why these incidents occur.
The problem with Trudeau’s virtue-signalling and lecturing Canadians about racism is that he’s the Prime Minister. Trudeau and his Liberal colleagues have the power to make a change, but after 5 years in office, it’s clear the Trudeau government is fine with the status quo.
True North’s Sam Eskenasi explains.
Justin Trudeau has finally stood up to China…kind of.
After months of protests in Hong Kong, Trudeau finally criticized China’s handling of the protests and China’s national security bill. He also said Canadians in Hong Kong can return to Canada – even though that’s their right as Canadians.
True North’s Anthony Furey applauds Trudeau for finally standing up to China but asks why did it take so long?
The death of George Floyd has created reverberations across the U.S., across Canada and around the globe. Protests have led to rioting, looting and at least three deaths and many injuries over the past week.
People have the right to protest if they perceive an injustice has occurred. The problem with what we have seen is the likes of Antifa and other activists seizing the opportunity to take over cities across the U.S. to push their own agenda — which seems to be little more than to smash and loot all manner of retail outlets in what appears to be anarchists striking against capitalism.
In Minneapolis on Friday, police arrested 127 people taking part in the looting. 80 of those came from out of state. Some have come from as far as Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Who paid for their trips?
I’m pretty sure they didn’t pay for it themselves. Most of the Antifa crowd are spoiled kids who left their video games in their parents’ basement to go be a part of the activism in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
I don’t know if they are actively investigating, but If I were in the FBI I would ensure the agency is all over Antifa to determine where the money that runs through them is going.
This week U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged all jurisdictions to bring in the National Guard to help control the chaos. He also said if they don’t, he would invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to move in and take control of the chaos.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered 1500 members of the National Guard to vacate their hotels after they had just completed an all-nighter protecting the citizens of that city. Thanks for your assistance, now get out!
She also had the words Black Lives Matter painted on the street near the White House and Lafayette Park and changed the street name to Black Lives Matter Plaza.
This whole issue is no longer about the police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd and has become all about the politics of race and nothing else. It’s disgusting.
This has leaked into Canada with rioting and looting in Montreal and protests in other urban cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
None of us are immune to the ramifications of the politics of race.
Canada’s intelligence-sharing relationship with the US could be in jeopardy if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decides to include Huawei in Canada’s 5G network development.
According to the CBC, the US Department of State is prepared to reassess intelligence-sharing with Canada should it decide to partner with the Chinese tech company.
“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.”
The federal government has yet to make a decision about Huawei’s involvement in Canada’s next-generation network after stalling on the issue for nearly two years.
According to the latest statement from Trudeau in May, Ottawa remains undecided on what role the company might play.
Critics have accused Huawei of being vulnerable to interference by the Chinese government due to laws requiring corporations and businesses to cooperate in state espionage operations.
All three of Canada’s main telecommunications companies have announced over the past year that they will not be incorporating Huawei technology into their 5G network.
Both Bell and Telus joined Rogers in partnering with European alternatives to build their networks.
A majority of Canadians are opposed to Huawei involvement in Canadian 5G infrastructure.
When polled by Research Co., an overwhelming 75% of Canadians were against the idea of having Huawei technology in the network.
“In four rounds of nationwide polling, most Canadians have never regarded Huawei as a welcome addition to Canada’s 5G network,” said Research Co. President Mario Canseco in a press release.
“Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic in the background and as the court decision on Meng’s extradition was about to be rendered, this view has hardened considerably.”
The coronavirus lockdown measures have been lifted – as long as you’re protesting racism. Despite the rules on social distancing and large gatherings, public health officials and politicians have given the green light for Canadians to attend anti-racist protests.
Also, is Canada systemically racist? Corporations, politicians and the media seems to think so.
Tune into the True North Update with Candice Malcolm and Andrew Lawton!
