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Thursday, August 14, 2025

DROVER: CPC leadership candidates need to stop trying to swindle social conservatives

By
Devin Drover
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Since the Conservative leadership race has resumed, following a much-needed break due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has served as a good reminder to many that they were indeed not missing this race. 

Whether it was the launching of lawsuits over deceitful polling reports, spin over campaign fundraising results, or supposed falsified reports of campaign workers threatening each other, the race has continued to be – in many cases – a race to the bottom, demonstrating how far candidates will go to win.

A prominent message that will likely emerge from all campaigns as we get closer to the ballot date is trying to appeal to the supporters of other campaigns. The Conservative leadership race uses a ballot that requires voters to rank their preference for leader from first to last — this means that if a candidate fails to achieve a majority of the points awarded in the contest, the candidate who placed last on the ballot will have their points reallocated to the remaining contestants based on how ranked preferences of their supporters. This process will continue until one candidate secures 50% of the total points – meaning we could see three “rounds” before a winner is declared.

The main target for these appeals will be social conservatives. This makes sense, as social conservatives are a large part of the Conservative base which is reliable, active and well-organized. However, social conservative voters may want to think twice before buying into these appeals, as recent history indicates they may not get what they bargain for.

Take, for example, the election of Patrick Brown as Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader in 2015. Brown ran on a platform emphasizing both social and fiscal conservatism, attracting the support of prominent social conservatives within Ontario including then-MP Pierre Lemieux and previous leadership opponent MPP Monte McNaughton. His strict pro-life voting history got him the endorsement of the Campaign Life Coalition, much coveted among social conservatives, and certainly helped him sell enough memberships to win the leadership of his party.

Similarly, Andrew Scheer’s election as Conservative Party leader in 2017 followed a similar path. He presented himself as an “unapologetic” Conservative who could unite all of the wings of the party, and labelling himself as “pro-life” though with no intention of introducing legislation on the matter. He actively pursued down-ballot support from his social conservative competitors Brad Trost and Pierre Lamieux, which managed to provide him with the support needed to receive a narrow victory over Maxime Bernier on the final ballot.

Despite their attempt to appeal to social conservatives for their support, Patrick Brown and Andrew Scheer were both quick to abandon them. Patrick Brown almost immediately reversed all of his commitment to social conservatives in Ontario, including by refusing to meaningfully address concerns regarding sex education and silencing pro-lifers within his caucus. Similarly, Andrew Scheer worked behind-the-scenes to shut down debate on social conservative issues he saw as electorally problematic, and was on the defensive about his handling of social conservative positions throughout the 2019 general election campaign.

These case studies are important for social conservative voters to consider in choosing how to rank non-social conservative candidates on their leadership ballot this year, if at all. For example, both of the perceived front-runners in the race, Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole, have no history of supporting social conservative causes.

MacKay infamously said that social conservative were a “stinking albatross” around the neck of the party – a comment he now regrets.

O’Toole, who ran predominately as a red tory in the 2017 leadership race, has now shifted gears to try to present himself as a “True Blue” conservative in hopes of attracting these voters. However, similar to Andrew Scheer, he states that he will not introduce legislation on abortion, and has a voting history that is questionable to many social conservatives.

Overall, it is wrong to conclude that non-social conservative candidates should stop trying to appeal to social conservative voters. The Conservative Party is a big-tent, after all, and these voters deserve representation in it. However, candidates need to be more honest in communicating what social conservative candidates can expect from them, and keep their promises after getting elected.

KNIGHT: Keep politics out of it and let’s get the economy re-started

By
Leo Knight
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One wonders when exactly the coronavirus pandemic and the government’s response became a partisan issue. But that’s exactly what it has become. 

It seems like all the Left wants is more government lolly. 

Spend more money, gimme, gimme gimme. 

That’s the logic of the Left. Don’t do anything to put anyone at risk. Heaven help us. 

The folks on the right just want the economy to open back up. They want to go back to work. They don’t want any government lolly, they just want to earn their way, pay their taxes and get on with things. If they have to social distance, that’s fine. There are many ways that can occur in almost any business. 

But seriously, if I can appropriately social distance in my local Safeway or Shoppers Drug Mart, why would anyone think it can’t be done at any retail outlet? 

It’s all nonsense of course. 

The majority of Canadians have not been directly affected by the coronavirus. Caveat: That we know of. There are certainly some folks who may have been infected with the virus but are asymptomatic. 

We also know that the majority of deaths from the virus occurred in Quebec and most of those were in long-term care facilities. This is the situation almost across the country. 

There are some exceptions of course — there always are. Mission Institute prison in B.C. and Cargill Foods in High River, Alberta are examples. But, the bulk of the population has not been affected. 

The vast majority of us have been dutifully paying attention to the advice coming from public health officials and have been staying home and self-isolating. It’s been almost 60 days now. It’s safe to say that we haven’t got the virus. 

We were told that we need to stay home to “flatten the curve” and not overwhelm our healthcare facilities. So we did. Our hospitals were not overwhelmed. In fact, many are looking for something to do. There are not enough patients. 

This says that the preliminary predictions about this virus were overblown. The numbers bear that out. 

So, why are we still being told to stay at home? 

We all take risks in life. That’s part of life.  

If I go for a walk in downtown Vancouver I run the risk of being hit by a bus or a bad driver every time I cross the street. If I buy something online I run the risk that my financial information will be compromised. If I go to the dentist I run the risk that their implements haven’t be sterilized properly. 

The bottom line is fear of death should not prevent us from living life. 

Life is a risk. We all take them and hope that nothing bad happens and we stay on this side of the grass. 

But keeping the economy shut down and our government running up mind-numbing levels of debt is simply not sustainable. 

Reopening the economy should not be a partisan issue, yet that’s exactly what the Left has done.

This week the government of Alberta announced their plans for a re-opening of the economy and it was quickly panned by the Alberta Federation of Labour who demanded a further 30 days shut down. 

Why? Don’t they want their members to get back to earn a  living? Or are they just happy to keep on suckling at the government teat? 

I think the answer is obvious. The Left has their hand out while the right wants to roll up their sleeves. The difference couldn’t be more striking. 

It’s way past time for the so-called #cowardofthecottage to stop hiding in Rideau Cottage, re-open Parliament and get to work for Canadians. 

We’ve done everything we were told to do and the country has the virus under control. We know about social distancing and hand washing. We can still do that and go shopping, to our cabins and cottages, or see our stylists, aestheticians, doctors or massage therapists. 

Enough is enough. 

It’s time to get our economy moving again.

Government ends funding to organizations fighting sex-trafficking

By
True North Wire
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Organizations that help victims of sex trafficking say the Trudeau government has abruptly cut their funding, forcing them to end their programs.

Two organizations told the Globe and Mail that they were among the many to learn that the Harper-era Measures to Address Prostitution Initiative (MAPI) has been ended by the Trudeau government.

Megan Walker of the London Abused Women’s Centre says that their anti-sex-trafficking program will have to close, but notes that their other programs are provincially funded and will continue.

“I’m just devastated for what will and what is happening to trafficked, sexually exploited and prostituted women and girls right now. It’s just really outrageous,” she said.

Walker says the London Abused Women’s Centre helped over 3,000 trafficked or at-risk women and girls with MAPI funding.

According to Covenant House in Toronto, 90% of sex-trafficking victims in Canada are women and the average age of victims is 17.

The funding for MAPI was set to end this year but Walker expected that the program would continue. Walker says that she contacted the Justice Department multiple times over the past several months asking about the future of MAPI but to no avail.

According to Statistics Canada, rates of human trafficking in Canada, including sex-trafficking, have increased significantly in recent years.

In a statement, the Departments of Justice and Women and Gender Equality said that the government will continue fighting sex-trafficking through a $75 million investment promised during the 2019 federal election.

The statement made it clear that MAPI would not be renewed.

This was not what Theresa Jenkins of Reset Society of Calgary was told. She says the Justice Department told her funding was forthcoming.

“I was told there was money coming to continue funding the program,” Jenkins said. 

“I took all that time and effort in October to write up a new proposal, I contacted the Justice program officer twice, who said it was in the committee’s hands and we should hear any day. Now we hear this news.”

The Reset Society of Calgary used federal funding to help 327 trafficked women get reestablished in the community.

Walker says that sex-trafficking incidents have not gone down since the coronavirus pandemic began. She added that while her organization will persist, some might not survive without funding.

“It is devastating to say the least, especially for some of these other agencies who will have to close their doors,” she said.

“Trafficking will never slow down,” Ms. Walker said.

FUREY: Public health officials need to be held accountable too

By
Anthony Furey
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Some people think it’s unacceptable to question public health officials and their decisions.

We routinely question government officials, why would we not do the same now?

True North’s Anthony Furey says because the stakes are so high during the pandemic, everybody should feel empowered to have their say.

Trudeau busy courting world leaders for UN Security Council seat despite pandemic

By
True North Wire
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Trudeau has been keeping busy calling world leaders in his pursuit of a seat on the UN Security Council while Canada suffers from the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the National Post, Trudeau has found the time to speak to 28 different world leaders since the coronavirus pandemic began in March. 

Among those Trudeau has courted for their support over the last few months are the leaders of Fiji, Colombia, Ghana, Sudan, Qatar, Sweden, Senegal, Rwanda and many others. 

“We absolutely want a seat on the UN security council. It is also important that we spend time on the rebuild and the world that we want post-COVID. We need to keep an eye on the future that we want and how we want to shape it,” said Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne.

“The UN security council is the big table. This is where the most consequential decisions are taken with respect to peace and security around the world. It is the first time in generations the world has been on pause, and I think, before we push play, Canadians want us to play a role on the international scene.”

Trudeau’s staff told the National Post that the calls were mainly regarding the international effort against the coronavirus, however, the UN seat did come up from time to time. 

Trudeau has been seeking to secure one of two seats on the council currently up for grabs for some time. 

Prior to the pandemic, Trudeau toured throughout Africa in order to garner support from other world leaders.

Trudeau was able to court Senegal’s vote after meeting with President Macky Sall despite the country’s abhorrent human rights record. 

While Trudeau was in Senegal, 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.

Shortly after the trip, Trudeau was caught on camera bowing to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif even though Iran admitted to shooting down an airliner and killing 57 Canadians prior to the meeting. 

“I went by to impress upon the foreign minister of Iran how important it is that we work together,” said Trudeau about the incident. 

Kenney calls for “great reckoning” on China for its role in coronavirus pandemic

By
True North Wire
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Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has called for a “great reckoning” on China for its role in spreading the global coronavirus pandemic. 

On Wednesday, Kenney blamed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for unleashing “devastating public health and economic damage” on the entire world according to the Globe and Mail. 

“I think the Chinese government played a significant role in the devastating public health and economic damage that is being experienced by the entire world. I do not think we should just forget this and walk past it. I think there is going to be, and there must be, a great reckoning for the role that China has played in this,” said Kenney during a virtual conference with the Canadian American Business Council. 

“The fact that China allowed people to fly around the world from Wuhan even when they blocked Wuhanese travellers from the rest of China must never be forgotten. The role they played in suppressing whistle-blowing scientists who as early as December were reporting human to human transmission,” said Kenney.

Kenney’s remarks stray from the seemingly complacent and friendly tone the Liberal government has extended towards the Chinese regime. 

In April, during a CTV Power Play segment, Health Minister Patty Hajdu stood by her praise of China’s handling of the coronavirus crediting China for its “historic containment efforts” which included confining millions of people in their homes.

“The praise I offered China during the early days was based on their historic containment efforts. Don’t forget that there were millions and millions of Chinese people under, essentially confinement, if you will, for a very long time and in fact in some of those cities people are just getting back to normal and that was a public health measure that was never seen before,” said Hajdu.

The CCP actively pursued a campaign to downplay the severity of the coronavirus during the initial outbreak. 

At the same time as it was pushing false data to the World Health Organization, the CCP was buying up crucial personal protective equipment (PPE) at discount rates before the virus became a pandemic and prices exploded due to increased international demand. 

A recent investigative report by Global News revealed that CCP-directed United Front organizations were involved in shipping back stockpiles of PPE to the mainland. 

During his statements, Kenney also told the council that Canada and the US should resume manufacturing health care supplies in North America rather than relying on Chinese goods. 

Critics of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have accused him of taking a far too friendly approach to the Chinese government while it continues to meddle in Canada’s affairs. 

Reports show that Chinese officials have been involved in harassing and intimidating Chinese diaspora and dissidents from religious and ethnic minorities within Canada’s borders. 

When pressed on the issue earlier this week, Trudeau sidestepped a question on what Canada is doing to end Chinese interference. 

“The Canadian government has always highlighted concerns about human rights and respect for basic human democracies and liberties with every country that we engage with around the world, including China,” said Trudeau. 

“We are strong supporters and defenders of free speech and the right to protest.”

The government has lost track of how much Trudeau is spending

By
Candice Malcolm
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Is Trudeau on the campaign trail? On a daily basis, Trudeau announces new spending and new government programs. He has spent so much at such a fast rate that the Government of Canada can’t even keep track of how big our deficit is. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bill Morneau refuses to answer basic questions about Canada’s financial outlook.

Also, churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious institutions are shut down but it appears the rules don’t apply to Indigenous communities. The Trudeau government is calling off the police from Indigenous rituals.

Tune into the True North Update with Candice Malcolm and Andrew Lawton!

Ukrainian police force trained by the RCMP facing anti-Semitism scandal

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Ukrainian Jewish Committee has accused Canada and other members of the international community of being silent on anti-Semitism in Ukraine after a Canadian-trained police force demanded a list of Jews in the Kolomiya region. 

Earlier this week, Ukrainian Jewish Committee Director-General Eduard Dolinsky shared a document from Ukraine’s National Police which demanded addresses and mobile numbers of Jewish community members, purportedly as part of an effort to combat “organized crime.” 

“Please provide us the following information regarding the Orthodox Jewish religious community of Kolomyya, namely: The organization’s charter; list of members of the Jewish religious community, with indication of data, mobile phones and their places of residence,” said the translated letter signed by high-ranking NPU officer Myhaylo Bank. 

The letter was sent to the leader of Kolomiya’s Orthodox Jewish community in February 2020.

Since the incident took place, the NPU has launched an “unprecedented” internal investigation into the matter – a move Dolinsky suggested was unexpected.

“This is the first and unprecedented case,” he said. “Usually, when we filed to police about antisemitic cases we [are] denied justice.”  

In conversation with True North, Dolinsky accused Canada of ignoring the issue of the glorification of Nazi collaborators in Ukraine. 

“Canada and other Western partners were silent and continue to be silent on anti-Semitism and other issues, including the glorification of Nazi collaborators in Ukraine,” said Dolinsky.

Dolinsky also said that Canada’s silence on the issue could stem from a desire to not “criticize Ukraine when she is fighting Russian aggression.”

According to the RCMP, 25 Canadian police officers are working with Ukrainian police, some of whom are deployed in the country directly to provide training and mentoring. 

“The Canadian Police Mission in Ukraine, a bilateral engagement, supports Ukraine’s police reform by building the capacity, effectiveness and sustainability of Ukraine’s police services including developing specialized areas of expertise,” RCMP spokesperson Catherine Fortin told True North. 

When pressed on whether the RCMP was aware of reports of Nazi sympathies and antisemitism among the NPU, and whether Canada’s national police condemns these worrying behaviours, Fortin reiterated the mission’s goal to increase awareness of human rights in Ukraine. 

“This bilateral engagement also includes increasing awareness of gender and human rights considerations. Through deployments to the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform, Canadian police provide strategic advice for the development of effective, sustainable, and accountable security services to help strengthen the rule of law in Ukraine,” said Fortin. 

The NPU was established in 2015 to replace the country’s former police force which was under the control of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych who was evicted from the nation after the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. 

By 2016, the Liberal government had spent millions to launch the police agency and has been sending RCMP officers to train local forces ever since. 

Canada’s original policing mission to Ukraine entitled Supporting Police Training in Ukraine (SPTU) allegedly involved deploying RCMP to increase “gender and human rights considerations” among the NPU. 

Despite the Canadian mission’s stated gender and human rights considerations, Dolinsky blames “ignorance, prejudices and lack of training” for the incident.

Over the years, the NPU has been accused of harbouring anti-Semitism.

In 2019, NPU officers and high-ranking state officials took to social media to declare that they were “Banderites” or supporters of Stephen Bandera a WWII Nazi collaborator responsible for the massacre of Jews and Poles in the region. 

“I apologize. I am a Banderite, too! Glory to Ukraine!” wrote the former Chief of Ukraine’s National Police Serhiy Knyazev.  

Knyazev was joined by Interior Minister and National Police spokesperson Artem Shevchenko and Interior Ministry adviser Zoryan Shkyryak. 

Global Affairs Canada did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. 

Canadian intelligence concerned about cyber-espionage targeting coronavirus research

By
True North Wire
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Canada’s intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned about state-sponsored cyber-espionage targeting Canadian research on the coronavirus.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Communications Security Establishment told the Star that Canada’s research “represents a valuable target” for foreign enemies. 

“With regards to the specific threats, the (Communications Security Establishment’s) Cyber Centre has assessed that the COVID-19 pandemic presents an elevated level of risk to the cyber security of Canadian health organizations involved in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” CSE’s acting director-general of public affairs Christopher Williams told the Star. 

“(The Canadian Security Intelligence Service) sees an increased risk of foreign interference and espionage due to the extraordinary effort of our businesses and research centres … (CSIS) focus is on protecting Canadian intellectual property from these threats — and jobs and economic interests with it.”

On Wednesday, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issues a statement warning that Chinese cyber actors have been trying to steal US health data and intellectual property pertaining to the coronavirus. 

“The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options,” claimed the statement. 

Meanwhile, Canada’s intelligence agencies refused to identify who the foreign state actors were. 

Recently, the US-based cybersecurity firm FireEye revealed that Chinese state actors conducted the broadest cyber-espionage campaign in recent memory targetting a number of industries in Canada and elsewhere.  

Despite increased cyber-espionage activities being perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party and those affiliated with it, Canada has decided to partner up with China to develop a coronavirus vaccine. 

The National Research Council of Canada announced on Tuesday that it was working with a Chinese company to develop a coronavirus vaccine. 

In China, companies are required by law to cooperate with state intelligence operations. 

Masks made in China pose “health and safety risk”: Health Canada

By
True North Wire
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Masks being imported from China are endangering the lives of Canadians. 

Health Canada issued an import and distribution bulletin warning that some KN95 masks which were manufactured in China “pose a health and safety risk to end users.” 

“Health Canada cannot reasonably conclude that the benefits associated with having the KN95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator available in Canada, as currently labelled, outweigh the risks,” wrote the bulletin. 

When inspected by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the masks were found to have “failed to meet 95% filtration specifications.” 

N95 masks are highly sought after on the world market and crucial in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. They block 95% of particles and viruses and are a standard piece of equipment for protecting frontline healthcare workers. 

The Health Canada bulletin was distributed to companies across the country as a warning that some products which have already been shipped might have to be recalled. 

Tests by NIOSH found that some of the Chinese masks only filtered as little as 1% of particles instead of the 95% required by N95 masks. 

“Manufacturers of concern are only those that failed to meet 95% filtration specifications,” said the bulletin.

This is not the first instance where equipment from China has failed to meet specifications and quality standards. 

Last month, one million masks purchased by Canada and manufactured in China were found to be faulty. 

The spokesman for the Department of Health and Canada’s Public Health Agency (PHAC) Eric Morrisette said that the KN95 masks were unusable in a health care setting.

“To date, PHAC has identified approximately one million KN95 masks as non-compliant with specifications for health care settings,” said Morrisette.

“These items were not distributed to provinces and territories for front-line health care response, and are being subsequently assessed for use in non-health care settings.”

Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands and Australia have also all reported issues with Chinese protective gear.

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