When contacted, CBC’s Head of Public Affairs Chuck Thompson denies that Rogers defended Vaughan’s tweets.
“As Kaleigh noted on Twitter, she wasn’t “defending” the tweet in question or saying it was ‘okay’, only probing to see if there was any disinformation,” said Thompson.
When asked whether the CBC considered Vaughan’s tweets either disinformation or misinformation, Thompson did not provide an answer.
“My understanding is we won’t be looking into this story any further.”
This is not the first time that the Liberal Spadina—Fort York MP has deleted incriminating tweets against Conservatives.
On February 2, 2019 Vaughan tweeted that Canadians should just “whack” Doug Ford. After the public raised their concerns about the violent connotations behind the MPs language, Vaughan issued an apology for the remarks.
In another instance, Vaughan also tweeted a photoshopped picture of conservative leaders being depicted drowning in a flood.
The image included Conservative Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, among others, beneath flooded waters.
As democracy activists in Hong Kong enter their 11th week of protests, there were Beijing sympathizers in Canada who showed up to oppose a pro-democracy protest.
As Justin Trudeau thinks of ways to distract Canadians from LavScam, True North’s Anthony Furey gives Prime Minister Trudeau some much needed advice – get tough on China!
As the world watches the Chinese regime react to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, now is the ideal time for Canada to send the communists a message.
Never doubt government will find a way between people and fun.
Officials from two levels of government were investigating a seniors’ euchre game in Scarborough over its $1.25 buy-in – suspected of being a potential illegal gambling operation – until media attention caused the City of Toronto to stand down.
True North’s Andrew Lawton says this may have had a happy ending, but it never should have gone as far as it did.
Nobody seems to be talking about it and everyone seems to have written the NDP off already, but NDP Leader, Jagmeet Singh, could be a real problem for Justin Trudeau in the coming election.
The scathing report released by federal Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion this week was damning for the Prime Minister. And not only for him, but for other members of the PMO and the Privy Council Office (PCO). And it has lit the burner under the simmering SNC-Lavalin scandal the Liberals hoped would be dead in the lead up to the election.
It is clear the efforts to have then Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould interfere with the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions not to abandon a prosecution of SNC-Lavalin in a $48 million bribery case involving the late Muammar Gaddafi and the alleged defrauding of Libyan organizations of $130 million was multifaceted and involved a number of people.
The attempt to interfere was adjudged to be a breach of Section 9 of the Conflicts of Interest Act. In other words he broke the law, again. This is the second time Trudeau has been found in breach of the Act.
The 63-page report also detailed how Dion was hampered in his investigation by the PCO who deliberately withheld confidential cabinet documents related to the matter. “Decisions that affect my jurisdiction under the Act, by setting parameters on my ability to receive evidence, should be made transparently and democratically by Parliament, not by the very same public office holders who are subject to the regime I administer,” said Dion.
Dion been conducting his investigation the day after a Feb. 7, 2019 report in the Globe & Mail outlined the pressure being put on Wilson-Raybould, a report Trudeau unequivocally denied. So far, the Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer has twice called for the RCMP to investigate this sordid mess.
After the report was released RCMP spokesperson Chantal Payette said only, “The RCMP is examining this matter carefully with all available information and will take appropriate actions as required.”
Also this week, we learned the RCMP had interviewed Wilson-Raybould last April about the matter.
But it would seem no official investigation has actually begun. At least that’s the inference we draw given Section 49 of the Conflicts of Interest Act specifically says the Commissioner is not to investigate if there is a parallel criminal investigation or to stop investigating once he learns of such an investigation.
So, either the RCMP were investigating and Wilson-Raybould was interviewed as part of that and didn’t inform the Commissioner or they have yet to start a formal investigation.
The RCMP have to tread very carefully in all of this. As an organization in recent years the Force has been beset with lawsuits about bullying and harassment. Many have since settled but efforts to curb failing morale across the organization has further diminished the reputation of the once proud national icon.
They have also had their reputation damaged by the perception of being politically controlled by the PMO and are not the independent police agency they must be to maintain the confidence of Canadians.
They also have a duty to investigate criminal offences and it would certainly appear, on the surface at least, that the crime of attempted obstruction of justice contrary to Section 139 of the Criminal Code has occurred.
Add to this the angst running through upper ranks because two of the members of the YVR Four have filed complaints against the Commissioner and the former Commanding Officer of E Division (BC) alleging they failed in their duty by not investigating criminal complaints asserted by those two members, one of whom is retired and one is still serving.
Those complaints are currently being investigated by K Division (Alberta) Professional Standards investigators. Failing to investigate this apparent breach of the Criminal Code by senior members of government would only make the Force look worse and give further grist to their mill in those complaints.
The gist of their complaints is the RCMP is duty-bound to investigate criminal matters and failing to do so is a breach of that duty.
The RCMP, in my view, has no choice but to conduct a formal investigation into all of this and publicly say so. No matter the result, I would say they have that duty to Canadians or risk further reputational damage. Then they need to either recommend criminal charges or explain to Canadians why no charges are applicable.
As the Chinese military lines up on the border of Hong Kong preparing to quash the pro-democracy protestors, Anthony Furey asks if we’re going to see history repeat itself.
A handgun ban won’t do anything to address gun violence in Canada. Even the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police acknowledges this.
Leftist politicians would rather virtue-signal and go after law-abiding gun owners than actually addressing the real problem – the influx of ILLEGAL guns into Canada.
Othman Ayed Hamdan received refugee status in 2004 claiming that he was persecuted as a Christian convert in Jordan.
Ten years later, in 2014, Hamdan posted online in support of ISIS after several terror attacks were conducted by the group in Ontario and Quebec. The posts included content praising Michael Zehaf-Bibeau who attacked Parliament in that year and killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo.
Hamdan is believed to have posted extensively pointing out key Canadian infrastructure to be attacked and calling for lone wolf attacks in the country.
“In those posts, there are many of them that I saw resemble clear support of the Islamic State,” said Const. Tarek Mokdad who testified at his trail.
“Furthermore, this support crossed the threshold where he’s providing advice. He’s providing material support. He’s providing how-to information.”
Hamdan was ordered to be released on a $2,000 bond and to be held under 25 conditions by Immigration and Refugee Board member Geoff Rempel.
“The terms and conditions imposed by the member simply do not manage, or mitigate, the risk of release. The safety of the Canadian public will be put at risk if the stay is not granted,” claimed the official memorandum.
According to an RCMP threat evaluation, it is believed that Hamdan will “continue to post on the internet information for the purpose of inciting others to commit terrorist acts.”
CBSA officials have indicated that the release conditions are not sufficient since Hamdan will be living with the same people as when he posted his original messages.
“It is clear that the presence of the bondsperson in the respondent’s life in 2014 and 2015 did not prevent the respondent from calling for ISIS inspired [sic] violence and from posting information that could be useful to those prepared to commit acts of terrorism in Canada and abroad,” read the government report.
Despite being found not guilty on terror charges, Hamdan has been ordered for deportation for being a national security threat.
